The Boyfriend Bet (LDS Fiction) (12 page)

Chelsea
spent the rest of the afternoon talking with neighbors and family friends at the cemetery and at her father's house. The neighbors brought food and flowers to the house, and asked if there was anything they could do to help. The community came out of the woodworks to share their happy memories of
Chelsea
's dad, and offer support in her time of grieving.

She had good friends in
California
, but it felt nice to be home and remember what a small-town community was like; there was a bond of friendship and camaraderie in a small town that was hard to find in a big city. She had forgotten what it felt like, and didn't realize how much she would enjoy being surrounded by so many people who were concerned for her well-being.

Chelsea
knew that her father had been actively involved in the community, but she didn't realize how much of an impact he had on so many people. Throughout the day, she heard many stories about how his radio station had touched their lives and made their days a little better. She was inspired hearing the stories from all of these people, and was grateful that her father had left such an incredible legacy.

*****

The next morning, Mrs. Bullock came over to
Chelsea
's childhood home so they could talk about the radio station.
Chelsea
had slept in her old room, and had a rough night's sleep despite the familiar furniture and surroundings.

Chelsea
looked in the fridge and pulled out homemade bread and fruit that a neighbor had dropped off. The two of them sat around the familiar kitchen table to decide what needed to be done.

"It is wonderful to hear all of the stories from the community about how people have enjoyed the radio station. I know that my father loved running it, and I'm happy to know that people loved it just as much as he did."

"Yes, that radio station was his whole life. Especially after your mother died, at that point he really started dedicating a lot more time and energy to make sure that radio station was successful."

"He knew how much the station meant to my mother, and told me a few times that running the radio station was his way of showing her that he still loved her. Plus, it helped to keep him busy when he was living alone."

"Your parents were great people, and they created a wonderful resource for the community. But I don't know how it will continue without him. In fact, things aren't looking very good financially."

Mrs. Bullock paused for a moment before continuing, trying to figure out the right things to say to help Chelsea understand the situation. "You know that I have been managing the books for many years now, and things have been going downhill for the past five years. I attribute it to the slow economy, because we've had a lot of advertisers pull out saying that they don't have the money for radio ads."

"I didn't realize that the radio station was having such a hard time, my dad never mentioned that to me. I guess he always wanted to share the good news when we talked on the phone, because he always had such positive things to say. I had no idea that the station was struggling so much."

"It's really struggling, and it's been an uphill battle for him, but he refused to give up. There were months when he didn't take a salary because he wanted to make sure that his employees were paid first. Unfortunately, he had to start letting people go one at a time. I'm the only full-time employee left at the radio station."

"Thank you for sticking by his side, Mrs. Bullock. It sounds like he really needed your support over the past few years." Chelsea felt overwhelmed thinking about the financial stress her father must have felt, and wished that he would have told her about the problems so that she could have tried to help. She knew that stress could exacerbate heart problems, and wondered if her father's heart had given out because of the stress from the radio station.

"I wouldn't have ever considered leaving the station; it was my home and my family. It's what has kept me going over the years. But I realize that at some point, all good things need to come to an end, unfortunately."

"My dad was a lucky guy to have you helping him in the office. I hate to hear that it may need to come to an end, but you’re right. If it's not profitable, then it's probably necessary to shut down the radio station."

The room was quiet for a moment and Chelsea thought about the situation. Her business training kicked in as she started analyzing everything that it would take to keep the radio station running.

"I don't have time to manage it; I’m already working 50 to 60 hours a week at my job in
California
."
Chelsea
could see the tears in Mrs. Bullock's eyes, and felt guilty about the fact that she didn't have more time to dedicate to the radio station. "But, Mrs. Bullock, I know that you've been dependent on this radio station for so long, what will you do if the station shuts down?"

There was a little bit of concern in Mrs. Bullock's voice. She smiled gently and said, "Now you don't worry about me, I'll figure something out. You already have enough to handle without having to worry about an old lady like me."

"You're not just any old lady,"
Chelsea
replied. "You’re the closest thing to family I have right now, and it's important to me to make sure that you're taken care of."

"Well, it's up to you, my dear. I will be supportive no matter what you decide. It would be wonderful to keep this radio station going, and I will help out however I can. But we're not going to get very far with the current financial situation. In fact, we've been getting letters from the bank saying that foreclosure is going to happen this month. In addition, your father borrowed money from several friends and local businesses to keep the radio station afloat. Because we haven't been able to locate new advertisers, we haven't been able to pay that money back."

"Give me some time and I'll put some thought and prayer into the situation. I have a friend back in
California
who is a financial advisor. Maybe I can call him and see if he has any good ideas."

This was an excerpt from the book, "
Country Crooner
." Download the book on Amazon to continue reading:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EEA8L12