Plain Jayne Read Online Free

don’t hire your friends.”
    â€œPoint taken.”
    â€œThey are very hard to fire. I’ve tried several times. It doesn’t help that Spencer is one of the best carpenters in town. And his mother would skin me alive.” He shook his head. “What were we talking about?”
    â€œThe Amish.”
    â€œWhy did you want to talk to me?”
    â€œYou run an Amish furniture business.”
    â€œWhat do you want to know?”
    â€œHow many Amish workers are in your employ? Do you come from an Amish background? How does the Amish lifestyle and work ethic affect your business, if at all?”
    He nodded and glanced at his watch. “Those are a lot of questions. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time today. I can tell you that I have eight Amish teenagers under my employ. Six of them are carpenters, the young men. Two young ladies come after hours to clean up the shop.”
    I raised an eyebrow.
    â€œNot that they couldn’t make a chair as well as their brothers,” he added. “Their families prefer for them to have more…domestic jobs.”
    I held up a finger. “Do you mind if I record this?”
    He shook his head. “Not at all.”
    I retrieved my digital recorder from my bag, pressed the record button, and set it on his desk. “Thanks.”
    â€œNo problem. So that’s eight Amish teens. I pay all of them what they’re worth—a lot of businesses who hire them don’t.”
    â€œWhy don’t they?”
    â€œThese kids are raised to work hard and expect little in return. It doesn’t occur to them to complain.”
    â€œWhy not?” When I was a teen, it had occurred to me all the time, to my parents’ chagrin.
    â€œTheir group culture centers around a strong work ethic, and their personal identities center around that group culture.”
    â€œWhat’s your personal connection to the Amish?”
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œYou sound like you have more than a passing knowledge of them.”
    He checked his watch. “An interesting question for another day. What’s your schedule like tomorrow?”
    I made the pretense of pulling my date book out of my bag.
    Tomorrow’s page was blank.
    â€œI have time in the morning and later in the afternoon,” I said.
    â€œDo you want to come back by in the morning, then?”
    â€œThat works.” I began to pencil it in.
Levi, woodshop
. “What time?”
    â€œTen thirty?”
    â€œTen thirty.” I wrote it in before looking up. “Thanks for your time today.”
    He smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll walk you out.”
    â€œThat’s all right. I’m sure I can find my way.”
    â€œI don’t know where Spencer is.”
    I hoisted my bag over my shoulder. “Lead the way.”
    Spencer was indeed lying in wait at the front counter. “Very nice to meet you. Come back again.”
    I waved a goodbye.
    Levi followed me out the door. “He’s stupid but harmless.”
    â€œI’ll take your word for it.”
    â€œThat your bike?”
    I allowed myself a smile. “It is.”
    â€œ2007 Triumph Bonneville?”
    â€œ2008.”
    â€œWhat’s the capacity?”
    â€œAbout 865 ccs.”
    Levi let out a low whistle. “She’s pretty.”
    I smiled. “I think so.” I reached for my helmet.
    â€œDrive safe.”
    â€œI will,” I said, before turning the ignition switch and revving the motor. When I turned the corner, I noticed Levi still stood near the curb.

Chapter 3
    I stopped for lunch, picked up some groceries, and took a long ride through the back roads of Albany before returning to the hotel that afternoon. Once I was settled in there, I checked my messages.
    Joely wanted to know if I’d been run over by a horse yet.
    Gemma left a voice mail with care instructions for the black skirt.
    Kim let me know that Laura emailed the paper,