CROSSROADS by Marisa Carroll

Author:Marisa Carroll [Carroll, Marisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460394663
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1992-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“CECE? Cece, are you home?”

“Coming, Liza,” she called, recognizing her visitor’s voice and frowning slightly at the strident tone. “What’s wrong?” She pushed her hair behind her ears and ran her hands down the front of her cotton shorts before opening the front door and letting in a blast of humid, early-September heat.

“I need your help.” Liza was panting slightly, as if she’d run all the way up the walk from the street. A battered old pickup was parked at the curb. “At the clinic.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Come on, I’ll explain it in the truck,” Jeff’s sister urged, tugging at Cece’s hand. “We’ve got work to do. And not a man in sight. They’re never around when we need them, are they?”

“Liza, what in heaven’s name is going on?” Cece demanded, setting her feet on the top step, refusing to be dragged off her mother’s front porch until she knew exactly what she was needed to do.

“You’ve got to help me clear the supplies and equipment out of the clinic. The landlord’s foreclosing. We’ve got twenty-four hours to come up with the back rent or he’s changing the locks on the doors.”

“The clinic is being evicted? I didn’t think the money problems were that bad.”

“Believe me, they are,” Liza insisted.

“Surely if you talk to the man... Who is the landlord, anyway?”

“Some car dealer from Chicago. The clinic might be on the wrong side of the tracks, but the property is worth a lot of money. I’m sure he’s trying to break the lease. Cliff’s in Madison, picking up replacement parts for the air-conditioning unit at Timberlake. I tried to get Byron and Nora to help but I forgot. They’re out of town on sort of a belated honeymoon,” she continued breathlessly. “Jeff’s working a double shift in the ER tonight because it’s the holiday weekend and everyone else is off. There’s no one to get the stuff out but us.”

“Surely the clinic directors could try reasoning with the man....”

Liza gave her a scathing look. “Cece, haven’t you figured it out by now? There are no clinic directors. It’s Jeff. Just Jeff. It’s always been his project. Didn’t the name give it away to you?”

“I—I’ve never heard the name. You’ve always just called it the free clinic.”

“Well, it’s the Ronald Baron Clinic. Named after my dad. Jeff runs it. Staffs it most of the time. And pays most of the bills.”

Cece didn’t know whom to be more angry at—Jeff, for never telling her the truth, or herself, for not figuring out the obvious without having to be told. He had loved his father, mourned his death and what he felt was his dishonor. She should have known he would try to restore Ronald’s place in Tyler’s esteem.

Liza was tugging at her hand again. “Come on. It’s going to get dark early tonight. It’s clouding up to rain. We’ve got to hurry.”

“I’ve got some money in the bank. I could lend it to Jeff. Wouldn’t that be easier?”

“Do you have five thousand dollars?” Liza asked, turning to start down the steps.

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.