The next morning, Cassidy got up early and got ready to go. Because Mick had told Cassidy the installers from his company would need to be in the house all day, Cassidy wanted to spend as much of the day as possible away from the house. Dressing in a bright yellow sundress, Cassidy pulled her long curls into a clip at the back of head and let them fall down her back. She added some flashy silver earrings and decided that she was ready to go.
Cassidy had almost made it to her car before she saw the security company's van pull into the driveway. Recognizing Mick in the passenger seat, Cassidy waved to him. Mick climbed out of the truck and called across the yard, "Good morning, Sunshine!"
Shaking her head in amusement, Cassidy called out her own hello, then climbed into her car. She had a lot to do today and no time to spend on small talk.
There were two items of business on Cassidy's agenda. She needed a place to live and a job. She had actually found several leads for both. She spent the morning looking at apartments, getting an idea of what she could afford. Then, after a quick lunch she began looking for a job.
The first office she visited reminded her of the lawyer's office in Sweetwater. The women who were working there all looked bored stiff. Although the receptionist was polite and the place was decent enough, Cassidy didn't want to go back into that kind of setting if she could help it. She thanked the receptionist for the application and took it with her as she left.
The second, third and fourth offices that were on Cassidy's list were remarkably similar to the first. Since Cassidy had never gotten her CPA license, none of the offices would talk to her about anything other than secretarial work. Shaking her head in amazement, Cassidy decided to take a break and grab a Coke.
Spotting a diner on the street she was driving down, Cassidy parked her car and went in. The moment that she walked through the door, she felt like she had stepped back in time. The antiques that decorated the place looked like the genuine thing rather than cheap reproductions. There were several tables dotting the floor, but the primary seating was at the counter up front.
Since the place was fairly deserted, Cassidy made her way up to the counter and sat down. The older gentleman who had been wiping down the counter, stepped up to Cassidy and asked her what she would like.
Before she had sat down, Cassidy had spied the assortment of ice cream that was partially hidden at the end of the counter. Smiling at the man she said, "I want a Coke and a big scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream."
The man's face broke into a huge grin. "A woman after my own heart," he said fondly. Then pointing to some pictures hanging on the wall, he continued, "That there is my wife. Prettiest woman I ever met. And a sweettooth that just won't quit! That woman loves her mint chocolate chip ice cream."
Cassidy looked at the first picture. It was an old black and white photo of a woman holding a baby. She was smiling into the camera and waving the baby's chubby little arm. Beside that photo was another of the same woman, much older, sitting surrounded by four handsome young men. The photo was far enough away to be hard to discern any particulars, but it was obvious that the woman in the middle of the group was the central force in the picture. Cassidy imagined that was because she was the central force in her family. She was a strong looking woman. In an unexpected flash of insight, Cassidy realized that she wanted to be like that some day. Strong and confident, and surrounded by a family of her own. And in her mind, the family around her strongly resembled one Jesse Turner!
The older man handed Cassidy her ice cream first, then went to get her Coke. While he had his back to Cassidy, the same woman from the photos burst through the back door. "Horace, I have had it with these books. I can't make hide or hare out of your notes. After 38 years, you would think that I could figure out what you meant, but honey, you are beyond me."
Although the woman's words were rough, there was no sting in them. As she talked, she walked up to her husband and hugged him from behind. Then she said, "We just have to get some help, darling. I don't want to spend my days deciphering your handwriting!"
Cassidy watched as the man turned around in his wife's arms and put his own arms around her. "I know sweetie, I just haven't found anyone I could trust. Just give me some time."
Quirking her eyebrow, Cassidy didn't take the time to think before she blurted out, "Are you talking about accounting books? Like payroll and expenses?"
Both the man and the woman turned to look at Cassidy. The woman nodded her head and said emphatically, "Yes, that would be the type! I can't stand them!"
Cassidy smiled warmly at the couple. "Well, maybe we can help each other out. I'm new here in town and I'm an accountant - not a CPA, but an accountant. I am looking to find a job, but what I really want to do is to find a couple of businesses who need help doing their books. Would you all be willing to let me have a look and see if I can help you?"
While Cassidy finished her ice cream, Horace Amos and his wife, whom he introduced as Eleanor, told Cassidy about their business. Afterwards, Eleanor took Cassidy into the back and showed her a few of their accounting methods. Cassidy was thrilled. It was perfect. For all of her complaining, Eleanor had done an excellent job keeping track of everything. All that Cassidy needed to do was take over from where Eleanor left off. The two women spent almost an hour reviewing what Cassidy could do for them.
When Eleanor and Cassidy returned from the back room, Eleanor announced to Horace that she had found the answer to their problems. Horace just nodded and smiled that same smile that Cassidy came to recognize as the one he reserved solely for Eleanor. Then he went back to watching the small tv that was sitting near the cash register.
Eleanor and Cassidy arranged for Cassidy to start the following Monday. Cassidy figured that it would take about a week to get a handle on everything for Horace and Eleanor. But after that, she would start looking for other businesses to work with. Fortunately, she had enough money to be able to survive until she could line up what she needed.
When Cassidy got home, Robin was already there. Cassidy was surprised to find Robin in the kitchen cutting up vegetables and boiling something on the stove. Deciding to tease Robin a little, Cassidy said, "I didn't know you could cook!"
Robin laughed and rolled her eyes. "Would you believe that I'm actually trying to cook to impress Van? I think I would have been better off ordering in and claiming that I was a gourmet chef who always produced perfect cordon blue!"
