The Prairie Fire Rekindled by C. D. Melley

Author:C. D. Melley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Saskatchewan romance, country romance
Publisher: Douglas J. McLeod
Published: 2017-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE COLLEAGUES LOOKED at each other in stunned silence after the bombshell had been dropped. They could have accepted any woman to have been Chuck's former girlfriend, but not the one person who it was. Rebecca Brimley was the relative who put Amanda and everyone through hell a year before when she contested her late father's will in a bid to get the farm, so she could sell it to the highest bidder. The staff thought they were finished with Rebecca once she had lost her court challenge. Chuck had dragged her back into their lives.

Cecil was the first to break the silence. "So, let me get this straight: the gal you were dating before meeting Ashley – the woman who screwed with your heart – is Amanda's cousin."

Chuck sensed the tension that had befallen the dining room, and took a nervous sip from his glass of wine. "That's correct. I'm guessing Rebecca isn't a favorite relative?"

"She’s persona non grata around here, Chuck," Amanda said. "She put me and everyone here through Hell when she tried to finagle the farm away from us."

"Yes, Rebecca isn't really the type of person who'd leave things be."

Kevin said, "You don't know the half of it. But the thing I don't get is this: if she's your ex, and you held the cards in approving our application for financial assistance, why didn't you reject our claim in a bid to win Rebecca back?"

Ashley scolded her coworker. "Kevin! That's a horrible question to ask him. Chuck has to maintain a level of professional integrity, and not let personal feelings get in the way of his job."

Chuck attempted to calm her down. "It's alright, honey, but you're right. As a civil servant, I must remain impartial, and not let people sway my opinion one way or another when it comes to insurance claims."

Amanda muttered under her breath, "Tell that to the politicians in Ottawa or Toronto."

Chuck continued. "So, while I still talk to Rebecca on occasion, she has no say in whose claim I approve or deny. That's purely based on the validity of each individual case."

Hank chimed in. "While that's all good, the concern I... well, we all have, is does Rebecca know that you're dating Ashley?"

"She knows that I'm dating someone, but I haven't told her that it's Ashley."

Ashley slammed her napkin on her dirty dessert plate. "Well, if that's the case, I think I'm going to be on the receiving end of Rebecca's dirty looks and vengeful spite."

Cecil added, "As will Chuck. We all know how malicious Rebecca was toward Amanda and Hank. When she finds out that Chuck and Ashley are hooking up, her claws will be back out again."

Chuck worried, "I don't think it will be that bad, will it?"

Amanda looked at the guest. "You don't understand. Rebecca is the type of woman who will try anything and everything to get what she wants. And when she learns you have been seeing Ashley, she will do her damnedest to ruin any further relationship the two of you might have together.

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