Learnin' The Ropes Read Free

snow,” Beth said triumphantly as Ty set the muffins and coffee on the table. He grinned and helped her get plates and napkins. By then, Nate was up and the three of them ate breakfast before Beth left for work.
    “What are your plans today?” Nate asked as he sipped his coffee and ate another muffin.
    “I thought I’d try going to some of the bigger car dealerships again to see if any positions have opened up since the last time I checked,” Ty said, slowly drinking his coffee. It was too early to start going door-to-door and too cold to sit out in his truck for any length of time. “How about you?”
    “I heard a rumor that a new facility is opening in Woodburn. Thought I’d drive down and check it out. If I can get a contact name, maybe I can get my foot in the door before they fill all the positions,” Nate said, finishing his coffee and rising from the table. He and Ty washed the breakfast dishes and left them in the drainer to dry.
    The two men moved to the door where Ty shrugged into his coat. He thumped his brother-in-law on the shoulder with a grin. “Thanks for letting me crash here last night. I might have frozen outside.” Ty opened the apartment door.
    “Thanks for coming in. You know Beth worries about you. You’re always welcome, bro,” Nate said as Ty waved and hurried down the hall.
    Before he had a chance to make the dealership rounds, a friend called and asked Ty if he would come over to do some work on a car.
    Ty arrived at Jeff’s house to find a car dead in the carport. It didn’t take long to determine the problem. He called Jeff and shared an estimate on the cost of parts. Jeff told him to do whatever he needed to get it running. Ty purchased the parts with his credit card and had the car back together and running smoothly by the time his friend arrived home for lunch. After taking the car for a quick test drive, Jeff paid Ty for the parts, throwing in a nice bonus for his labor.
    They visited over lunch before Jeff headed back to work.
    Ty deposited the cash needed to cover the credit card expenses into his bank account then pocketed the rest, planning to buy groceries for Beth and Nate. He was waiting behind a line of cars to leave the bank parking lot when his cell phone buzzed with a text message.
    Swiftly pulling back into a parking space, he read the text from Lex Ryan about the job in Riley. Lex was impressed with his experience and references, and wanted to conduct an interview.  Ty needed to call someone named Swede at four o’clock if he was interested. Lex was sending a list of questions to be completed and e-mailed back before four, if that was possible.
    Ty quickly changed his plans and drove to the library. Inside, he sat down at an empty computer station, opened his email account, and completed the questionnaire from Lex.
    At first, the questions didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, but toward the end of the document, a few of them caught him off guard.
    Confused and somewhat unsettled by the questions, he answered them as best he could.
     
    Are you afraid of dogs?
         No
    Do wide-open spaces bother you?
         No
    Can you live without access to modern conveniences?
        Yes
     
    Ty didn’t know how he could have access to any fewer conveniences than he did living in his pickup, but decided it was best not to offer that opinion.
     
    Are you willing to relocate to a rural atmosphere?
         Yes
     
    How bad could it be living in the country? He’d gone for many drives in the rural communities around Portland and enjoyed the gentle rolling hills of farmland. It seemed peaceful and nice. He could adjust to that, no problem.
     
    The final question, however, Ty classified as downright bizarre.
     
    Will it bother you to live in a house with the rest of the employees without access to nightlife or eligible young females?
         No
     
    A man living in his truck doesn’t have a night life or dating scene. Heck, he barely had a day life since