Getting Even by Lisa Jackson

Author:Lisa Jackson [Jackson, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

TORY HADN’T BEEN back at the Lazy W very long before the telephone rang. She had just stepped out of the shower and considered not answering the phone, but decided she couldn’t. The call could possibly be from Keith.

Gritting her teeth against the very distinct possibility that the call was from another reporter, she answered the phone sharply.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Wilson?” the caller inquired.

Tory grimaced at the unfamiliar voice. “This is Victoria Wilson.”

“Good. Don Morris with Central Bank.”

The young loan officer! Tory braced herself for more bad news. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to let you know that the loan committee has seen fit to grant you the funds you requested.” Tory felt as if she could fall through the floor. The last thing she expected from the bank was good news. Nervously she ran her fingers through her hair. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“No problem at all,” the loan officer said with a smile in his voice. “You can pick up the check the day after tomorrow.”

“Can you tell me something, Mr. Morris?” Tory asked cautiously. She didn’t want to press her luck, but the bank’s agreement to her loan didn’t seem quite right. She felt as if she were missing something.

“Certainly.”

“The last time I came to see you, you insisted that I didn’t have enough collateral for another loan with the bank. What happened to change your mind?”

“Pardon me?” She could almost hear the banker’s surprise.

“You haven’t had a change of policy, have you?”

“No.”

“Well?”

The young banker sighed. “Senator McFadden agreed to cosign on your note.”

Tory’s eyes widened in surprise. “What does Senator McFadden have to do with this?”

“He talked with the president of the bank and insisted that we lend you the money. The senator owns quite a chunk of stock in the bank, you know. And the president is a personal friend of his. Anyway, he insisted that he cosign your note.”

Blood money! “And you agreed to it?”

“You did want the loan, didn’t you? Ms. Wilson?”

“Yes . . . yes. I’ll clear things up with the senator,” she replied, her blood rising in her anger as she slammed down the phone. “Bastard,” she whispered between clenched teeth.

It occurred to her as she towel-dried her hair and pulled on her jeans that Trask might have cosigned on the note to the bank as a final way of saying goodbye to her. After all, he did appear sincere when he said he hadn’t wanted to hurt her.

“Oh, God, Trask, why can’t we just let it die?” she wondered aloud as she took a moment to look out the window and see the beauty of the spreading acres of the ranch. As August approached the countryside had turned golden-brown with only the dark pines to add color and contrast to the gold earth and the blue sky. And Trask had given her the chance to keep it. It wasn’t something he had to do. It was a gift.

“And a way of easing his conscience,” she said bitterly, trying desperately to hate him.

Without really considering her

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.