© copywrite 2008 by Diana Mylek check out her website

Chapter 2

Over the next week, Leah tried to run the business while keeping her consultant informed. He was not intrusive, preferring to observe more than interact but Leah found it hard to ignore his presence. His piercing blue eyes followed her around the factory work stations and she resisted the urge to turn and stare. He seemed to be comfortable with merely being present and she didn’t know how to act around him, but what worked best for Leah was just to stay out of his way and answer any questions he asked. Being close to him made her skin tingle and it was hard to be professional when the dimple in his cheek drew her eyes like a magnet. Mornings he spent observing the workforce, asked questions of employees and then at noon he left for a short lunch. Afternoons, they worked together or rather; Leah worked on books and accounts while Sgt. Merchant made notes.

Leah was writing an expense check for Pam when the sergeant broke his silence.

“Spencer.”

“Pardon?” Leah looked up from her writing.

He rubbed at his eyes as if they hurt. “I’m a civilian now. You can call me Spencer. Or Gunny. That’s what my men…friends call me.”

“Oh, then Spencer.” Leah realized that this was nearly the only piece of information he had given her about his personal life, other than his mother’s problem with prescription medication. She wished he would tell her more.

“If you don’t mind, I need some air.” He stood and stretched. “Or coffee, just something to wake up.”

Leah stood also and closed her check register. “How about both? There’s a coffee shop just down the block. We’ve been at these books for hours; I could use a break too.”

He agreed but only if it was his treat. “My father would have my head if I let a woman pay for my meal.” He held her sweater as she slipped into it. “My mom too.”

“Are you an only child?” Leah asked as she closed her office door.

“No, ma’am. I’m the middle child, the one who should have been invisible. But my parents never missed a thing, we were convinced they had some kind of spy satellite trained on me and my brothers at all time. I couldn’t spit on the sidewalk without her running out of the house with disinfectant.”

Leah chuckled at the image. As they went downstairs, she told her workers that they would be back soon and to route any important calls to her cell phone.

The September afternoon was warm and inviting so Leah suggested they walk along the river, which was longer but Spencer didn’t seem to mind. The breeze that blew off the water refreshed her and she breathed in deeply.

“I spend so much time indoors I forgot how wonderful it is to feel fresh air,” Leah said. “I feel like I’ve missed the whole summer.”

“It was hot.” Spencer did a little jog in place. “I need to run, work my legs. I think tonight I’ll take a couple mile jog after work. You’re right; being holed up in a building all day is rougher than I thought.”

She wasn’t surprised he liked the outdoors, being a former Marine. “How long have you been out of the Corps?”

He seemed hesitant to answer. “One month and three days, ma’am. I brought my mother back to our hometown so she can spend time with her grandchildren. I was a Marine… I’ll always be a Marine, but I was on active duty for twelve years.”

“That’s a long time. Why did you stop eight years short of retirement?”

A shadow passed over his face. Leah looked up at the sky but saw no clouds.

“My father passed away three months ago. It was sudden. Mom needed someone to look after her.”

“The family you have here, won’t they take care of her?”

He swallowed but didn’t answer, and Leah felt she was prying. They walked in silence past the crumbling dam that spanned half the width of the river, and then they turned toward town. Traffic both on and off the sidewalk increased and Spencer kept Leah close as they dodged other pedestrians. The coffee shop was near empty, however and Leah allowed him to order drinks while she sat at a table by the window. It was cool in the shop and quiet, only the scraping of chairs as customers rose to leave. By the time Spencer joined her, the place was empty, save workers. Leah accepted her drink and sipped quietly as he stared at some object on the wall beyond her.

“You had three employees late for work this morning.” He pulled at his watch absently as if recalling the time. “Do you pay them by the minute?”

“No, I pay eight hours straight, unless we’re working on a project. Which hasn’t happened for a while. I’m not strict about coming and going; I don’t believe anyone takes advantage of me.”

He changed his focus to her face. Leah felt an immediate flush and attributed it to the hot liquid she sipped.

“The same women left early Monday and Tuesday.”

“Really?” Leah was embarrassed that she hadn’t noticed. “Maybe they had appointments.”

He shrugged. “Lunch lasts almost an hour and a half, from the way your employees socialize. Then it’s another half-hour before they’re back to work full speed. You’re busy with other things, and they know it.”

“Oh.”

“You can’t afford to pay them now, let alone have them steal time. Cut the work hours to those who don’t spend their day wisely.”

Leah bit her lip. “I can’t, they depend on that money. My employees are mostly single mothers who struggle to make rent. This job is very important to them.”

“Then make them work for the money you pay.” He sat back in his chair and pulled out a calculator. “See how much you lose from wasted time? You could pay another worker with the wasted money. Another thing I suggest is cutting the workforce, or hours until you’re back in the clear, money wise.”

She couldn’t do that; these women were so needy. “Anything but that, please Sergeant…Mr. Merchant. I’m sorry but this is something that is nonnegotiable. No matter what happens, I won’t cut hours or jobs.”

His eyes bore into hers. “And run your company into the ground? All of your employees will lose when the plant closes. You need to tighten up, Leah. Cutting the workforce is essential.”

“I…can’t.” Her eyes clouded as she thought of women and children being forced out on the streets. “That’s why I need your help, I don’t want to lose anyone in my employ, I want to make this company prosper and help my workers to care for their family. That’s why I have free daycare for the children—.”

He sat up straight. “Free? No one pays?”

Leah lifted her chin defiantly. “I want the children to be close to their mothers while they work in a safe and comfortable environment.”

Spencer let out a low whistle and shook his head. “This opens up a whole new can of worms. How much do you figure it costs to run a daycare out of your business?”

“It’s not a real daycare, just a place for the children of employees.”

He started playing with the calculator again. “Say it costs a hundred dollars per child, how many do you have?”

Leah counted mentally. “Sixteen younger ones and seventeen school aged children. Usually never all at once, but I have beds and a separate area for older children. I’m sure the cost is much lower than you think; I have three full time people for the kids, which by the way isn’t enough and two more when needed.”

“So you feed the kids and pay for caregivers.”

She nodded. “I want you to help me make more money so they can keep working.” Without realizing it, Leah had clamped her hand onto his wrist. He stared past her while sipping his drink, his free hand tapping fingers on the table. He looked every bit the Marine, except for the uniform, with his short, military style haircut, chiseled features and unyielding posture as if poised for action. Everything about him spoke discipline and responsibility, but Leah couldn’t help wondering why, with only eight years left to retirement he would choose to leave the military. The excuse he gave her was too vague, he said his family lived here and wouldn’t they help out with his mother? Spencer gave no indication that she was now disabled or ill, and the shadow that passed over his face earlier spoke of a deep hurt or trouble. Maybe he was dishonorably discharged. Leah had not checked his credentials carefully; after talking with him she felt comfortable that he was not going to swindle her or steal from the business. But how did she really know? Leah felt apprehensive; what if she had made a mistake? He’s a stranger, how could she share her entire business, books and all with this man, trust him with the factory that was her heart and soul, a ministry? Did she not have to answer to God for her actions and decisions?

“Could you expand the daycare to include paying clients?”

Leah shook off her thoughts to answer. “I have room, so yes…in theory. What kind of problems would that cause between paying and non-paying parents?”

“Daycare is a huge concern for working mothers. I believe you can turn a profit on this also, with the right amount of children and caregivers.”

She agreed but said they would have to look into state law. “Technically I think I’m overbooked with kids now, so it would take much thought and planning to do something like that.”

He finished his coffee. “More?”

Leah declined and said she needed to return; Pam was due home from a trip and Leah hoped her sister would have good news. “She’s talking with the president of a department store chain. If we could place our quilts in stores…I know we could meet production.”

“That’s good, Leah.” He rose and waited for her as they headed back to the building. “I need to make some calls, find out about the business of daycare.”

“If you like I can make a temporary office for you. Some privacy if you need it.”

He smiled slightly. “All I need is a phone line, a crate to sit on and a clipboard. I’m a Marine; we don’t need no stinkin’ desks.”

“Oh, right like you didn’t do desk work as a Gunny,” Leah laughed. “I don’t know anything about the military but I do know that the higher you climb on the company ladder, the more time you spend behind a desk.”

He smiled back and it changed his whole face. I’ll bet he doesn’t smile very often, Leah thought. He lost his father only months ago, which had to be awful. Maybe he’s still grieving; I am and my father has been gone almost seven years. Leah decided to bend her business only rule, just a little in case he needed someone whom had worked through her own grief and understood. I can listen, any time, she vowed, if he needs to talk. And I’ll show him that God can heal even the most broken of hearts. Anything to see him smile again.



Gunny realized that it was the first time in three months his heart hadn’t ached, and all it took was the touch of her hand and a small kindness at this time in his life when he questioned all that mattered to him. The General was his hero, everything to which Gunny aspired—admired, respected and needed by a huge group of people. And in one short moment, it all ended. The man couldn’t stop a bullet from piercing his heart and he bled red blood, just like any man, not the blue blood of a hero. How could he just die? Shouldn’t he have walked away like the leading man in a movie, untouchable no matter what was thrown at him? And if the General could die so easily, in just a moment’s time, what really mattered? Gunny could die tomorrow too, and what would be his legacy? That he was a Marine? Who would miss him? He had no wife to mourn the loss, no children to leave his dress blues, medals or awards. No child looked up to Gunny the way he did his father. Never in his life did he question his purpose or station until his father’s untimely death left him with so many unanswered questions. Now he wasn’t sure of anything but that God loved him, the same way He loved General Merchant. And God could call for Gunny tomorrow.

“Is your mother well enough to go out?” Leah asked, interrupting his thoughts. Gunny shook them off and fixed his eyes on the way her hair shifted in the slight breeze and shimmered as sunlight bounced off her tresses.

“She’s tough as nails and runs around like a teenager,” Gunny said. “Age is only a number to her and if you ask, it’ll be a lot lower than the truth. She only admits to thirty nine of her fifty-seven years, and that only if forced.”

Leah shook her head. “Your mom isn’t old at all! And your father…”

Gunny stopped smiling. “He was the same age at his death. Still active with the Corps. He was killed in a training accident on Parris Island.”

“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his arm. Gunny looked away so she wouldn’t see the emotion in his eyes. What it happening to me? I nearly cried, thought Gunny in despair. Dad would slap me on the back of my head and make me shape up, he thought silently. I’m a disgrace to him if I can’t control these feelings that creep up on me in the most inopportune times. I used to the biggest, baddest man on base and now look at me. Suddenly I can’t even think of my dad without wanting to cry!

They approached the building and another woman who was strikingly similar in looks except her dark brown hair, hurried across the parking lot calling Leah’s name.

“Lee! I’m back! Guess what?”

Leah let go of Gunny and ran toward her sister. “You got the contract with Heidelman’s Department store!”

The other woman stopped. “Well, no not yet but Leah…” She spotted Gunny. “Who’s this?”

Her sister introduced Gunny as the consultant and former Marine. “He’s the one I told you that I hired to help us grow our business.”

“Oh, yeah.” Pam didn’t remember, Gunny thought. “Nice to meet you,” she said, extending a hand.

“Spencer Merchant,” he said, leaving out the Sergeant title. “Your sister has been teaching me the business and I’m really impressed by what the two of you have accomplished so far.”

She stared at him like a window display, and Gunny waited for an answer until he was positive she wasn’t going to reply. “Leah says you’re the marketing director.”

Pam nodded, and found her voice. “I’m sales, marketing, order placer, schmoozer—whatever it takes to make our product sell. Have you had a chance to study our marketing vision?”

“No, but we can look at it tomorrow, if you don’t have the day planned.” Gunny looked around for Leah; she was behind him, waiting quietly while her more demonstrative sister described the way she handled potential contacts.

“When I’m after a client, they get the best of everything. I take them to dinner and show that my company is successful, well managed and able to crank out any size order in record time. It’s all smoke and mirrors right now, with our financial situation, but you must impress everyone to convince the client that we are the right company for quilts.”

Gunny listened, his mind recording the details. Pam said that she loved to travel and meet people, and it was all done on the company account. He imagined Leah sweating over travel costs as her sister wined and dined prospects in cities around the United States.

“China,” said Pam, her hands moving in rhythm with her words. “Or Hong Kong. Someday I dream of moving production there and mass producing our merchandise at a phenomenal labor savings.”

“That’s quite ambitious,” Gunny said, moving slightly so he could see Leah. Her face was impassive but he knew she was totaling cost in her head. He had to put the brakes on travelling expenses now and convince Pam to use catalog and Internet sales until a major corporation picked them to be on the store shelves. Hong Kong wasn’t a completely outrageous idea; she just needed to work with what they had before taking on a world market. Gunny listened as they entered the building and went to the second floor offices. Pam was excited and empowered by her trip, saying she had been with all the major executives of Heidelman’s and they were very impressed indeed, even if no commitment was made. No matter, she had a date with one executive and he was flying in to see her!

“I’m not convinced he’s the man for me, but I’m not saying anything till we have a signed contract,” laughed Pam. “Don’t say I won’t do anything for this company.”

“Pam…” began Leah, her eyes warning.

The other sister only laughed and said not to worry. “I presented myself as both a class act and a woman of virtue, you would have been proud! I think that might be what intrigued him in the first place, a woman with high standards.” She dropped on the sofa in Leah’s office and sighed.

Leah led Gunny two doors away to a spare office. It held a desk, chair and a view of the cutting floor, just like Leah’s. She dusted the top of his desk, found a phone and started going back and forth for paper and supplies. In short order he had his own office and she said to make his self at home. Pam brought in decorations and a picture and spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know her consultant. Actually she talked about herself to Gunny and he couldn’t get a word in so he sat at the desk and listened while she told him all about her and the business.

“Leah is much more docile than me, she would be happy to just have this little business and take care of the workers and their children, but I see us as world class, a business on the edge of greatness.” Pam leaned on his desk for emphasis, her eyes boring into his. “I know we are destined for big things, Mr. Merchant. May I call you Spence?”

“Or Gunny,” he replied.

She liked that. “Gunny. How cute, 'cause you like guns?”

He bristled. “Because I’m a …I was a Gunny Sergeant in the Marine Corps.”

“Oh, that’s right you were a soldier.” She looked at him with admiration. “Are all Marines as…fit? That camouflage must hide a lot; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a soldier so muscular in uniform.”

Gunny frowned and crossed his arms. “Marines aren’t soldiers, Ma’am. And yes, we have physical fitness standards that are unequaled in the other branches of the Armed Forces. It’s something we work on every single day.”

“Well it sure works.” She pinched his biceps and presented a smile meant only for him. “How is it that you came to be with our little company?”

He sat back, retreating from her touch. “Your sister called me. We exchanged information that led me to believe I might help you lead this company into a more profitable state.”

“Leah certainly has no head for business. She insists on watching the kids for our workers and if it was up to her…” Pam shuddered. “I love my sister but she doesn’t see any further than this building. It’s up to me to bring clients and prestige to our company.”

A bell rang, and the employees began collecting children and filing out of the building. Gunny was glad, this woman was giving him a headache and he too, wanted to escape and go on a long run followed by hours at the gym working out his stress and keeping grief at bay. His mother wanted him home for dinner but Gunny couldn’t exercise on a full stomach and she would badger him into eating. It seemed only Gunny was paralyzed by grief, though he knew the rest of his family suffered in their own way.

With Pam on his heels, Gunny moved from his office and headed to the door. Downstairs, he noticed Leah saying good-bye to the children and he stopped a moment to watch. She was unaware of his stare, and genuine in her affection for the boys and girls who obviously thought the same of her. Hugs were frequent, even kisses as children ranging from infants to teens filed out the door. Then she began cleaning the area, wiping cupboards and making a list as she checked the refrigerator. Did she do the shopping too, Gunny wondered?

Pam said she had calls to make and left Gunny to his aching head. Something about the way Leah moved about the kitchen area, humming a tune that was sung at his church made Gunny want to stay and be around this woman who had a gift for making people comfortable. He had barked orders to her the first day, trying to prove his leadership ability, but she had moved him more than any order with her quiet gentle spirit. His aching heart needed to feel compassion, more than his will was able to overcome. Forgetting about his run and time at the gym, Gunny moved to the kitchen area and leaned on the table.

“Going home?”

Leah jumped and put her hand to her throat. “Oh! I thought you left.”

“I’m on my way out the door. Does your sister talk non-stop all the time?”

“Only when someone will listen.” She closed a cabinet and set the list on a counter. “It’s so quiet here when the kids leave, like a vacuum. Almost too quiet.”

After listening to Leah’s sister for an hour, Gunny desired peace and quiet. He winced as he thought about the coming month, with Pam rattling on as he worked. It wasn’t a welcome thought. Maybe sending her on trips was Leah’s way of coping with her animated sister.

“I was about to make dinner. Care to join me?” Leah asked. She had the makings of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the counter. Gunny didn’t think so.

“Allow me to take you to a real restaurant where they serve hot food and I accept,” Gunny replied. “I’ll teach you how to eat like a man.”

Leah laughed lightly and put the jar away. “Against my better judgement, I agree. Though you have to let me pay, this would be the second time today you treated.”

“Not on your life, ma’am. I asked.” Gunny waited while she cleaned a bit and then they locked up before walking to his car. “Now tell me a good place to eat—preferably without a drive-through.”

She chose an Italian restaurant on the edge of town, a former mansion with a wide front veranda that led to a set of dark oak doors. They waited only a moment for a table; the management seemed to know her well and ushered the couple to the best seat in the house—opposite the kitchen.

“No doors slamming into our chairs,” Leah said as they settled in and looked over the menu. “Whatever you do, don’t try to order in Italian. The waiters get offended at ignorance and bring whatever they think you deserve.”

Gunny raised an eyebrow. “There goes the tip.”

Leah smiled and told him to trust her on this one.

He ordered lasagna, or hoped he did and enjoyed fresh baked garlic on his bread while a man playing the violin strolled around the dining area. The music was too loud and screeched in his ear, but Leah smiled fondly at the man playing violin and clapped when he finished his selection.

“Ah, Miss Leah we see you so seldom these days.” The man set aside his violin and said in his heavy accent, “Who is this man? He’s not good enough for you.”

“No one is, according to Mario,” Leah explained to Gunny. “I worked here until Pam and I started our business. Mario chased any potential boyfriends away, even the good tippers! I blame him for my state of singleness.”

The Italian man stood straight and waved his hand as he talked. “Bums, all of them! I tell Miss Leah she is a treasure, not some common…everyday woman. I keep all of them away, and make her promise to consult me first before getting married.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gunny said, grinning slightly.

“Sergeant Merchant is a consultant who is helping me grow the business.” Leah said to Mario. “You don’t have to run him off or burn his food, we’re only business associates.”

The man sighed dramatically and found his violin. “My Leah is good enough for business but nothing else?” He spewed out a stream of Italian words and turned, tucking his violin under his chin. “Don’t worry, Miss Leah we keep looking. Someday a man worthy of you will realize what a gem you are.” He stormed off into the kitchen.

“Does he say that to all your dates?” Gunny gave Leah a breadstick.

She thanked him and blushed pink. “Mario cared for me after my father died. He said no girl should be without a father, and even though I was twenty at the time Mario acted like I was an orphan and he’s very protective of me.”

“How did you overcome losing your father?” Gunny rubbed at his chest as the pain stung him again.

Leah touched his arm and smiled sadly. “By the mercy of a loving God. I knew, because my earthly father had taught me, that I had a heavenly father who would never leave me and who would always love me. So when I lost my daddy, I found peace in the arms of God, who strengthened me.”

He knew that God loved and cared for him, but in his heart Gunny still blamed Him for taking his father. “He should have protected or healed him! What kind of God tears a family apart like this?”



“The same God who numbers our days. Your father’s mission on earth was fulfilled, and God called him home. Death isn’t the end; we who are in Christ are not without hope! Your father is barking out orders in heaven, the place our hearts long for, and he wouldn’t want to come back. He’s okay now, Spencer.”

“It’s just me who isn’t.” Gunny dropped the breadstick on his plate and shrugged an apology. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over losing him.”

She rubbed his arm and smiled. “It’ll get better with time, I promise.”

He wanted so much to believe her.

by Diana Mylek (email: Drmarcia1@aol.com)

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Diana Mylek has published Melody of the Heart, Paperback, I-Universe, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, Booksamillion.com, Target.com. Pick up her book today!




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