“Mary Lou?”
“Who’s this?”
“It’s Hazel.
“Hello, Hazel.” Her voice was cold and Hazel knew she wasn’t ever going to get that dinner invitation to Mary Lou's house.
“I’m just wondering if you've told him yet.”
“Told who what?”
This wasn’t going the way she’d planned. “Told Isaac about that Englischer?”
“I thought about it and I’m not going to tell him.”
This was what Hazel had feared. She didn’t want to be the one to have to tell Isaac, but now she had to. “You said you would.”
“I changed my mind.”
“I said I’d tell him if you didn’t.”
Mary Lou gave a large sigh. “Do what you have to do. And if you tell him, you could lose your job.”
“How could I, if I’m only telling him the truth? If he finds out later it could hurt him more.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll tell him, just give me some more time. Give me another day or two. This isn’t easy, you know.”
“You’ll really tell him?”
“Jah, but just realize he might not want to know the truth. Some people are happy in their ignorance.”
“Telling him is the best thing to do.”
Mary Lou grunted, “Goodbye,” and hung up the phone.
Chapter 13
A few days later, Mr. Fuller came into her office reading a letter and looking worried.
“You don't look very happy, Mr. Fuller.”
He looked up at her from under his bushy eyebrows. “I'm not. We’ve just got a letter from the IRS. We’re being audited, it seems.”
“Oh, they had an audit in the last place I worked. It wasn't good.”
“What happened?”
“Everything worked out in the end. It’s just that they go through everything—all the records, and they have to be in order.”
“The books are all right, aren't they?”
No, they weren’t, but she didn’t want to let him know that Isaac wasn’t a brilliant bookkeeper. She avoided telling him, as best she could. “They go back over the last few years. And I don't know if they'll be able to understand the previous accounting system before it went onto the computer.”
“Can you take a look at it?”
“Of course I will. I'll need Isaac's help because he'll need to tell me why he did certain things so that I can understand how he used to do things. Can I have a look at the letter?” He handed it to her and she read it. “This isn’t so bad. They’re saying there’s a discrepancy and we just have to check it.” She gave the letter back.
He lowered his head. “So, I'm taking it that Isaac made mistakes?”
She giggled to cover her nervousness. “Nee, not really, he just did things a little different from the way I would do them, but they weren't necessarily mistakes. I’ll go over everything and take a second look.”
“I hope not, because if he made any errors, it could be very costly for us.”
“I'll get right on it.”
Mr. Fuller looked up when Isaac came into his office. Mr. Fuller passed him the letter. Isaac took it and read it, and then looked at Hazel.
“It seems like Gott sent you to us at the very right time.”
She pulled a face. “I hope so. I just need you to show me what you did in the old system you used before you put it onto the computer. That might help me understand a few things.”
“I can do that, as long as I remember what I did. I just have a few instructions to give the boys and I'll be right back. I’ve got the card system I used boxed up in the back room. I’ll fetch it.”
“Okay.”
Mr. Fuller left them to it, and when Isaac came back he had a few boxes of cards and a large ledger.
They took the next few hours to go over things.
Hazel noticed some mistakes right away. “See here? This belongs in that column, and that one should’ve been here.”
“That's a dreadful mistake to make.”
“I'll have to go through all the records. You never used an accountant?”
“We never saw the need.”
“A good accountant can save you money.”
“I've read up on the tax deductions and things like that and so has my vadder.”
“They change things all the time. Every year they change things, sometimes just slightly. It’s a full-time job keeping up with such things. That’s why you should get an accountant to do the taxes.”
“Now that the business is getting bigger, I suppose we can't keep doing things the way we used to do things when there were only three workers here.”
Hazel nodded.
“How long is it going to take you to straighten out my mess?”
“It's not exactly a mess, but I'll have to go through and check everything to make sure there aren't any simple errors like this one. It's hard to say how many hours it's going to take.”
He put his hands on his head. “Could you stay for an extra hour every night until this is sorted? You'll be paid for the overtime, and I'll drive you home instead of Ruth coming to get you.”
“I'd be happy to do that, but I couldn't take any extra money.”
“We couldn't have you working for nothing. We’ll pay you for the overtime and any extra rates that the extra time might incur. Isn't the usual rate for overtime half-again your hourly wage? And since you'll soon be doing the pay checks, you'll be able to work out exactly what that is.”
“Am I to be doing the payroll as well?”
“Jah, it'll save me doing it. I'm getting used to having you around.” He gave her a huge smile which made her heart pitter-patter.
Mary Lou was blessed to have a man like him. If she could find a man like Isaac, someone big and strong who admitted his mistakes and set about to rectify them, she’d feel safe with a man like that.
“Denke for putting your trust in me.”
“I appreciate how hard you’ve been working and you've been doing a great job. How about we start adding the extra hour tomorrow night?”
“Okay. I’ll let Ruth know she needn’t collect me.”
A week went by. Hazel had become convinced that Mary Lou still hadn’t told Isaac what had happened, and it was causing her concern. She didn’t want Isaac to be in the dark about something, like her mother had been for so long. She wouldn’t keep quiet. When there was no one in the office, she used the phone to call Mary Lou’s home. After hanging on for a long time, the phone was eventually answered.
“Hello?”
“Mary Lou, it’s Hazel.”
“Oh.”
“Have you told Isaac yet?”
“I wish you’d keep out of things. You’re really annoying me. I thought we could’ve been friends.”
She hadn’t told him. Hazel felt sick to the stomach knowing that she was going to have to be the one to do it. When she had just ended the call, Isaac came back into the workshop and sat behind his father’s computer.
Summoning all the courage she could, she decided to tell him. Although at work wasn’t the ideal time, she didn’t know when would be the correct time. There wasn't any good time for such news. At least his brothers were at lunch. She got up from her chair and headed into the other office.
“Can I have a word with you?”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Jah, of course, sit down. I was just checking on some emails.”
Isaac noticed Hazel was greatly disturbed about something.
“Sit here.” He jumped up and pulled a chair up to the desk. He sat back down on his father’s chair. At that moment, he wondered if she was going to say she could no longer continue with the job. He regretted being so short with her when he first found her sitting in his office. If she left, he only had himself to blame.
“What is it, Hazel?”
“It’s something … something of a personal nature.”
“To do with me?”
“Jah.”
He had no idea what
it could be. Was she going to tell him she didn’t appreciate his rudeness, or had one of his brothers crossed the line with her in some way? “Tell me.”
“It’s a little embarrassing to talk about.”
“I’ll try not to blush.” He smiled, trying to make light of the moment.
“I’ll just come straight out and say it. I saw your girlfriend kissing an Englischer.”
“Mary Lou?”
“Jah.”
He stared into her green eyes. She wouldn’t have known that they had broken up. He was shocked to learn that about Mary Lou. As far as he knew, Mary Lou had told no one about ending their relationship, and neither had he.
“I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but things like this—secrets like this have affected my life very badly, and I wouldn’t want that to happen to you.”
He looked down at the desk in front of him. Hazel was a strange one. Was it true? He couldn’t imagine Mary Lou doing anything of the kind. Maybe Hazel liked him and was trying to drive a wedge between him and Mary Lou.
He stood up. “Denke for telling me, Hazel. You should get back to work. Or you’re probably still on your lunch hour.”
She stood as well. “I only get half an hour for lunch.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t believe me?”
He stared at her, wondering what to say. “The truth is, I don’t know what to believe.”
“I understand.”
She walked out of the office and sat behind her desk.
A few minutes later, curiosity got the better of him. He stormed into her office. “Why would you tell me something as outrageous as that?”
“Because it’s true. I have no reason to make up anything like that.”
“Don’t you?” She did if she liked him, as Mary Lou had said.
“Nee, no reason in the world.”
He stared into her face. He couldn’t call her a liar; all he could do was turn and walk away before he said something he would regret.
Hazel slumped back in her chair. She had known there was a chance he might take it badly and he had, but at least the truth was out. Now she had to deal with his awkwardness and the fact that she’d lost a friend in Mary Lou. And it could cost her this job. She sighed deeply. Things in this community weren’t working out any better than back at home.
After Hazel had gone home that evening, Isaac’s second youngest brother, the eighteen-year-old Timothy, approached him. “I’ve got something to tell you and you mightn’t like it.”
He looked up from his father’s office chair to see Timothy leaning against the doorframe. “What is it?”
“It’s about Mary Lou.”
Isaac frowned. “Sit down.”
Timothy sat on the same chair Hazel had used earlier. “Someone told me they saw her in an Englischer’s car.”
“A man?”
“Jah, he had short-cropped brown hair.”
Isaac shook his head. “I don’t want to know what he looked like.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you—”
“You’re not the first one to mention it to me. The thing is, Mary Lou and I are no longer together.”
“Really?”
“Jah.”
Timothy leaned forward. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just didn’t want to. I just wanted things to settle and then people would find out in time.”
“I’m sorry. That must be hard for you.”
He nodded, realizing Timothy assumed that Mary Lou had broken up with him. He let him think that. “Anyway, denke for letting me know, Timothy.”
“It wasn’t easy. I thought you mightn’t believe me. I thought you mightn’t believe me and you’d bite my head off.”
He froze when he realized he hadn’t believed Hazel. If it’d been hard for Timothy to tell him, it must’ve been doubly hard for Hazel to do so. She must feel dreadful. “Did she … Did Mary Lou … Was it more than taking a car ride with the man?”
“Sorry, Isaac, but I was told she was sitting too close for him to be just driving her somewhere.”
Isaac nodded. He had to find Hazel and apologize for not believing her. “Denke.”
When Timothy walked away, Isaac noticed Hazel coming back into the office. He hurried over to see her. “I thought you’d gone home.”
“I was leaving, but I forgot my lunch bag and all my other things. Ruth’s out there waiting for me. I need to tell you I’m leaving. Tell your vadder I’m sorry, but this can’t work out. The accounts are in order now and I’ve noted everything to show the IRS. We were wrong and we owe them a small amount of money. Or rather your company owes a small amount of money. It should be fine if you pay it and show them the—”
“Hazel, I’m sorry. Very sorry. I should’ve believed you. Don’t leave on my account.”
She shook her head and when he looked closer he saw her eyes were red and she’d been crying.
Her voice croaked and she could barely speak. “It’s my mudder. I’ve just gotten news from Ruth that she’s very sick.”
“Go, then, and come back. Your job will still be here. You don’t have to leave forever. Once your mudder’s better, come back.”
“You don’t see. How could you? My mudder has just tried to kill herself.”
His jaw dropped open. “What?”
“Kill herself. She’s been unstable ever since my vadder left the first time. He left us every few years, and my mudder couldn’t take any more sadness. Mamm was in an institution and now she’ll have to go back and stay there for longer. It was a big mistake, me staying here for those two weekends. She thought I’d abandoned her.” Tears streamed down her face. “She feels that I have abandoned her and I haven’t. It’s my fault.”
“Hazel, that’s dreadful. I mean that she’d be so low to consider something like that.”
“I know.” Her bottom lip trembled as she took a deep breath.
He reached out and touched her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. “Is there anything I can do? Can I take you somewhere?”
“Ruth has packed my things and she’s taking me to the bus station.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Nee, denke. I can’t think of anything.”
“Where is your vadder at a time like this?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. He was always leaving us. Now he’s living with an Englisch woman.”
“I’m so sorry. If it helps in any way, this job will always be available to you if you ever want to return.”
She shook her head. “It’s not about what I want, but denke. I could never come back. I don’t think I could have another job again. I’ll just have to look after my mudder forever, for however long it takes her to get better. You see, we’ve only got each other.” She grabbed her lunch bag. “I have to go.”
He walked out of the building with her. He had to ask her something now, if there was a chance he was never going to see her again. “Hazel, I have a quick question. Did you ever live in Falls Creek?”
“Nee, but I used to go to my aunt’s for holidays. She used to live near Falls Creek some years ago.”
“Do you know a woman there called Livy?”
She stared at him with those large green eyes. “Did you say ‘Livy’?”
“Jah.”
“That was my nickname. Everyone called me Livy when I was younger.”
“It’s you! Do you remember a young man who proposed to you?”
Her mouth fell open. “That was you?”
A glimmer of the old feeling came back when they locked eyes. “It was me, and you agreed to marry me.”
She put her hand over her mouth. “I’d completely forgotten until you mentioned it just now. You've grown a lot since then.”
They were interrupted by Ruth. “Come on, Hazel, if we’re to make that bus.”
Isaac looked at Ruth then turned back to Hazel. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about—”
“Isaac,
believe me, that’s the least of my problems right now. It doesn’t matter to me. I feel dreadful for leaving you all with no bookkeeper.”
“I’ll have to give that old lady her job back.”
She smiled as he walked with her to the buggy. “I didn’t call her old, but do tell her to be careful of what she does and to double check her work.” A smile twigged at the corners of her lips. “Goodbye, Isaac.”
“Goodbye, Hazel. I hope you’ll be back. I don’t want this to be the end.”
She turned around before she got into the buggy and now frown lines marred her forehead. “I can’t come back.”
“I’ll tell my vadder you’ve gone.”
She stepped into the buggy. “Denke. I’ll call him and explain when I get to Aunt Bee’s.” Hazel said a couple of words to Ruth and then looked back at Isaac. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Isaac stood and stared as the buggy horse clip-clopped away.
He wanted to do something about her mother. The circumstances were tragic and he felt helpless. On the side of the street, he sent up a silent prayer for God to have his hand on Hazel and her mother. The best thing he could do was keep them in his prayers.
Now the buggy was out of sight, and he turned back to the office. She hadn’t been there for long, but now it was like a light had been snuffed out. What was it about this young woman? She was attractive, but not stunningly so. Her personality was quiet and deliberate, with a calm confidence radiating through her being.
His heart went out to her for surviving such an unstable life. It couldn't have been easy to live in a home full of uncertainty. That summer day he first met Hazel returned to him. What were the chances of meeting that same girl again? Why had she come back into his life? To taunt him? Now he knew for sure and for certain that he’d done the right thing in not continuing the relationship with Mary Lou.
What was up with this name of Livy, and what did it stand for? Now, that was also going to bug him until he found the answer, but would he ever? Jah, he would. One way or another, he knew he had to see Hazel again. God had sent her to him once again for a reason, and he was sure she was more than just a sign to look for that feeling in his heart once more. She was the person for him. He wanted her because now he knew he’d only capture that special feeling again with her.
The Amish Bachelor: Amish Romance (Seven Amish Bachelors Book 1) Page 8