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When silence burned his ear, Ben wished he could take the words back

"I never ive Charlie and Vi false hope"

"Too late And knohat sucks? Mom and Dad will take any kind of hope when it comes to you, and I don’t wanna see theuy, Ben"

"Prove it" Ben drained his whiskey "And byup and poured hione to hell in the last two days and he saw no clear way to fix any of it

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Not a good sign when a s time on Tuesday and made himself comfortable "Glad to see you’ve recovered froive a rip about her health "You’re lucky you didn’t get it"

"Well, soer constitution than others I ood care of "

Yes, Turton, you are the picture of health with your bony-assed body and pasty co you needed?"

"Yes I’ I stopped into the Golden Boot Our Jenny was there and she and I started talking…" He picked lint off his sport coat before continuing "Then I ran into Steve Talbot at the diner Sunday ether, which included a pretty interesting conversation"

She did not like the turd’s need to talk around the subject to build suspense before he got to the point She really didn’t like that he’d becoh, both Jenny and Steve posed the same question to me A question about you"

"Me? Why on earth would I be a topic of conversation?"

"That’s what I askedmy job here at the bank, that I pay little attention to office gossip, and even less attention to the sin the ee all day rather than working

"So I’ll ad perplexed that both Jenny and SteveNumerous times"

"Which was?"

"That you are involved with Ben McKay"

Ainsley’s lungs seized up

"Which wouldn’t be a big deal, since you are both single adults And if you prefer to sneak around and see hiot a…questionable reputation with the ladies, that’s your business So that, in and of itself, didn’t bother me But when Jenny inforh you, not through Leslie? And that no one in the office are of this loan but you? And you immediately sent the loan application to Denver for approval and priority processing? Well, that did bother me Quite a bit actually Sothose facts

"When Steve suggested that you’ve been inti business away from Settler’s First…I really didn’t kno to respond, except to agree with him it’s very unprofessional on your part, but not necessarily unethical Then Steve said he saw you and Ben together, late at night after Chase McKay’s event, and early the next , which byfor a loan And that also brings up the question if you were involved with Ben McKay before you helped arrange the community event for his brother, and if that involvement swayed your recommendation for the bank to donate five thousand dollars to Chase McKay’s foundation"

This couldn’t be happening

"I’ll admit I’m shocked, Ainsley You have a solid reputation"

"Here’s where you’ll o away and allow me to keep my solid reputation intact if I…what? Quit and recoleamed with pure spite "I’d never stoop to blackht to the attention of the ement team at the corporate office in Denver"

Ainsley was infuriated because everything that’d been done on the up and up would now be brought into question All her actions would be scrutinized With the bank’s avoidance of scandal, after the fiasco with a nonprofit group that’d felled the man tapped to take the president’s position, she suspected she’d be fired With jobs so hard to come by in the financial world, she’d be lucky to find another job anywhere in the banking industry

And ad her sexual relationship with Ben had ended the day he applied for the loan would be aher decision to process the loan herself because Leslie had left the office that day due to illness And yet anothershe’d sent loan paperwork through herself all the time in her previous bank position It wasn’t like Ben McKay hadn’t met all the criteria required of every other person who applied for a loan

All valid points that wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference now

"I’ve set up a conference call for Thursday"

Turton stood, wearing a look of fake syht off his face

Great plan, Ainsley Add assault to your charges

"And not to worry, I will have the utmost discretion with this ossip with glee, was heavily ira to finish so Turton could easily find the files after she got canned She was half tempted to track down a box for easy transport of her h the damn Dumpster on Thursday afternoon

Jenny knocked on the door "I’ else?"

"No"

A pause Then, "Is everything okay?"