A Texas Family Reunion. Judy Christenberry

“I’d better call Mom, too. Hopefully, she’ll understand.”

      “Tell your mom the company needs Susan. That should help,” Alex suggested.

      “Yeah,” David agreed. “Why don’t you come with me to tell her about the job, Alex.”

      “I told you I had plans for the evening.”

      “Neil again, I suppose?” David asked unhappily.

      “Yes,” Alex replied. David didn’t seem happy with her choice for a companion, but then he’d never been happy with the men she dated.

      Jim said, “Thanks for the work, David, and I hope Susan takes the job, but we’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll call you about next Monday night later in the week.”

      “Right, thanks, Jim.”

      Pete stood beside David as the other two left. “Is your mother really opposed to women working with computers? That’s crazy.”

      “I know. Mom’s that way.”

      “Want me to go with you to tell her?”

      David smiled. “No, I’m a big boy. I can face her on my own. You can go with me to talk to Susan, though.”

      “Sure, good idea, since I’ll be the one to train her. I can see if we’ll work well together.”

      They set out for the dress store where Susan worked. When they entered the place, Susan was ringing up a sale. As soon as she’d finished, David asked her if she could take a break. She got approval from her supervisor and the three of them went to a small café next door.

      Once they were seated and ordered drinks, David explained their problem. “We’ve got to find someone who knows computer software to fill a sudden vacancy at the firm. And I thought of you.”

      Susan’s eyes opened wide with excitement. Then she slumped back in her seat. “I’d love it, but you know how Mom is. She’ll be so upset if I—”

      “I know, honey, but I think it’s time you worried about making yourself happy rather than Mom.”

      “Wow, you sound like Alex,” Susan said with a giggle.

      “Maybe I do. I thought Mom would change with time, but she hasn’t. Alex is right. You have the right to choose work you’ll enjoy. Maybe it isn’t in computers, but you’ll never know until you try.”

      “You’ll back me up?”

      “I will.”

      “And I’ll be the one to train you,” Pete said, smiling warmly at Susan.

      David shot a look at his best friend. Pete seemed really eager to train Susan. Taking a second look at his sister, he realized she was quite pretty. Hmm.

      “Do you have to give notice to the store?”

      “I think you’re supposed to, but I’ll tell my supervisor this is an emergency. It is, isn’t it?” Susan asked.

      “Absolutely!” Pete said.

      “Yeah, Pete’s right. It would be best if you came with us right now.”

      “Then let me talk to my supervisor. They’ve got plenty of help right now. I don’t think my leaving will be a problem. Then I can follow you to the office and start this afternoon.”

      “Maybe I should wait for Susan and ride with her to the office, so she won’t get lost,” Pete suggested.

      David told him that was good thinking, though he knew it was totally unnecessary. But Susan wasn’t objecting, either.

      He left them together and drove to his mother’s home, which she shared with her sister-in-law—Aunt Gladys, Alex’s mother.

      “Mom, I need to talk to you,” David announced after he’d entered the house. His mother and Gladys were sitting together knitting in front of the television.

      “Yes, dear?”

      “I’ve talked Susan into quitting her job and coming to work for the company.”

      That got his mother’s attention. “What? Oh, no! I can’t allow that! You should’ve talked to me first.”

      “I’m sorry, Mom, but Susan has a lot of training in computer work. I think she should be using it, not working in a dress store. She doesn’t even like the job, according to Alex.”

      “Alex is always trying to talk her into being independent!” his mother snapped.

      Gladys laughed. “That’s my girl! Strong-minded as ever.”

      “Yes, she is, isn’t she. She was at the office this morning, helping us find a spy. She and Jim interviewed and checked backgrounds and found out who had been passing our information on to the competitor. That’s why we need Susan. If she doesn’t like it, I’ll help her find another job, Mom. I’ll make sure she’s happy.”

      “Who’s this Jim?” his mother demanded.

      “He works with Alex at Greenfield and Associates. They did a great job.”

      “Is Alex interested in him?” Gladys asked hopefully.

      “No, I think she’s dating a cop,” he said casually.

      “Oh! I didn’t know. She never tells me anything.”

      “Well, if this Jim’s not married,” his mother said, “Alex could introduce him to Susan.”

      “He’s married, Mom. Susan will find someone.” His other sister, Janet, was married, and it seemed to be his mother’s goal in life to marry off Susan.

      “I had hoped you’d introduce Susan to someone, but you never have.”

      “I did try a few times, Mom, but it never worked out.”

      “Well, I don’t like you hiring Susan to work for our company. She shouldn’t have to work there.”

      “She thinks it might be fun to try, Mom. So can I tell her you don’t mind?”

      “I suppose. But if she doesn’t like it, you must help her find a nice job at once.”

      “I promise, Mom.”

      Though his mother protested his leaving so quickly, he headed back to the office. He found Pete and Susan in Pete’s office. He was already teaching her “Quality Assurance,” which had been Judith’s job.

      “Everything going okay?” David asked.

      The pair jumped as if they’d been doing something illegal.

      “Oh, David, yes, everything’s fine,” Susan said. “Pete is doing a wonderful job of teaching me what to do. Did…did you talk to Mom?”

      “I did, and she agrees, as long as I promise to find you another job if you don’t like this one.”

      “Thanks, David,” Susan said.

      “No problem. Pete, everything okay with you?”

      “Sure, everything’s great,” Pete answered, but his smile was directed to Susan, not David.

      David made a mental note to keep an eye on his friend. He thought a lot of Pete and wouldn’t mind having him in the family. In fact, he preferred Pete to his current brother-in-law, Janet’s husband, Jerry. He worked in his father’s stock brokerage firm and David found him pretentious and snobbish. But David’s mother was very impressed with him.

      Returning to his office, David sat for a moment to think. He knew Alex would approve of what he’d done today, though he hadn’t done it for her approval. He’d been worrying about Susan for a while now. She hadn’t seemed happy. Maybe now….

      His thoughts turned to Alex. He’d always tried to be a big brother to her, too, since she had no brothers.