Free By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition by Jennifer Johnson Page A

streamed light from behind him, giving Zack an innocent, angelic appearance. His light, masculine scent filled her senses, and Victoria couldn’t deny her attraction to him.
    She lowered her lashes as she obeyed his bidding to sit. “Thank you.”
    “Victoria, you are more than qualified for this position.” He glanced at her application. “You majored in business in college and seemed to do well. Did you have any positions in mind before coming to Lawton?”
    “Not really.”
    “Your lack of an employment history probably does hurt your job search.” He furrowed his brows. “You never had any part-time employment through school?”
    She shook her head realizing Zack must not know her history.
He must be fairly new to the community
. Everyone she spoke with, everywhere she went, seemed to know her as Sondra’s sister-in-law. As she thought about it, that probably wasn’t accurate. Most people recognized her as the Mary Ann Mangler, as Abby put it.
    She smiled at the thought. The mishap had given the townsfolk something to talk about, keeping them from thinking about her background. Maybe the wreck had been a blessing in disguise. She needed a fresh, new start. The last thing she wanted was for people to learn she was the daughter of an oil magnate who’d embezzled a large sum of money.
    She remembered Chris’s stunned expression when he saw the damage to his car. She thought of him jumping out of it to wipe bird droppings from the windshield, proof of how much the car meant to him. Chris would never think of the wreck as a blessing.
    “What about transportation?” asked Zack. “Lasso’s a bit of a drive from here.”
    “I should be fine. I hope to have my Suburban back very soon.”
    “Well, Dylan’s recommendation covers any lack of experience you have, and I’m sure they’ll help get you here until you get your vehicle.” The young banker stood and extended his hand to her. “I’d be glad to offer you the position.”
    Victoria stood as well, almost wavering against the inviting scent of his cologne. She grabbed his hand, soft as her own, and realized Zack Bradshaw might just very well be the man she was looking for. “Thanks so much. When do I start?”
    “Can you start training now?”
    “Absolutely.” Relief flooded over her. Finally, things were starting to look up.

     
    Chris touched the back of his neck. Having just gotten a haircut, he could almost feel the hot shaving cream the barber lathered on the back of his neck before taking a straight razor to it. That was his favorite part. His neck felt soft as a peach with no fuzz.
    He walked over to his truck and hopped inside. Scooping up his work ledger, he made sure he had recorded his business expenses and payments correctly. He’d been busier than usual this week and planned to spend some of the extra income on parts needed to fix Mary Ann.
    Of course, Abby needed a few more pairs of jeans and a few long-sleeve shirts before school started in a little over a month, so he’d have to set a bit aside for that. He tallied a second time to be sure he’d made as much as he thought. Once finished, he leaned back against the seat and looked through the windshield up to the heavens.
God, You are so good. You promised to provide what we need, but already You have provided enough for me to get some of the parts I need to fix Mary Ann
.
    Smiling, Chris grabbed the checks he needed to deposit and jumped out of the truck. He whistled “Amazing Grace” as he strode along the downtown sidewalk toward the bank. A contemporary version to the old hymn popped into his mind, and he shifted his tune, mentally playing the notes on his guitar.
I’ll have to try it like that when I get home tonight
.
    He opened the front door to the bank. An older lady who supported herself with a cane walked through. He nodded to her and waited for her to get through before he let the door shut behind him.
    Looking up, he saw Victoria and Zack behind one of the teller