A Thousand Little Blessings by Claire Sanders Read Free Book Online Page B

restlessness in Etta’s stomach multiplied. Ever since Arthur Lewis had been hired, Carl’s only responsibility was to manage the employees. There was nothing in her father’s office that concerned the bank personnel. Etta walked through the door without knocking. “Good morning, Uncle Carl.”
    A stack of ledgers thundered against the highly polished wood floor as Carl whirled in response to Etta’s greeting. “Oh, Etta. You startled me.” He squatted to retrieve the books. “I had no idea you were coming in today. How’s Henry?”
    Several account books lay open on the desk and a stack of receipts were wedged under a marble paperweight.
    “What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you.”
    Carl folded the receipts and shoved them into the pocket of his pinstriped trousers. “Nothing.” He closed the ledger books and stacked them. “I was just…uh…just trying to keep on top of things. You know Henry always kept me up-to-date on the bank’s investments.” He hugged the books to his chest and brushed past Etta on his way out the door. “I’ll be by later tonight to pay Henry a visit and to let him know everything’s under control here.”
    Carl’s brown and white wingtip shoes squeaked as he hustled through the outer office and out the door. Etta crossed her arms over her chest and studied the top of her father’s highly polished desk. Her reflection showed a deep groove between her eyebrows.
    In the years she’d worked as her father’s assistant, her uncle had seldom had reason to enter any of the second floor offices. But, surely, Uncle Carl had a good reason for taking ledger books.
    “Miss Davis?”
    Etta glanced up to see a short, wiry man with tanned skin and reddish hair standing by her desk. “Yes?”
    “My name’s Charlie Simpson.” The man nervously fingered a battered hat. “The lady downstairs, a Mrs. Swanson, she told me to come on up.”
    “Oh, Mr. Simpson. I wasn’t expecting you until after lunch.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I know, and I’ll go downstairs and wait if you don’t want to see me now.” The man’s words shot from his mouth like bullets. “It’s just that, well, I got a ride from a friend, and he could only bring me this morning. But like I said, I can wait all day if that’s what you want.”
    Etta ducked her head to hide her smile. Did Charlie Simpson always talk so fast or was he just nervous? She walked toward him with her hand outstretched. “I’m glad to talk to you now, Mr. Simpson. Dr. Russell told me you had some experience working with stroke patients.”
    Charlie took her hand and shook it once. “I sure do. See, I was a medic in the Army for a long time, and then I got a job as an orderly at a hospital in Dallas, but when I heard about my old unit going to France, well, I decided they couldn’t go without old Charlie. So I went with ’em. Now the war’s over and I’m back to looking for a job. Doc Russell, he told me about your Pa and how you’re dead set against sending him away, so I’m here to offer my services.”
    “I see.” Etta took a long breath and blew it out. Even if Charlie didn’t need a breather from talking, she needed one from listening. She gestured to a chair next to her desk. “Please sit down, Mr. Simpson.”
    Charlie sat on the edge of the seat like an alley cat on a fence rail. “I can provide references for you, ma’am.” He withdrew a folded sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. “I wrote ’em all down for you. Doc Russell, he knows me from when we were both working in Dallas, and Captain Ross, he’s the surgeon I worked with during my last enlistment, and, if you want, I can give you more names.” Charlie bit his bottom lip and glanced around the office. “I don’t need much in the way of pay, ma’am, but I’d better tell you straight off that I don’t have no place to live. I’ve been staying with an old Army buddy in Austin, but his wife, well, she wouldn’t be sad to see me go. Doc Russell said that