Free Winter's Magic (Music City Hearts Series) by Cynthia Gail Page A

against the cushions in his sexy, casual manner as he talked to her.
    “Will you let me take care of the food for you?”
    “You don’t have to do that. I just need to make a few calls in the morning.”
    “I know I don’t have to. Would you let me? I have a special cook who would love to bake for the kids and their families.”
    “Okay, that would be great.” She hesitated. “Only if it’s not too much trouble. I wouldn’t want to cut in on your weekly leftover packages.”
    “Don’t worry about me. Cook will make way too much and I’ll probably end up with a second set of leftovers in the deal.”
    She smiled as the sound of his light-hearted voice filled the warming interior of her car. “Ah, a secret motive. I feel better now.”
    “What time does the food need to be there?” he asked.
    “Eleven o’clock on Friday morning. I can pick it up if you need me to.”
    “No, I’ll deliver. It will give me an excuse to leave the office for awhile.”
    Could she hope it was an excuse to see her again? “Thanks, Nick. I appreciate the help. I’ll let you go. Brandon’s probably waiting for you by now.”
    “I’m glad you called. Talk to you Wednesday?”
    Beth said goodbye and pressed ‘end’, just as she turned into Margaret’s.

CHAPTER 6
    “I don’t understand, Mr. Wilkens. These are serious allegations to be anonymous. I’ve made double payments every month since my business opened and the construction withdrawal process we followed was very thorough. How can you be questioning my integrity now?”
    Beth stood in front of the loan officer’s desk, battle ready. She’d received his urgent phone call on her way home from work Tuesday evening. Having no idea what information he could possibly need verified from her original loan agreement, she’d agreed to meet as soon as his office opened this morning.
    “Please sit down, Miss Sergeant. I’m sure we can work this all out in time. We just need to re-verify some of the payments and receipts. With your prompt assistance, we can clear the record within the next three to four weeks.”
    “I would rather stand, thank you. Please realize that my accountant is on vacation this week and next. I’ll do my best to locate the files from storage in her absence, but this is the busiest time of the year for us and I have a business to run.”
    “Miss Sergeant. I realize this puts you in a tight spot. Let me remind you that according to your loan agreement, we have to insist any documentation requested be turned in within forty-eight hours. Allegations of this kind have to be taken seriously, even if they are anonymous. If you cannot comply with the time frame given, we do have the right to call your loan.”
    A drop of sweat rolled down the back of her neck, stopping only when it reached the fabric of her bra strap. Beth took a slow, deep breath, maintaining the deathlike grip she had on her purse. Her eyes never left his.
    “So, I have forty-eight hours to provide the documentation, while you have three or four weeks to review your findings? Surely, there has to be a means for an extension. As I said, sir, this is the Christmas season. We are booked at full capacity.”
    Mr. Wilkens handed her a folder. A chill ran up her spine as she opened it and saw the official Unity Bank seal in the upper left-hand corner, followed by an outline of the situation.
    By the time Beth arrived at the office, the good mood she’d woken up with had evaporated and turned to raw anger. Given the number of line items included, Mr. Wilkens knew his request was unreasonable. Yet failure wouldn’t be an option. She would simply dive in and not stop until her search was complete. Or she passed out, whichever came first.
    “Gina, please call Anita and ask her to come in and cover for me today and tomorrow. I won’t be able to help you at the front desk. Hold all of my calls. I’ll be in my office. Unless the building is on fire, I don’t want to be disturbed. Tell