“I can still call Henry if I’ve got a question about anything, and I’m fine with the work and taking over this place, especially since you’re here to cook for us. But I miss visiting with them. I think I’ve heard all his old war stories, at least the ones he was willing to tell, a dozen times or more.” Elijah sighed. “But back to the favor. I need help in hiring a cook for the next session, and I was hoping you would help me. I don’t know where to start.”

“To start with, you should call the employment agency and tell them what you’re looking for. Do you want a temp that will only work eight weeks at a time, or someone to stay here year-round? Can you have a man or a woman? Or just a woman? You’ve got a lot to think about.” Jayden had a lot to think about, too. She had worried about Skyler taking over Daydream Cabin, but that had worked itself out. Hiring a new cook would mean she’d have to give up the kitchen, and Jayden wasn’t ready to do that.

“That’s all good advice,” Elijah said. “Would you help me do some interviews while you are here? I’ll get in touch with some employment agencies, and we can set up a schedule for interested folks to come out here, maybe work a day with you in the kitchen. Are you sure you won’t consider my offer to stay on?”

“I went to school four years to earn my certification and took night classes to become a counselor. I’ve kept up with ongoing summer classes to keep my position. I’m not so sure I’m ready to throw all that away and make a huge change in my life.”

“I was once a soldier,” he told her. “If you’re really, really happy at your job, then you should stay with it. I wasn’t happy when we lost part of the team, so it was time for me to make a change.”

“I’ll be glad to help you find a cook,” she said. “Maybe we should sit down this evening and list what you want so the employment agency will know who to send out here.”

“Thank you. I’d like that,” Elijah said. “That would be great. After supper and your group therapy, could we meet out in the dining room?”

“I’ll be there.” She nodded.

Elijah gave her shoulder another nudge and then stood up. “Thanks again.” With his broad shoulders hunched against the drizzle, he jogged out across the yard toward his cabin.

Jayden mulled over the idea of a new cook again, and it didn’t sit well with her, but maybe they’d find a perfect fit when they did the interviews.

Not damn likely! Those were the words her grandfather used when nothing was going to work.

With a sigh, she went back into what had become a beauty parlor. She got herself a bottle of water and sat down with the ladies at the table.

“Personal or business?” Novalene winked.

“Business,” Jayden answered.

“That answer was pretty quick. Think she’s tellin’ the truth?” Diana teased.

“If she’s not, I wouldn’t play poker with her,” Novalene added. “Can you tell us why you got called out, and if we can expect Elijah to invite each of us to the porch?”

Jayden took a long drink from her water bottle. “He wants me to help interview prospects for a new cook. He’s already gone back to his cabin, so I think y’all are all safe.”

“You should take this job, Jayden, and I’m speaking from the heart now. I’m not kidding,” Novalene said.

“Why do you say that?” Jayden asked.

“It pays better.” Novalene held up a finger. “You get four months off work, rather than three.” Another finger went up. “And you trade a whole building full of problem kids for nine students at a time. And last, you won’t have rent or board, so you can save more for retirement. You like cooking, plus you are wonderful with kids.” She held up the next two plus her thumb.

“Five good reasons, and then add”—Diana held up a finger and whispered—“Elijah has a big crush on you.”

Jayden’s hand popped up. “What if”—her forefinger stood straight and tall—“you are right about there being a little spark of chemistry between us, and we got into some kind of relationship and it didn’t work. It would sure make working with him and for him pretty damned awkward.”

“Don’t close the door of opportunity until you see what’s behind it.” Diana reached over and put Jayden’s finger down. “I did, and I have regrets.”

“You can stick around here a year, and if it doesn’t work, you can always go back to teaching, or you can drive race cars in my honor,” Novalene suggested.

“Or else go down to the army recruiters and see if you can get into sniper school.”

Jayden crushed her water bottle and tossed it in the recycle bin across the room. “I promise to think about all your advice, but I imagine that I’ll be flying back to North Texas with y’all when this session is over.”

Chapter Fourteen

The rain finally stopped that evening after supper, and Jayden called the girls out of their room to see a beautiful double rainbow in the sky.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked.

Carmella shrugged. “It’s a rainbow.”

“I’d like it better if there was a real pot of gold at the end, and I could use it to get out of this place.” Tiffany’s tone was ice cold.

“Stop your bitchin’.” Ashlyn glared at her. “I can’t even get my hair up in a ponytail, so I’ll have to be careful my cap doesn’t fall off.”

“What’s the problem?” Jayden almost sighed, but then it was Sunday. The whole bunch of them did much better on the days when they had a routine and jobs from daylight to dark.

Tiffany shot Ashlyn a dirty look and a middle finger. “I’m going to write about this in my journal. Y’all can leave me alone and don’t even try to talk to me.” She stormed off into the house and slammed the screen door behind her.

“She and Carmella don’t like their haircuts,” Ashlyn explained.

“This is the worst styling job I’ve had since I got high and cut it myself with my boyfriend’s pocketknife,” Carmella told them. “Mama took me to the salon the next day and got our hairdresser to take care of it. Seems to me like Tiffany has the right idea. I’m going to go bitch about it in my journal.”

It was a blessing that they weren’t threatening to go over to Moonbeam Cabin and start a fight or, worse yet, shave Keelan’s and Bailey’s heads for not giving them high-dollar haircuts.

“I hate mine, too,” Ashlyn admitted, “but it looks like crap anyway with my dark roots growing out and my pink streak gone, so I really don’t care. No one except a few people in church are going to see it anyway, and we go to a different place every Sunday. Speaking of that, I didn’t like the service this morning. The sermon was so dry that I fell asleep. I think Tiffany and Carmella just need something to gripe about today. They’re homesick, and both of them are wishing for school to start so they can see their friends. Me, I don’t give a good hot”—she paused and sucked in air—“darn if I ever see any of mine again. I’ve decided to never drink again, not even a beer, and I may ask my folks to put me in a private boarding school. They’ve wanted to for a while, but I thought I’d die without my friends.”