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Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

Ava shook her head and sighed. She looked over at Letty. “Sorry about Oscar. Since his wife died, he’s gotten lazier and more ornery every year. Sue kept him on a pretty short leash, didn’t let him smoke or drink at all. You see what he’s like now. He pays in cash, right before he goes back home to Rochester every year. Arrives in January, leaves in May. I could probably ask a lot more money for that unit of his, but I just don’t have the heart to kick him out.”

“He doesn’t bother me that much,” Letty said. “I guess I could just keep my windows closed.”

“You doing okay otherwise?” Ava asked.

“We’re good, thanks. How come you’re doing the housekeeping?”

“Had another girl quit on me yesterday. No call, no show, nothing. That’s what it’s like this time of year. People can have their pick of jobs. Somebody offers fifty cents an hour more, they take it, and they don’t look back.”

Ava hesitated for a moment. “I don’t suppose you’d be looking for work, would you?”

“I need to,” Letty admitted. “But what would I do about Maya?”

“You have any family living around here?”

“No.”

“There’s day care,” Ava pointed out. “The Methodist church up the street has a program. Some of our housekeepers have had their kids there.”

“I don’t think so,” Letty said. “Maya’s been through a lot. I can’t see myself leaving her with a bunch of strangers.”

“Here’s a thought,” Ava said slowly. “My Isabelle is in a baccalaureate program at the high school, and she’s a senior, so she only has classes for half a day. She’s back here every day by lunchtime.”

Letty had seen Ava’s pretty teenage daughter coming and going in the jaunty red Jeep that was parked near the motel office. The girl always waved and smiled when she caught sight of Maya.

“What would you want me to do?” Letty asked cautiously.

“Anything and everything,” Ava asked. “I reckon you’re probably more interested in an office job. Are you good with computers? Joe’s been after me to do more online marketing, and to put our reservations system online too. He even bought me the software, but I never have had the time to learn to use it—or maybe I’m just too old a dog to learn new tricks. Maybe you could start with that?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a whiz or anything, but I used to work in real estate management up north,” Letty said.