Just Above a Whisper by Lori Wick Page A

time, but no less than three months. We would like to hire you to cook and clean house for us.”
    “You’re offering me a job?”
    “Yes.”
    “At the Kingsley house?”
    “That’s right. We’d like you to keep the house up, look after our clothing needs, and prepare breakfast each morning and dinner for us each noon. You will have Sundays off.”
    Reese suddenly stood up, and Troy smiled at how tall she was. He didn’t know why he had missed that when she came in. He watched her walk out of the alcove and heard her speak to Mr. Leffler, who was behind the counter.
    “He set me free and then offered me a job.”
    “You should take it,” Mr. Leffler said, his own emotions giving him trouble.
    “It’s at the Kingsley house.”
    “You love that house,” the teller reminded her.
    “Oh, no,” Reese turned. “I walked out of the office!”
    She rushed back, a hand over her mouth, but Mr. Thaden was smiling.
    “I’m sorry. I had to tell Mr. Leffler.”
    “It’s wise of you to check with someone. Do you want the job?”
    “Yes.” Reese made herself sit down and told herself to breathe. “Do you want me to start today?”
    “In a way, I do. We have very little food in the house. Do you suppose you could shop or arrange to have some things delivered on Monday? You wouldn’t have to come to the house until then, but that would give you something to work with.”
    “Do you have an account with Doyle Shephard?”
    “I don’t think I know Doyle Shephard.”
    “He owns Shephard Store.”
    “That would be a good account to have. Do I need to set that up, or can you?”
    “I can do it,” Reese said simply, and Troy found himself relaxing. She was going to be perfect. Clearly she knew her way around a house and this town, and right now that couldn’t have been a better combination.
    “I think you’ll also want an account with Mr. Veland. He’ll sell meat he’s butchered, and Sammy Fletcher has a dairy herd, so they always have extra cheese and cream,” she said, thinking back to life at Mr. Zantow’s.
    “Can you take care of those?”
    “Certainly,” Reese said, feeling so excited that she could hardly sit still. “Mr. Thaden, is it all right if I take about an hour and see some people? Then I can work on those accounts.”
    “I want you to handle this however you like, Reese. You don’t need to limit yourself to an hour. If there’s dinner on the table at noon on Monday, and you’re looking after the house by that day, then we won’t worry about the details for today.”
    “All right,” Reese agreed, but for a moment she couldn’t move. It was so wonderful, and she had to take a moment to pray and thank God.
    “Are you all right?” Troy asked, watching her face closely.
    “Yes. I’ll get out of your way now.”
    “I’ll see you Monday morning?”
    “Yes. Thank you,” Reese said softly, her voice telling Troy that she was overwhelmed by it all. Reese left the office alcove and almost headed to the door. At the last moment, she realized what she must do. Approaching the empty counter, she spoke to Mr. Leffler.
    “Mr. Leffler, can you help me open a bank account?”
    “It would be my pleasure, Reese,” he told her, his smile as wide as his face.
    Behind the bookshelves, still at the desk, Troy let his head fall back, hearing Reese’s voice at the counter as she asked questions and opened her own account. Troy thought that giving Reese Thackery her freedom might have been the sweetest moment he’d ever known. Coming from a man with two grown daughters and two grandchildren, this was a pretty significant emotion.

     
    “Doc?” Reese called from inside his front door, but there was no answer. She stood and called for about a minute, but he didn’t seem to be around. Reese was disappointed not to share her news with him, but she realized she had two more stops to make.
    Her walk was a little slower than it had been. She certainly wanted to tell the Muldoons and Mrs. Greenlowe, but