Hot Property (14 page)

Well you don’t have to worry, Skylar
Blakewood, I’m not staying, she was thinking.

Anger had replaced her fear and she took a
few sturdy steps inside. She slammed the envelope down on the dusty
countertop and looked directly up into Skylar’s big blue eyes.

“I’d appreciate a response by the end of the
day.”

She wheeled around and left without giving
him the opportunity to utter a single word.

Chapter Nine

Somehow, but darned if Betsy knew how, she
had arrived safely at her office. She even remembered to lock the
door behind her when she came in. With what she planned to do next,
she didn’t need any interruptions from pedestrians wandering in off
the street.

She had an hour and a half before Mary was
due in. Hopefully by then, she’d be finished at her desk where she
had taken root. She had to open and shut one file cabinet drawer
after another before she found the set of books she was looking
for.

“This is going to be easier than I thought,”
she commented after opening the ledger.

She poured over the figures in the credit
and debit columns. She began smiling, pleased from what she
saw.

“We’re in better shape than I imagined.”

Again, she began searching filing cabinet
drawers. This time looking for lined paper to copy the figures
onto. Once she found the paper she put together a profit and loss
statement. A necessity when she approached the loan officer at the
bank, which she planned to do as soon as Mary arrived.

Once she finished, she kicked back in her
seat. Her thoughts drifted off in another direction.

She wondered if Skylar had looked at the
contract yet. Of course he had, she told herself. What went through
his mind after reading it was a puzzler though.

As of two months ago, Skylar seemed well
versed on the financial ailments of the agency. Of course, as a
bank board member, he was privy to the confidential information.
But right now, he couldn’t possibly know how well the agency had
recovered.

He might have noticed all the sold signs on
the houses listed with the agency. And he might have inquired into
the deposits made to the private account at the bank. But he didn’t
know about the second account Betsy had at another out of town
bank. The one into which she had socked away a sizeable chunk of
cash over the last two months.

It was almost enough for the down payment
she needed to purchase his house. She’d use her share of the
commission on the sale to cover the difference.

“Don’t be too confident,” the almost
forgotten Miss Sensible had returned to remind.

But Betsy didn’t want the pessimistic side
of herself to get a strong hold on her. Of course, if it did, she’d
be thinking about how unrealistic she was being to consider the
bank would automatically give her the mortgage loan based on two
months worth of income. She knew better. There wasn’t a lender she
knew that didn’t want to see a two year history of a self-employed
person’s income and expenses. And the agency had been in business
just a little over a year. Most of that time running in the
red.

Yet, Betsy was determined to give it a try.
She had to. The contract she put her signature to and delivered to
Skylar said so in a section of the fine print.

“Gee, maybe I should check for a fever or
something,” Mary commented with a smile when she came in and saw
Betsy at her desk.

Betsy stood and began gathering up her
things. “I’m not sick. I just had something important to take care
of.”

“Must’ve been real important to get you in
here before nine.”

Betsy knew Mary was probing for an answer.
But she was going about it in a round about way. She didn’t want to
take the time to explain just now. The bank was about to open. And
Betsy wanted to be one of its first customers of the day. But she
didn’t feel comfortable keeping Mary in the dark.

“I needed to work up a profit and loss
statement.”

Mary’s eyes instantly widened with panic.
“Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s for personal reasons. And I’ll
tell you all about it when I get back.”

“Back from where?” Mary questioned in a rush
since Betsy was already starting out the door.

Betsy hesitated. “I’ll be at the bank if you
need me for something.”

Even though she felt an oncoming but from
Mary, Betsy went out the door before she got out the word.

Betsy used the few minutes it took to walk
to the bank to rehearse what she would say. She knew if she
appeared as nervous as she felt she might as well kiss any chance
of getting the loan goodbye. She had to show confidence.

Before plowing inside the two story
building, she took a moment on the front door step. A few deep,
very deep breaths followed by a silent pep talk to herself and she
was ready.

“Morning, Cindy,” she greeted the bank
teller at the first window.

“Is it Friday already, Betsy?” the perky
young woman asked.

“No. I’m here to see a loan officer. Is
there one available? Preferably Helen.”

“I think she’s in her office. Go on
back.”

“Thanks, Cindy,” Betsy said and smiled. Only
there was a nervous twitch in the way her mouth had widened.

Instead of marching onward to the rear of
the bank where Helen Swanson’s small office was located, Betsy
hesitated.

“Something else I can help you with, Betsy?”
Cindy asked.

“No,” Betsy told her and somehow got her
feet moving.

She stopped outside the opened doorway of
the dreary office. She peered inside at the older woman who had
become a widow a few years ago. A pleasant and intelligent woman
who’d worked hard to earn her promotion from head teller to loan
officer.

Maybe I should have asked to see Mark? Betsy
was beginning to contemplate. The man hit on her every chance he
got. She felt confident she could sweet talk him into going to bat
for her at the board meeting.

On second thought, it was Helen who had the
most experience dealing with the board members. After all, she’d
convinced them that promoting her was in their best interest.

Betsy watched Helen put down the telephone
and look her way.

“Come on in, Betsy,” she offered.

Betsy entered, noting Helen hadn’t flashed
her usual smile when she went on to shuffle papers on her desk
before sitting them aside. Then she clasped her hands together and
gave Betsy, who had eased into the chair across the desk from her,
her undivided attention.

“I’m glad you could come in on such short
notice,” she began, thoroughly confusing Betsy. “I believe it is
Mr. Shultz that will be doing the interview though.”

“Interview?”

“Someone from the bank did call you to come
in, didn’t they?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

Helen twisted her cracked lips to one side.
“You’re not here about the vacancy on the board then?”

Betsy grinned. “I’m here to apply for a
mortgage loan. But now you have me curious.”

Helen smiled, but Betsy saw her blush with
embarrassment. “I guess if I’m going to spill the beans I might as
well go all the way.”

“Please do,” Betsy encouraged, growing eager
and impatient to know exactly what was going on.

“Were you aware there was a vacancy?”

Betsy nodded. “Yes.”

“Seems a second one is coming available at
the end of the year.”

“Skylar Blakewood’s.”

Helen’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped
open. “How did you know that?”

“A little bird told me,” Betsy said and
winked.

“Then you probably also know Mr. Blakewood's
reason for resigning. His workload is keeping him much too busy to
adequately fulfill his responsibilities as a board member.”

Betsy had heard the same from Stephanie.
Though she’d thought it wasn’t his heavy workload that was forcing
him to resign his position. She firmly believed it was to appease
his soon-to-be bride. She kept that thought to herself and allowed
Helen to continue.

“He has recommended you as his replacement,
Betsy.”

“What?”

“Mr. Blakewood has asked the board to
appoint you as his replacement.”

Even when Helen repeated herself it still
hadn’t fully sunk in. “Why me?”

Helen sighed with a shrug of her bony
shoulders. “You’ll have to take that up with Mr. Blakewood.”

“Well I certainly will.”

“Anyway, as President of the bank, Mr.
Shultz was asked to approach you on the matter and give a report to
the board at their next meeting, which in fact, is tonight.”

“I don’t know what to say. Other than I’m
stunned, interested--definitely interested.”

“You would be the first female board member
in the history of this bank, you know?”

Betsy couldn’t think straight, but she
hadn’t forgotten her last encounter with Stephanie. “But I thought
Stephanie Rogers was to be the first?”

Helen kicked back in her seat with a low
chuckle. “So that’s the little bird you were referring to.”

“Well she did mention--” Betsy stopped
herself short after realizing she was about to defend the
woman.

“The relationship between Miss Rogers and
Mr. Blakewood has presented a problem. But once Mr. Blakewood’s
resignation goes into effect, Miss Rogers will be appointed.”

“I see.” All too clearly, Betsy kept to
herself. The excitement that had begun filling her vanished when
Helen reminded her of the relationship between those two.

“Actually, you would be filling the present
vacancy. Miss Rogers will have to wait until after the New Year.
Technically, it will be Mr. Blakewood’s position she will be
filling.” She arched penciled eyebrows. “But certainly not by his
recommendation.”

Confusion filled Betsy.

“Now,” Helen stated, “you said something
about applying for a mortgage loan?”

* * *

Without realizing it, Betsy had walked
several blocks to the park at the edge of town. She sat down on the
bench that was closest to the river.

It was very difficult to concentrate when
the noise of vehicles crossing the nearby bridge plagued the area.
Even if she were able to concentrate, she didn’t know which subject
would come first. She was more than thoroughly confused and felt
lost.

Why had Skylar recommended her to fill one
of the two vacancies on the bank board? Then there was that comment
of Helen’s once she’d taken down the information on the mortgage
application. “I don’t see a problem as long as you have Mr.
Blakewood in your corner,” she’d told Betsy.

What was that suppose to mean? And besides,
at this moment, Betsy doubted Skylar would side with her on
anything.

She bent over and picked up a twig near her
foot and heaved it into the river as she stood. She watched the one
end of it dip beneath the cloudy water as the current began
carrying it away.

Perhaps like the twig, Betsy considered
flowing with the chain of events taking place in her life. What
would be wrong with accepting the bank’s offer? And if they granted
her a mortgage loan without an ounce of hassle, why spoil things
with questions?

“That’s impossible,” Betsy said out loud and
left the park.

Betsy Alexander never had been much of a
bystander when something was going on. Especially something that
affected her personally.

No, I won’t sit back and be still. Skylar
Blakewood has a question or two to answer, she decided just before
she rounded the corner to go in the front door of her office
building.

“You’re never going to believe this--” she
started to say to Mary when she went in the door.

Mary shook her head no and pointed toward
Betsy’s office to stop her from continuing. Betsy got the message.
Someone was waiting in her office to see her.

Betsy leaned over the desk and whispered.
“Who is it?”

“Skylar.”

“Just the man I want to see,” declared Betsy
in a normal tone. Then she stood tall and marched up the steps.

She stopped in her tracks on the landing.
For several seconds she stood speechless. But after seeing him
sitting behind her desk, with his feet propped on the edge, she
couldn’t figure out if she was mad or amused. Maybe just jolted by
seeing him again?

She knew she’d vowed to throw up her rock
solid armor around him, but the rock wasn’t as sturdy as she
thought. As a matter of fact, it had cracked and all kinds of
wondrous sensations were seeping through the crevasses.

Pull yourself together, Miss Sensible began
ordering. Millions of guys have soft blue eyes. Yes, but not like
Skylar’s, Betsy responded in a moment of weakness when his eyes
greeted hers.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming
back.” He swung his long legs to the floor and began getting
up.

“Well as you can see, I’m here.” Betsy
brushed past him on her way around the desk.

The mere touch of his suit jacket against
hers sent shivers through her. By the time she was seated, still
warm from his presence, she thought she had successfully sealed up
the cracks in her armor. Wrong. She had gotten a whiff of him in
passing as well, and the scent lingered.

“I was on my way into my own office and
thought I’d drop off the contract.”

Betsy looked at him lost. “Contract?”

“The agreement of sale. I put it there on
your desk.” A moment of silence while Betsy began pulling it from
the envelope she had delivered it to him in earlier. “Don’t worry,
I signed it,” he added.

Betsy took his word and let the envelope
slide back down on her desk top. A “thank you,” came out because
she couldn’t think of anything else to say at that moment.

Then she saw that smug grin of his as he
hovered over her from the front of her desk. “The extra dollar
above list price was cute. But you can keep it. You’re going to
need every dollar you can raise just to make the down payment.”