Henrietta's Heart by Pat Dale

Author:Pat Dale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, newspaper, contemporary romance, editor, reunions, small town usa, love rekindled, corporate buyout, small town newspaper
Publisher: Creative Book Publishing

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Gerald came running out of the store as she pulled to a stop. “Miss Henrietta! I’m glad you’re back. The city building inspector’s here and raising a fuss.”

“Building inspector? I didn’t know we had one of those.”

“Yep. He’s also the guy that reads the water meters. In he came and demanded a guided tour of the whole place. He’s been writing on that pad of his for half an hour now. Growling and grumbling something awful, too.”

Hattie dashed through the door with Gerald on her heels. The man was coming up the main aisle when she planted herself squarely in his path.

“What do you think you’re doing in my store?”

“You must be Hattie. ‘Fraid I got some bad news fer ya.”

“Bad news?”

“Yep. This old buildin’s in sad shape. You’re gonna have to do somethin’ ‘bout it or I’ll have to shut ya down.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Here’s the list.” He handed her a scribbled sheet that looked a mile long. “I’ll let ya read it and then, if ya got any questions, call me at City Hall. I’d say you’re gonna need ta get busy fixin’ things. By law, ya got ten days.”

She stared at the huge list. “Ten days! To do all this?”

“Yep.”

“Where have you been all these years? We didn’t even know Leadburg had a building inspector. What’s your name?”

“Barney. Guess I been a little slow on things. Gotta make up fer it now, though. Everything’s gotta be shipshape. Hear that Wilson feller’s comin’ to town.”

“Yeah. I hear that, too, Barney.”

“Well, call me if ya need to.” The man gave her an uneasy grin and beat a hasty retreat through the door.

They stood there until he’d disappeared. Then Hattie took the list and stomped up to her office with Gerald trailing. Fifteen minutes later, they’d gone over the twenty-some items. Two or three could be handled in a matter of minutes but others were structural in nature.

“This list can’t be finished in ten weeks, let alone ten days. I don’t know what to do. There’s no way we can correct all this stuff in time to keep from being shut down.”

“Sorry, ma’am. I had a bad feeling about this after the way Manley tore out of here this morning. Know what I think?”

“What’s that, Gerald?”

“I think the mayor’s egging the inspector on, trying to put you between the devil and the deep blue sea.”

“That’s pretty perceptive. I’m sure you’re right. But which would you say is the devil?”

“Oh, my guess would be the mayor.”

“Yeah. Manley’s no doubt angry with me and he’s the kind of jerk who’d do something like this.”

“But what’re we going to do about it?”

“I don’t know. Clearly, I’ve got to come up with a plan, but let me think things through. There has to be a way.”

“Well, I hope so, Miss Hattie.”

“Keep your chin up, Gerald. And please, for today at least, don’t tell the others about this. I’ll have something to say to them tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She’d kept her composure until now but, after shutting the door behind Gerald, tears cascaded down her cheeks.

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