Romance for Matthew Read Free

could tak e anyone laughing at her today.
    "Don't mind Nat," Sarah said, smiling. "He's our resident jokester. A laugh a minute with that fellow. Could I get you something to drink?"
    "Fruit juice would be wonderful. Thank you," she replied as she smiled at the woman.
    But, her smile faded after the woman left, and she knew all she really wanted to do was go home to Jacob. She didn't want to work and meet new people. She checked her watch, and realized she had two more hours left to go, and she sighed deeply.
     
    A few minutes later, Matthew made his way back into the den with his dog, and walked behind her again.
    "He's so cute," she said, reaching her hand out to 'Mutty' and stroking his fur. "He looks like he's smiling," she noted with a laugh.
    "I guess we'll never know. He seems happy, and I give him plenty of treats. I think he's getting too fat, actually. I spoil him terribly."
    They went back to the spreadsheets. But, she found she had questions on them. "Where are the original documents these financials were made from?" she asked Matthew.
    "They just give me the spreadsheets. I'm assuming they keep the original checkbooks and accounting bank statements."
    "We need to get those," she said firmly. "I have to check and see if the expenses are documented properly and in the right category. Not just that, there's the income side of it too. Very, very important. If they're not correct, your bottom line will be off."
    She realized, just from perusing the various spreadsheets he had her call up, that he was very rich indeed. The fact that he was blind didn't seem to have stopped him from amassing a small fortune. He seemed to be an astute businessman, good at the stock market from what she could tell, and her respect for him grew.
     
    Just before she was to leave, after she'd checked her watch yet again that day, Matthew said to her, "I just wanted to let you know that with this job comes a bit of the unknown."
    She looked up at him, as they walked towards the front door at the end of the work session. "I'm not sure I understand," she replied with curiosity.
    "Some things, I just want to do but can't do by myself. I suppose it will be an adventure, day by day, you know? To see what The Lord will offer us."
    She said nothing at that, she just couldn't, the way she felt about life. The bitter remnants of her shattered existence came to her then, linked only by Jacob. After Samuel's diagnosis, treatment nightmare, then death, Jacob was the only good thing to happen to her in years. And she held onto him in her heart, thinking he was the bright spot in her reality.
    God had punished her enough, she thought bitterly.

     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    As soon as she arrived home, Bethany slung her purse and briefcase on a chair and ran to Jacob's playpen, lifted him high above her head before she danced around the room with him, making him squeal and giggle with pleasure.
    Her mother came out of the kitchen with a towel slung over her shoulder. "Hi honey. I take it you got the job?" She pushed back her gray hair, smoothed her apron and dusted off her slacks. "He's been good all day, haven't you?" she cooed to him.
    Bethany kissed her, while still hugging Jacob close. "Yes, and I even get lunch free and a gasoline allowance. It looks to be interesting. And my boss is blind."
    "Your boss? Well, what a surprise. Isn't life funny?"
    "Yes. His name is Matthew. A very talented man."
    They sat on the sofa, while Bethany held Jacob on her knee, bouncing him up and down.
    "So, what are you doing for him?" her mother asked.
    "Basically checking the work of his accountants. I guess it's like a thing to reassure him. Can't say as I blame him, what with him being blind and all. It surprises me what he can do, amazes me, actually. And he can use all the checks and balances he can get."
     
    They went on discussing her day before Bethany fed Jacob. Sitting in the rocking chair, trying to get him to burp, she thought about what it would be like to be