Page 24 of The Replacement Wife (New Hope 2)

I glanced at the three men standing beside him. Michael, it appeared, had drawn a blank. He was so sloshed he couldn’t pull their names from the rightful place in his limbic system.

One of the men extended his hand. “I’m Mark Jones.”

I took it hesitantly. This was just like Michael to pull a stunt when I’d resolved to do something.

“This is Adam Morford. And that there,” he continued, motioning with the opposite hand, “is Grant Dunn. Dr. Dunn.”

“Tom Anderson, CPA.”

“We’ve been playing golf with your business partner,” he informed me. “And we had to meet you. Forgive us for being impulsive, but Michael tells us you’re a savant. He says you’re good with numbers.”

I pressed my lips together.

“Show them Tom,” Michael slurred. “Show them what you can do.”

I showed them my party trick. It wasn’t hard. I only knew a few.

“Listen,” the guy named Mark said. He placed his arm around my shoulders. “The guys and I—” He paused to make sure everyone was listening. I moved away. Being accosted is my second least favorite thing. “We run a little church.”

That’s exactly what Michael needs, I thought.

“The reason we’re here…” he continued, “is our accountant up and quit on us last week.”

“Sorry to hear that. Good accountants are hard to come by.”

Mark Jones laughed. “Well, he wasn’t an honest man, so good riddance, I say.”

The other men either looked away or stared at the floor. Only briefly. But long enough that I noticed.

“What about you, Tom?”

I cocked my head. I didn’t know what to say, so I offered the tried and true. “What do accountants suffer from that ordinary people don’t?”

Mark looked at his friends. Everyone shrugged. Everyone but Michael. He knew where I was going. He taught me himself.

“Depreciation.”

Everyone laughed. Even Michael.

“This guy,” Mark said to the group. “I like this one.”

Next, he looked at me directly. “Could we talk for a moment?”

I nodded toward my office, and he followed me in. Neither of us sat.

“I won’t beat around the bush,” he said. I appreciated that. Michael looked like he was going to ruin the office carpet at any moment. Urine or vo

mit…with drunks one can never tell. “We have some money we need to invest, and as it turns out, we were left without anyone to handle that sort of thing. We need someone who can look out for us. Someone who has the church’s best interest in mind. Someone we can trust.”

“Well—” I was about to tell him I’d taken another job when he cut me off. I didn’t have to.

“I know things have been tough for your firm,” he said. He took a step forward, and placed his hand on my shoulder. Then he lowered his voice. “I know your family is having a bit of hardship.”

I scooted from beneath his grip. “I don’t like to be touched.”

He glanced at me sideways. “I like that you’re direct. And I get it,” he said. “What I don’t get,” he paused and shook his head. “Is why someone with your talent is in such dire straits.”

I glanced through the window at Michael. “A series of bad business decisions on my part.”