Montana Love Letter

by Charlotte Carter

  “Are you nervous about the hearing?” Sitting in the passenger seat of Adam’s truck, Janelle held tightly to her briefcase. Dressed in a rust-colored suit that she thought of as her interview outfit, she knew she looked professional. But that didn’t alleviate her anxiety. What if she made some horrible mistake that would sink Adam’s business?

  “Mostly I just want them to take the lien off my bank accounts so I can get back to business as usual.” Adam had dressed up, too, wearing a Western-cut blue shirt with a string tie. He looked more like a handsome cowboy out on the town than a garage mechanic.

  “When we reach an agreement about how much you owe and set up a payment plan, the agent should be willing to do that.” If her computations were right.

  Adam puffed his cheeks and blew out a sigh. “At the government’s usual speed, I’ll be an old man before the paperwork gets through the system and the bank’s notified.”

  “I’m a little more optimistic than that.” She hoped they could persuade the agent to act quickly.

  Once they entered the town, traffic increased. Janelle found herself gaping at all the cars and shops and buildings more than six stories tall, as if she’d never been to a big city. Which was funny, since Missoula didn’t compare to the metropolitan area of Seattle, where she’d lived most of her life.

  She laughed at herself. Bear Lake and its quiet beauty had spoiled her for anything else.

  They didn’t have to wait long in the lobby before Agent Fred Hart called them into his office. Probably in his late thirties, he was coatless with his sleeves rolled up and his tie loose at his collar.

  Adam introduced himself and Janelle, and they exchanged handshakes.

  “Now then...” Hart sat behind his desk and dragged a file off the pile next to him. “I know most folks are terrorized when they hear IRS hearing, but I promise you I’m not here to nail you with big fines or anything like that. Our job at the IRS is to see that everyone pays what they rightfully owe and no more than that.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Crossing his legs, Adam rested one hand on his knee, looking casual and at ease.

  “Ms. Townsend, are you representing Mr. Hunter as his CPA?”

  “No, sir, I’m not a CPA. But I have acted as his bookkeeper. I prepared his revised tax forms.” She pulled the two files from her briefcase and handed them to Hart. “I think you’ll find he owes considerably less, including penalties, than the IRS had assessed.”

  “Hmm.” He flipped through the pages, scanning quickly, then went to the original copy of Adam’s returns. He looked directly at Adam. “You’ve got some big discrepancies between these two returns. Care to explain that?”

  “I messed up. Janelle redid everything. She can probably explain the changes better than I can.”

  Annoyed that Adam hadn’t let her show him what she’d done so he could discuss the returns himself, she proceeded to defend the changes in both income and expenses. She indicated she had backup material for each of her entries with her if he cared to check them.

  “I believe Mr. Hunter made a series of honest mistakes,” she said when she concluded her explanation. “He did pay what he thought he owed, so it’s obvious he wasn’t trying to dodge his responsibilities. And as it turned out, the amount he paid for both years is quite close to the actual amount he owed when recalculated.”

  Hart raised his brows and shifted his attention back to Adam. “So you are the one who completed these initial forms?”

  Lowering his leg, Adam started tapping his foot. He folded his arms across his chest. “I admit I made a lot of mistakes.”

  “If you aren’t capable of completing your tax returns, why didn’t you hire someone like Ms. Townsend to do them for you initially?”

  “I’m capable.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “I was busy. Careless. There’s no law against that.”

  “Actually, there is.” The agent turned to the computer beside his desk, brought up a file and began to enter data.

  Janelle tried to read the numbers on the screen, but the angle was all wrong for her to be able to see them clearly. Nerves twisted in her stomach. What if she’d made a ton of mistakes, too? Would Hart come up with a number that Adam couldn’t afford to pay? What if he had to mortgage the garage and house?

  Her mouth went dry. “I’m sure if Mr. Hunter owes a substantial amount he can work out a payment plan. His garage is a successful business, and he’s well respected in the community.”

  Hart swiveled back to face them. “Because of your underpayment and penalties, you’re looking at a chunk of money.” He named an amount that was quite reasonable.

  Relief drained the tension from Janelle’s shoulders.

  Adam leaned forward and braced his hands on the edge of the desk. “Is that all?”

  “You’ll receive an official document within thirty days and will have another thirty days to make the payment.”

  “Wow! That’s great.” A full-blown grin creased Adam’s cheek.

  “Will you be able to release the lien on his bank accounts soon? It’s difficult to run a business without access to a line of credit,” Janelle pointed out. “And if he owes such a relatively small amount—”

  “I’ll take care of that,” Hart promised. “It will take a few days to make it through the system, but by the end of next week you’ll have access to your accounts again.”

  “Thank you.” Adam started to stand.

  “I have some advice for you, Mr. Hunter. Don’t ever try to complete an IRS form again. Ms. Townsend has saved your bacon this time. I suggest you continue to employ her—and give her a raise.”

  “Yes, sir! I think I can promise that.”

  After another round of handshakes, Adam and Janelle left the agent’s office. They made it as far as the middle of the lobby when Adam pulled her toward him. He framed her face with his strong, gentle hands.

  “Janie, you are the greatest!”

  He lowered his mouth over hers, warm and firm and somehow shocking. The kiss took her breath away. Her heart soared.

  When he broke the kiss, he smiled as though he’d conquered Mount Everest. All because of a favorable tax hearing?

  Meanwhile, her heart was doing a mambo that had nothing to do with the IRS.

  A ripple of applause from those waiting in the lobby shattered the moment.

  Janelle groaned. Or maybe it was a moan. Her cheeks flamed. She’d never expected to make a public spectacle of herself, but she couldn’t regret the moment. The kiss. Anyway, it was Adam who had made them the center of attention, and he didn’t appear the least contrite. Quite the opposite. He looked as dazed by the kiss as she felt.

  He grabbed her arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

  * * *

  Adam helped Janelle into the truck. How had that kiss happened? He wasn’t usually so impulsive. But there he was, and there she was, and if truth be told he’d been thinking a lot lately about kissing her.

  Not a real smart idea, guitar boy.

  Maybe not. But he’d liked it a lot. Probably more than he should.

  No doubt a sophisticated big-city woman like Janelle wouldn’t appreciate being kissed in a room full of strangers. She deserved soft lights, music playing in the background, a smooth guy who knew the right words to say.

  Instead he’d laid one on her like an overeager adolescent who couldn’t wait to get her alone.

  He walked around to the driver’s door and yanked it open. He jammed the key in the ignition.

  “Look, about that kiss.” He turned in the seat to look at her. Her face still carried the rosy glow of her blush. He’d embarrassed her. “I hope you aren’t angry.”

  Her brown eyes widened. “Why would I be angry?”

  A matching flush crept up his neck. “Because you deserve better than a big ole smooch in front of
half the world.”

  One corner of her lips lifted. “I take it you mean that as a compliment.”

  “Well, yeah, but I was out of line. I shouldn’t have embarrassed you. I’m sorry.” Lisa had hated to make a scene in public. Janelle had probably been mortified to be kissed in front of strangers.

  She fastened her seat belt and faced forward, that little smile still teasing her lips. “I’m not sorry at all.”

  He stared at her profile. A nice straight nose. Lips that were quick to smile and delicious to kiss. A chin that hinted at a stubborn streak. All of the pieces went together as if they’d been created by a fine portrait artist.

  She wasn’t embarrassed by his kiss?

  Oh, boy! Was he ever in trouble!

  Straightening, with a shaking hand, he twisted the key in the ignition. “Let’s see if we can find someplace to eat. I’m starved.”

  A block away he found a family restaurant. The hostess led them to a booth and gave them menus. He sat on the opposite side from Janelle. No way was he going to slide around to sit close to her. He’d already made enough of a mess for one day.

  She isn’t mad, a small voice in his head reminded him. Didn’t matter. He’d stepped over a line he hadn’t intended to cross. Yeah, but you liked it. A lot.

  He opened the menu and scanned the pictures along the side. A hamburger and fries were always safe to order.

  A waiter, who looked to be in his seventies and aging fast, brought them water and was ready to take their orders.

  “I’ll have the chicken-walnut salad with Gorgonzola,” Janelle said. “And a diet soda.”

  Adam pointed to a picture on the menu. “Hamburger—cooked medium-rare, please—and fries for me.”

  “You aren’t going to have their specialty?” Her voice rose in surprise.

  He frowned. “What specialty?”

  The waiter started to answer but Janelle beat him to it. “It says all over the menu that they have the best buffalo burgers in Montana. I thought you’d want to compare them to the ones at the Pine Tree Diner that you like so much.”

  Despite the fact that he really liked buffalo burgers and would have ordered one if he’d known it was on the menu, he hedged to disguise his secret weakness. “Maybe next time. Besides, the diner’s buffalo burgers are hard to beat. I’ll go with the regular burger for now. And a regular soda.”

  The waiter seemed satisfied with their orders and walked away.

  Janelle was frowning at him.

  Leaning back, he tried for casual. “Something the matter?”

  “No. But I am curious.”

  He knew what was coming. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Janelle or anybody else.

  “You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.” He unwrapped the pieces of silverware from the paper napkin and put them in their proper place.

  “I’ve never seen you read anything.”

  “So?” He reached for the soda the waiter had delivered and downed a big swallow. He almost choked on it. “I’m not much for reading. Guys are all about action, you know?”

  Her gaze never left him. “Most guys can read a menu.”

  “What makes you think I can’t read a menu?” He added all the offense he could muster to his retort. “I ordered a burger and fries, didn’t I? It was there on the menu, wasn’t it?”

  She reached across the table and touched his hand, her fingers warm against the cold that had seeped into him. “You didn’t know they had buffalo burgers on the menu.” It wasn’t a question but rather a statement of fact. “The picture looked just like a regular burger.”

  He yanked his hand back. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  “At first I thought you needed glasses and were too macho to wear them. But then I realized you do some pretty close work on engines and whatever else there is under the hood of a car. So I began to think maybe there was something else the matter.”

  He ground his teeth together. “There’s nothing the matter with me. Back off, okay?”

  “I have a college friend who is absolutely brilliant. Close to being a genius. In four years she earned two degrees. One in ornithology and one in business management. She is also dyslexic.”

  “Yeah, but some of us aren’t even close to being geniuses.” He slapped the palm of his hand on the table, making her flinch and pull her hand away. He hated himself for frightening her. But he couldn’t talk about it. The fact that he was too stupid to read a menu. The fact that he’d been hiding his problem all of his life. Adapting and faking it since as early as he could remember.

  But Janelle Townsend was too perceptive to be fooled. She’d found him out.

  Now, as sure as 20/20 oil froze up an engine in the first cold snap of winter, she’d freeze him out of her life.

  Dear Lord, I never should have kissed her, because now I’ll never be able to forget her.

  Chapter Nine

  Janelle hated his silence.

  He wasn’t going to talk to her.

  He hadn’t said a word while they ate their lunch. When they’d finished, he’d paid the check and they’d gone back to the truck.

  Her heart ached for him. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. Instead, she wanted to help him. But she’d learned from her college friend Eileen that until a person with dyslexia admits he has a problem and asks for help, it was no use to nag him. It didn’t matter how much his refusal to address his handicap limited his life and made him self-conscious. Even defensive.

  What a waste of a good man.

  Yet look how much he’d accomplished in his life despite his limitations. He owned a successful business, was raising a beautiful daughter, was active in his church and the community.

  How hardheaded he must be to keep his problem a secret rather than seek help.

  “You know it’s not your fault,” she said.

  He remained stoically silent, his focus on the road.

  “Being dyslexic is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  He shot her a bruising look. “What do you know about being ashamed? How many times have you been called stupid? Laughed at because you couldn’t read the simplest sentence in a first-grade book? Bullied every day by guys who weren’t worth spit? Tell me that, Janelle. How many times have you hated yourself for being as dumb as an ox?”

  “You’re not dumb.”

  He snorted. “No, I’m not. But all through grade school that’s the message I got from other kids and most of the teachers.”

  Anger flared at those thoughtless children and the adults who had let Adam suffer. “Didn’t anyone try to help you?”

  He took a turn a little too fast, and the truck tires squealed.

  Janelle grabbed for the armrest as he let up on the accelerator.

  “My parents tried to help. They talked to the principal. My teachers. But it didn’t do much good.”

  “Shame on them!” She bit out the words. “Weren’t there any reading specialists who could help you?”

  “Bear Lake isn’t the big city. In those days, the school district didn’t have money for specialists or any extra frills. We had to raise money for our football uniforms and travel expenses to get to games.”

  That gave Janelle a bad feeling. Before she settled permanently in Bear Lake, she’d better check out the schools. She wouldn’t want Raeanne to receive less than the best education possible.

  “By the time I reached high school,” he continued, “I was big enough and tough enough to take care of myself. And I’d become a master at faking it. I might have graduated with all D’s, but the teachers loved me.” He said that with a laugh that didn’t ring true.

  “It’s criminal that no one gave you any real help. There’s no telling what you could have become. What you could have accomplished.” Not that
he hadn’t become a wonderful mechanic. But if he’d gotten the help he’d needed, he could have become an engineer and designed the cars he worked on.

  “I’m fine right where I am. I’ve got a good life. There’s nothing else I’d want to be or do.”

  No other dreams? That might be the saddest thing she’d ever heard.

  For a time, Janelle sat in silence, watching the passing cars and listening to the hum of the tires on the highway.

  “My friend Eileen told me there is all sorts of help online. Study aids. Exercises.”

  “Don’t you get it?” He shook his head. “I don’t want or need any help.”

  He’d certainly needed help completing his tax forms.

  “Did your wife know you’re dyslexic?” she asked softly.

  “Yeah. I couldn’t keep that from her. She needed to know.”

  Which was why she’d handled the paperwork for the garage. “What about Hailey? Does she know?”

  He squeezed the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. “No. My wife didn’t want her to know, and you’re not going to tell her. I don’t want her to be ashamed of her old man. We’re fine just as we are.”

  Janelle gasped. His wife didn’t want— “You can’t keep a secret like that from your daughter.”

  “I can and I will!” Like an angry grizzly bear, he all but bared his teeth at her and growled. “Don’t even think of sticking your nose into my business.”

  Pressing her lips together, she looked out the window again at the passing scenery. When Janelle had asked Hailey about Adam needing glasses, the girl had run off. She hadn’t wanted to discuss the subject. Because she already knew her father’s secret?

  She glanced back to Adam, studied the determined jut of his chin, the hard line of his lips.

  “You know if you keep a secret like that from your daughter, you’re teaching her to keep secrets from you.”

  “That’s nonsense,” he said without a moment’s thought. “Hailey is the most honest person I know. We’re tight, you know what I mean? She’d never keep a secret from me.”

  “Maybe she hasn’t kept anything from you so far. But that doesn’t mean somewhere down the line she’ll tell you the whole truth about every single thing in her life. Not if you’ve taught her keeping secrets is okay. You have to tell her, Adam.”