Rebecca grinned. “As long as I can remember. Why?”
“Well I’m just concerned. I mean he’s an older man…”
“You’re worried because he’s an alcoholic.”
Carolina gasped. “No! I mean…I wasn’t going to say that.”
“Well everyone knows. It’s not a secret. Even Stanley will tell you if you ask him.” She chortled.
Carolina leaned back in the chair, unsure how to proceed with the conversation.
“Carolina, if you are worried that Thomas won’t do a good job, don’t. He’s been doing roofs and construction for as long as I’ve known him.”
“How long has that been?”
“Since I was little. He may come across as rough around the edges but you just need to get to know him. You’ll learn he can be trusted to do a good job.”
“I don’t think he’s interested in anyone getting to know him.”
“He is different with women than men. He was married once. And she died of cancer. He never remarried.”
“Really?” Carolina suddenly felt compassion. He’d lost his wife to a terminal disease. She’d lost her marriage to another woman. They both knew the pain of losing someone they were supposed to grow old with. She let out a hefty sigh. “How sad.”
“Yes. She was sick for such a long time. And there were so many treatments. It didn’t help. He’s still paying off her medical bills.”
“I had no idea. That must mean he needs all the work he can get,” she said softly.
Rebecca nodded. She took a drink of her coffee. “Speaking of employment, have you started looking for a job?”
“Not yet. To be honest I’m not sure where to start. I was a housewife for twenty years. I don’t think I have a lot to offer.”
“Why don’t you look into what your strengths are?” Rebecca offered. “Play up to that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you a good cook? Did you decorate your house? What kinds of places did you volunteer?”
Carolina considered what her banker was saying. “I do cook, nothing fancy though. I had help decorating my house when we built it and I volunteered in the children’s nursery. I really don’t think any of those things can be turned into a profitable career, no matter how creative on paper.”
Rebecca stood and gave her a reassuring smile. “Keep thinking about it. Something will fall into your lap. I have a feeling about these things.”
She stood. “I hope so. Or else I’ll be renting out rooms to earn money.”
Rebecca sobered. “Hey, now that’s an idea. You could have a B&B on the lake. Not only would it earn some money, you could have a lot of tax write-offs since it would be a business.”
Carolina instantly resisted. “What if I get some crazy people? I don’t know if that’s the way for me to go.” She hooked her purse on her arm. “I’ve got to go get some dog food.” She cocked her head. “Hey, you don’t know if someone lost a black dog by the lake, do you?”
“No, but I can post it on my social media account. If someone here has lost a dog then they will certainly be looking for it.”
“Thank you. For everything.” Carolina leaned across the desk and offered her hand. After they shook, she headed to her car and drove to the grocery store.
After getting groceries, she stopped in the diner to speak to Getty but learned it was her day off. The young waitress told her to come back tomorrow.
On the way home, Carolina thought about all that she needed. She needed to finish getting her house in shape and the expensive repairs completed. She needed to find Black Dog’s owner. Most of all, she needed to get a job, and fast.
Chapter 20
Aknock woke Carolina up from a deep sleep. Black dog who was lying on the foot of her bed lifted his head and gave a single bark.
