Page 29 of Two Hearts' Accidental Heroes

Rick frowned. That meant he’d better do something now to get some attention. When the bartender finally approached with his beer, Rick leaned over. “Hey, have you heard about any job openings around here?”

“What kind of experience have you got?” the bartender asked.

“I’m ex-Air Force. Does that count for anything?” Rick replied.

The bartender pursed his lips. “Hey, Wes? Are you still looking for help at the marina?”

Wes glanced at Rick, giving him a once over. It wasn’t the first time tonight. He’d been eyeing Rick when he’d been playing pool a few minutes earlier.

Obviously disinterested, Wade Armstrong stood. “I’ll be back in about an hour, Wes. Will you be ready to head out?”

“I’ll be ready,” Wes answered, still staring at Rick. “Have you got any experience with speedboats or motors? What I could really use is a salesman.”

“I can drive, ski. Use a snowmobile, or jet ski,” Rick admitted. “I can be persuasive. But I’m not averse to manual labor.”

Wes pursed his lips. “We’re located in Rice Lake. If you’re interested, go to Montgomery Marina and fill out an application. I’ll check it out and give you a call if we can use you.”

“Okay.”

“Have you got family here?” he asked.

“In the state,” Rick replied. “We used to come here for vacations when we were kids.”

Wes nodded, surprising him by talking a little bit about Crystal Rock Lake and the fishing. He seemed to be a lot drunker than Rick first thought. In fact, maybe he wouldn’t even remember speaking with Rick the following day, but the longer they talked, the more certain Rick was that Wes would hire him.

What surprised him was that he didn’t appear to be the bad guy he was supposed to be. But how could you truly identify someone you suspect of being a pedophile as well as a member of one of the most prolific human trafficking rings in the state, or maybe even the country, just by their manner or appearance?

When Wade returned, Wes stood, nodding at Rick.

“Night,” Rick called out as Wes and Wade made their way through the bar toward the exit.

Trying not to be in too much of a hurry, Rick continued to sit at the bar, finally finishing his beer.

Another twenty minutes later, Rick arrived back home. As he walked inside, his phone began to ring.

“How’d it go? I heard you play a mean game of eight ball,” Jake said. “My guy in the bar said the two of you seemed to get along.”

“Yeah, I think it went well. I asked the bartender if he knew about any job openings and he was the one who introduced me, so there were no suspicions about me as far as I could tell. I’m supposed to go in and fill out an application. He’s looking for a salesman.”

“You might as well go do it tomorrow. I don’t think it’ll make you appear anxious. I’ve got a spin you can use. You need an operation on your knee, but you don’t have insurance, so you’re looking to make as much money as you can,” Jake said.

“I’m surprised I didn’t think about that myself. At least if I’m working in Eau Claire, I’m probably not going to run into Brian or Ashley. I can’t believe they’re back together.”

“I can’t believe I forgot to mention it sooner,” Jake replied. “Especially since they’re both working for me in a roundabout way. Brian’s probably going to be at the rehab center, so we need to make sure that you don’t cross paths.”

“I can probably make do on my own if I pick up some equipment,” Rick admitted. “That’s what I might have to do anyway if I end up working in Rice Lake. If I get the job and it’s full time, I’ll have to rent an apartment, I suppose.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Jake replied. “Alright. Give me a call tomorrow.”

“Will do,” Rick muttered, disconnecting.

* * *

Rick drove the twenty minutes to Rice Lake the following morning and filled out an application at the marina. Wes didn’t appear to be there, and the guy that was working behind the counter didn’t say much when he handed over the blank application.

“I met Wes last night, and he told me to come in and fill out the application,” Rick said, when he handed it back over.

He looked surprised. “He doesn’t do things like that much. I’ll let him know that you were here and filled it out. He should be in soon.”

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