Flirting With The Boss. Tina Beckett

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СКАЧАТЬ whether in business or his personal life. When Jocelyn Hutchinson couldn’t take any more she’d gotten out of the marriage, but their child had still been trapped in the middle of her parents’ feud. The scars they’d caused made it hard for Lori to trust.

      But was coming back to Destiny worth putting her smack-dab into dealing with the past? All the childhood hurt and pain? It also put her in charge of Lyle’s domain, and his business dealings, including the Mountain Heritage complex. And a lot more time with the handsome but irritating Jace Yeager.

      The man had been right about something. She had a lot of money and it could do a lot of good. She recalled the look of hope on Mac Burleson’s face and knew she needed to find an answer for the man.

      She crossed the street to Destiny Community Bank. The two-story brick structure was probably from her grandfather’s era. With renewed confidence she walked inside to a large open space with four teller windows. Along the wall were portraits of generations of the Hutchinson men—Raymond, William, Billy and Lyle. They were all strangers to her. She studied her handsome father’s picture. This man especially.

      She turned around and found several of the bank customers watching her. She put on a smile and they greeted her the same way as if they knew who she was.

      She went to the reception desk and spoke to the young brunette woman seated there. “Is it possible to see Mr. Neal? Tell him Lorelei Hutchinson is here.”

      “Yes, Miss Hutchinson.” The woman picked up the phone, and when she hung up said, “Mr. Neal said to have a seat and he’ll be out … shortly.”

      Lori wasn’t in the mood to wait. “Is he in a meeting?”

      The girl shook her head.

      “Then I’ll just head to his office. Where is it?”

      The receptionist stood and together they went toward a row of offices. “Actually, he’s in Mr. Hutchinson’s office.”

      Lori smiled. “Oh, is he? Excuse me, I didn’t get your name.”

      “It’s Erin Peters.”

      “Well, Erin, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Lori.” She stuck out her hand. “Have you worked at the bank for long?”

      “Three years. I’ve been taking college classes for my business degree.”

      “That’s nice to know. I’m sure my father appreciated his employees continuing their education.”

      Erin only nodded as they walked toward the office at the end of the hall. Lori knocked right under the nameplate on the last door that read Lyle W. Hutchinson. She paused as she gathered courage, then turned the knob and walked in.

      There was a balding man of about fifty seated behind her father’s desk. He seemed busy trying to stack folders. When he saw her he froze, then quickly put on a smile.

      “Well, you must be Lorelei Hutchinson.” He rounded the desk. “I’m Gary Neal. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Lyle talked about you often.”

      She shook his hand, seriously doubting Lyle said much about her. Her father hadn’t taken the time to know her. Now, did she have to prove herself worthy of being his daughter?

      “Hello, Mr. Neal.”

      “First off, I want to express my deepest sympathies for your loss. Lyle and I were not only colleagues, but friends. So if there is anything you need …”

      “Thank you, I’m fine.” She nodded. “I’ve only been in town a few days, but I wanted to stop by the bank. I’m sure you’ve already heard that I’m going to be staying in Destiny.”

      He nodded. “Dennis Bradley explained as much.”

      She hesitated. “Good. Do you have a few minutes to talk with me?”

      “Of course.”

      Still feeling brave, she walked behind the desk and took the seat in her father’s chair as if she belonged. She didn’t miss the surprise on the loan officer’s face. “Where’s your office, Mr. Neal?”

      He blinked, then finally said, “It’s two doors down the hall. Since your father’s death, I’ve had to access some files from here. Lyle was hands-on when it came to bank business. I’m his assistant manager.”

      “Good. Then you’re who I need to speak with.” She motioned for him to sit down, but she was feeling a little shaky trying to pull this off. This man could be perfectly wonderful at his job, but she needed to trust him. “I take it you handle the mortgage loans.” With his nod, she asked, “What do you know about the Mac Burleson mortgage?”

      The man frowned. “Funny you should ask, I was just working on the Burleson file.”

      “Could I have a look?”

      He hesitated, then relented. “It’s a shame we’re going to have to start foreclosure proceedings in a few days.”

      Neal dug through the stack, located the file and handed it to her. She looked over pages of delinquent notices, the huge late fees. And an interest rate that was nearly three points higher than the norm. No wonder the man was six months behind. “Has Mr. Burleson paid anything during all this time?”

      “Yes, but it could barely cover the interest.”

      “Why didn’t you help him by dropping the interest rate and lowering the payments?”

      “It’s not the bank’s policy. Your father—”

      “Well, my father is gone now, and he wanted me to take over in his place.”

      “I’m sure he did, but with your limited experience …”

      “That may be, but I feel that given the state of the economy we need to help people, too. It’s a rough time.” She knew firsthand. “I want to stop the foreclosure, or at least delay it.”

      “But Mr. Burleson isn’t even employed.”

      “As of an hour ago, he’s gotten a job offer.” She looked at the remaining eight files. “Are these other homes to be foreclosed on, too?”

      The loan officer looked reluctant to answer, but nodded. “Would you please halt all proceedings until I have a look at each case? I want to try everything to keep these families in their homes.” She stood. “Maybe if we can set up a meeting next week and see what we can come up with.”

      Mr. Neal stood. “This isn’t bank policy. If people aren’t held accountable for their debts, we’d be out of business. I’m sure your father wouldn’t agree with this, either.”

      For the first time in days, Lori felt as if she were doing the right thing. “As I said before, my father left me in charge. Do you have a problem with that, Mr. Neal?”

      With the shaking of his head, she tossed out one more request. “Good. I also need money transferred into the escrow account for the Mountain Heritage project as soon as possible. Mr. Yeager will have his crew back to work first thing in the morning. And if you have any questions about my position here, talk to Mr. СКАЧАТЬ