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Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Everyone loves the ladies of Covington!
  3. Also by Joan Medlicott
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. Discussion Questions

Max and Hannah waved. Then Hannah stood and smoothed her slacks. “Come to think of it, maybe no one’s home. I better go over and let him in, show him to his room.”

Max stood. “I need to get back to the park. See you later. Coming for dinner?”

“Yes. I want to be here for Sarina when she’s rested awhile,” Hannah replied. She kissed him, stepped past him, and walked swiftly across the grass and across Cove Road. Max watched as she greeted the man, opened the front door, and ushered him inside.

40

The Birth Pangs of a Business

Heavyhearted and stiff in every joint, Max walked slowly down the steps and headed for Bella’s Park to meet with Jose and the painters. He had forgotten how much work was involved in getting a new business off the ground. He had set Jose up with his own bookkeeper, but after several meetings with Jose, she had asked if Irena or Anna might be better able to grasp debit, credit, and other business concepts. Jose, she said, was wonderful with people but should avoid record keeping.

“He’ll make a great maître d’, but he seems unable or unwilling to grasp the idea that every pencil he buys, every gallon of gas he uses in service to the restaurant, is deductible. He just won’t keep records of his mileage to Mars Hill to Builder’s Express for a screwdriver. Slips from his purchases are scrunched into wads, stuck into his pocket, and pulled as sodden globs from the washing machine.” Max had scheduled a meeting with her, Anna, and Irena later this afternoon. Now he worried that if Sarina was unable to care for Sarah herself, Anna would not leave them alone in the house and there would be no meeting.

Max stood in the road and looked up at the old farmhouse so carefully renovated to meet their needs. Once the restaurant opened, they would have to sacrifice a part of the lawn to one side of the building for parking, or maybe they could move the parking a bit farther over. They owned the entire cul-de-sac. Yes, he’d rather do that and pave a winding path, something attractive, with an arbor to pass through, perhaps, than lose so much lawn close to the office. He’d discuss it with Hannah.

When he reached the front door of the office, Max leaned against it. He wanted to go home, to fall into bed, and sleep for a week. Why was he so tired lately?