LITMIR.BIZ

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Lou looked out her front window on Tuesday morning. Her heart still stung from the rebuke Jared had laid at her feet on Monday.

      She’d come across as arrogant. Confidence had united with stubborn defensiveness and she’d allowed them to rob her of her objectivity.

      Lord, please help me not to be lifted up in myself. I know You give grace to the humble. And I feel like I’m going to need a lot of grace to get through working with Jared Ivy until the judge comes to town.

      After checking her hair one last time in the mirror by the front door, she added another earnest plea to her prayer.

      Please let me keep the paper. It’s all I have.

      When she entered the back of the office, she found Jared at her desk.

      “Good morning, Mr. Ivy.” She wasn’t surprised when he followed the pattern of his grandfather and ignored her. He filled another page with the words that flowed from his pen before she cleared her throat with deliberation.

      The pen stilled and he looked up at her. “Oh, good morning.”

      “You’ve taken great liberty with the use of my desk.”

      “I consider it to be my desk, Mary Lou.”

      “And that’s another thing. I am uncomfortable with your use of my given name. We are business partners, not friends of long standing.”

      “So you admit that I am an equal partner in the newspaper?”

      He was quick with a turn of phrase. “I do not. I point out that you have taken liberties without so much as a by-your-leave.”

      Jared stood and offered her the chair he’d just vacated. “Please do have a seat and let us work out the details of these liberties.”

      She twisted her hands together behind her back and said, “I’ll sit here,” as she lowered herself into the chair facing the desk.

      The corners of his mouth tweaked for a brief moment but he turned the threatening smile into a neutral expression and sat. “Let’s talk of the office and desk first.” He put his palms flat on the desk. “I think we can share the desk. In the mornings, I like to make notes on what I’d like to accomplish during the day. If that works for you, fine. If not, I can come in earlier and use the desk before you arrive.”

      “I use the desk to write articles for the paper. I have no idea from one day to the next what time I will need it.”

      “What if I’m willing to relinquish my time to you in the event you need to write a story?”

      He was being reasonable. Rational and reasonable. If she didn’t accept, he could tell the judge she’d refused to cooperate. If she did accept, she’d have to watch him work at the desk every morning. Watching the confident way he put pen to paper without pause reminded her of the elder Mr. Ivy. He always knew what he was about. Never did he stop and question his course.

      She wished she could be that bold. The boldness she exuded was manufactured nightly in earnest prayer that she wouldn’t falter with each new day. Could she keep up the facade of successful business owner, ready to face the world on her own, in the presence of his natural confidence?

      He must have taken her silence for disagreement. He offered another solution. “What if we decide to treat everything as belonging to the Record? The furnishings and everything. Then it won’t be as if either of us is using the other’s personal property. It will be both of us sharing the duties and responsibilities of the paper.”

      “That seems reasonable.” She had taken ownership of all the contents of both buildings when Mr. Ivy died. Save her clothing, there really wasn’t anything here that belonged exclusively to her.

      The front door swung open and a gust of October wind came in with Andrew.

      Jared stood again. “Andrew, just the person I need to see.”

      Andrew closed the door and cast a leery glance at Mary Lou before turning to Jared.

      Jared came from behind the desk. “I need to buy a horse. Mary Lou tells me you reside at the livery.”

      “Mr. Robbins always has a couple of horses for sale. He’s got two fine animals right now.”

      Jared snagged his hat from the coat tree near the door and thanked Andrew.

      Mary Lou asked, “Aren’t you going to work today? I intended to show you how to take last week’s plates and prepare for a new paper.”

      “I’ve got some things to take care of first. You and Andrew go ahead without me.”

      She put her hands on her hips. “You need to know all the aspects of publishing the newspaper.” He couldn’t just waltz in and out of the office—and the work—like he didn’t have any responsibility.

      “I’m sure that can’t be the most difficult part to learn. I’ve got an idea I’m following up on. If I’m right, I’ll have a contribution of my own to add to the next edition.” He gave her a smile that she knew meant he expected her to grant him permission.

      “I won’t do your work for you. And nothing will go into the paper without my approval. Perhaps you’d like to share this idea before you waste your time on something we won’t print.”

      “Oh, we’ll print it. I’ll try to be back before supper.” He snagged his saddle from its place near the front door and left.

      “Wonder what he’s working on.” Andrew shrugged out of his jacket.

      “I don’t know.” Mary Lou pushed her sleeves up and reached for her garters to hold them safely away from the ink while she worked. “But if it’s anything like what I’ve heard since he got here, it will never see print.”

      She and Andrew set to work removing the type from the articles that wouldn’t run again and sorting the letters into trays. The next edition would be easier to prepare if they kept the work area organized and clean.

      The two of them worked the remainder of the morning, but Mary Lou’s mind was on Jared. Where was he? What idea was he pursuing? If he proved to be a better journalist than she was, would Mr. Ivy have wanted her to turn the paper over to him? The thoughts became a jumbled mess in her mind, but she pushed them away after lunch when she set off in search of the next article worthy of the front page.

      If Jared was going to compete with her for ownership of the Pine Haven Record, he’d have to prove himself a strong challenger. She might need to pray for strength every night, but she set about her job with determination every day. If anything, Jared only made her more determined than ever to succeed.

      * * *

      Jared went straight from the newspaper office to the livery. He entered through the open doors and stopped as his eyes adjusted to the shadows of the interior. “Mr. Robbins? Are you here?”

      A man in his forties came from one of the stalls. “That’d be me.” He wiped his hands on a rag and stuffed it into his hip pocket.

      “I’m Jared—”

      “Jared Ivy. Jacob’s grandson. You’re Ben and Agnes’s boy.”

      He hadn’t thought about what it would be like to meet people who’d known his parents. Jared put out his hand. “I am. It’s good to meet you, Mr. Robbins.”

      “I’d have known you anywhere. You’re the spitting image of your pa and your grandpa.”

      Jared chuckled, mostly to clear the awkward feeling that filled his throat. He’d been so long without either man that he hadn’t known he looked like them. Only when Mary Lou had pointed it out had he realized it. The picture on the wall in the news office floated to the front of his memory. He’d missed so much. “So I’ve been told just recently.”

      “I’m guessing Mary Lou Ellison was surprised when you showed up in town. That’s a fiery girl if ever I saw one. She’s been committed

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