She looked at him.
“Did you move this?”
“Last night.”
“Why?”
“Thought it might be more comfortable.”
She sat carefully.
“It is.”
The cowboy poured coffee.
Then he returned to the papers.
The woman glanced at them.
“Trouble?”
He gave a tired smile.
“Ranch accounts.”
She looked interested.
“What sort of trouble?”
“Feed prices. Repairs. A few customers who think paying bills is optional.”
She held out her hand.
“May I?”
He hesitated.
Then he passed her the ledger.
She examined the pages.
The handwriting was untidy.
Several figures had been crossed out.
A column of expenses did not match the total written at the bottom.
She looked up.
“Who keeps these accounts?”
The cowboy sighed.
“Mostly me.”
“That explains quite a lot.”
He stared at her.
Then he laughed.
She smiled.
“I'm sorry.”
“No, you're not.”
“Not entirely.”
She turned another page.
“You've counted the same grain delivery twice.”
He leaned closer.
“Where?”
She pointed.
“Here. And here.”
He frowned.
“Well, I'll be damned.”
She continued examining the ledger.
“And this customer paid you in two installments. You've recorded the first but not the second.”
The cowboy looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Because you wrote a note in the margin and forgot to carry it forward.”
He studied her with growing admiration.
She closed the book.
“I worked as a bookkeeper for several years.”
“I can see that.”
She looked toward the window.
“I also sew, teach reading, and have some experience managing household accounts.”
The cowboy considered her.
Then he asked a question.
“Would you be interested in work?”
She stared.
“What?”
“I need help getting these accounts in order. And the ranch could use somebody who can tell me when I'm being an idiot with money.”
She laughed.
“You're offering me employment?”
“Yes.”
“After one morning?”
“You've already found three mistakes.”
“Four.”
He looked down.
She pointed toward the bottom of the page.
“You forgot to subtract the payment for the fence repair.”
The cowboy shook his head.
“Four mistakes, then.”
She smiled.
He continued.
“I can pay fair wages. You'd have the room, meals, and whatever adjustments we need to make things comfortable.”