Page 80 of Her Cadillac Cowboy
“Don’t worry. Your head isn’t scrambled. Seems that when she retired, Beadle was miffed at not being given a piece of Carson’s Cars. She started siphoning off profits by juggling the books when she filled in for absent employees. With Carl ill and Donny in charge, she could have put the nails in Carson's financial coffin.
“But you came back and put the Mega Motors deal into effect. Because of you, Beadle needed a more effective way to hurt Carson’s. She recruited a gang of teens that roamed the downtown area. They did the dirty work, and she paid them from the money she skimmed.”
“I can’t believe it. How did you find out?”
“Your father told me that the sheriff captured the entire gang, and the leader fingered Miss Beadle. They arrested her and did a quick check of her bank accounts. She confessed when presented with the evidence.”
“So that’s why you were shaking hands with Daddy, because the problems at the dealership have been solved.”
“No. The dealership’s problems are far from over. The damage from the explosion is pretty extensive.”
“Then why...?”
“I was making a deal with him.”
“A deal? You and my father?”
“Yep.”
“You are still a McKinley?”
“Far as I know.”
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“I shouldn’t. Teasing you is too much fun. But just to put you out of your misery, your father and I just established the Gloria Carson Kindergarten and Daycare Scholarship Foundation.”
Sara’s jaw dropped. “He mentioned her name?”
“He did more than that. He insisted on naming the foundation after her. Said he wouldn’t be involved if we didn’t.”
“But how...?”
“I’m selling the Caddy, and your father is putting up a matching amount. We’re going to try to talk Mega Motors into matching our contributions.”
“Oh, Josh, not the Caddy. You love that car.”
“Your father loves the car too, Sara, and he’s willing to give up all chances of owning it for this.”
“Why?”
“Neither one of us loves that car more than we love you.”
“Josh, do you know what you’re saying?”
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t know if...”
“Don’t try to pretend you don’t love me too.”
“How did you know?”
“You said so.”
She looked at him quizzically, then the light dawned. She’d forgotten for a moment what she’d said in the stairwell. Owning up to that scared the daylights out of her, but she’d said it and she’d meant it. She wouldn’t lie about it. No more denial. If Josh loved her back, great. If not, she’d find a way to move on.
“You’re talking about what I said in the stairwell at the dealership, when you tried to make me wait in the office.”
