Page 8 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
Noel reached over to place his hand against her cheek, his gaze drawing hers. “Please tell me you take donations.”
“Yes, of course. Right now, we’re only able to exist on the help from others.”
“Then I’ll be happy to make a huge donation. But only on one condition.”
Mary stiffened. With men, there’re always conditions. Hadn’t she learned her lesson with the man she’d been engaged to for almost ten years? He’d played that game with her to hold off their wedding.
First, he needed to graduate from medical school, which she worked two jobs to help him pay for. Then he decided to specialize and chose sports medicine. More money, more time. Next on his obstruction list - the clinic and a fancy office. By the last year, she’d begun to lose patience and had laid down an ultimatum. That was when she’d found out he was having anaffair with his new secretary and oops, so sorry, he was in love… for real.
“Mary? Mary? Did I say something wrong?” Noel, concerned over her lack of attention, appeared upset. She couldn’t blame him. She’d zoned out.
“No, sorry. It’s me. I have a thing about a man making conditions.”
He appeared to rethink his remark and shrugged. “Okay, this is what I was going to suggest. But you can certainly say no if you wish. I’ll go along with your decision.”
Not knowing how to deal with such reasonableness, Mary smiled. “Then let’s hear what you were going to say.”
“I need a place to stay in Bedford Falls for a few weeks so I can nose around and check into some of the details that Steve mentioned tonight about the strange activities at the distribution factory. I want to visit the bank manager and the local law office, really study why the firm went into bankruptcy. The board has no idea what occurred at the town level, and I think it might have something to do with what’s been happening to all the businesses in town. Would you let me stay at your place for that time?”
Overwhelming relief flooded and Mary couldn’t help letting him see the truth. She’d been terrified of what would happen when she returned home, and she had no option but to do so. Now, at least, with him by her side, she wouldn’t feel so alone.
“Of course, you can stay. As my guest. No charge. I’m just thrilled to have a friend with me when I go back.”
Noel grinned, leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ve been told that I’m a very good friend.”
A whiff of fresh air clinging to his clothes was delightful as were the tingles that attacked her body. With her stomach fluttering, her lower muscles tightening and her heart singing, she stood, smiled and fled to his guest room.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Noel left the others at his apartment while he visited his father’s office and called a meeting with his board members. After a short angry encounter, he made them see that his father and brother weren’t capable of what they were accused of. They’d never have brought about the plant failure in Bedford Falls.
The new chairman of the board, a middle-aged black man who his father had always held in high regard spoke first, his expression full of distaste for what he was about to say. “Look, Noel, we all understand that you want to protect the Bradfords’ good name. We held both your grandfather, George and your father in high esteem. Because of that, we’ve kept everything as quiet in the industry as possible. But the facts are clear. Your brother, Harry, was in charge of the distribution center, and your father was his direct superior. That was their end of the business, and I’ll add here, the business your father started fortyyears ago. We all relied on them to make sure it thrived. And it did until this situation.”
Another man, James Lauer, who’d been with the firm for ages, a friend of the family Noel had met on numerous occasions, cut in, “Son, if I hadn’t studied the records with my own eyes, I’d never have believed this to be true. But I did see them, and they were authentic and unquestionable. You saw them too. Huge amounts of money were being drawn from those accounts systematically and the only two people with immediate access were Harry and George. They’d even set up a bogus account so they could transfer the funds overseas. The bank showed us those documents. You can’t believe we would have taken anyone’s word without having our lawyers do in-depth research. I’m afraid everything has been confirmed.”
“I still don’t believe it’s true, but if it is, I will reimburse every penny if it takes me the rest of my life. Those stockholders will not lose their investments. I’ll start proceedings to sell the family home and other assets we own. Just so you’re all aware, my next step is to go and spend time in Bedford Falls and do some digging. When I know more, I’ll contact you with updates. Can you give me more time before this gets out?”
The others at the large oval table seemed uncomfortable, many wore closed expressions, some were downright angry and disgusted. But the men who’d known his family the longest gave voice to their thoughts, and after a brief discussion, it was agreed upon. They’d allow Noel a limited time to learn the truth. He had until Christmas, two weeks away.
Chapter Nine
The next day, while Noel was out, Mary was left in charge to help Steve and Josie get settled in the city. Her feet never touched solid ground. Instead, she floated in a dreamy fantasy world.
Noel’s kiss, albeit only on her forehead, had left her sleepless, imagining hearts and romance for some time before exhaustion kicked in. Dreams followed of her in a wedding dress; her heart full to bursting with love and pride until she approached the altar. The minister stood smiling gently, but where the groom would have waited, the space was empty.
“Mary, Noel mentioned that the freezer was full, and we were to make use of the food he’d stored. But Dad and I feel reluctant to impose to that extent. Do you know if there’s a market nearby where we can do some shopping?”
Mary checked on Google and found a high-end shop not too far away. It was decided that the women would fetch thegroceries and leave Steve to continue examining the files that Noel had passed on.
Josie opened the conversation, “Dad is happier than I’ve seen him in so long. He loved his job at the factory and was destroyed when he had the accident.”
“You never told me what happened that day.”
“As far as he remembers, one of the newer men on a forklift lost control, rammed into a pile of boxes, knocking them over, and Dad was pinned underneath. Thank goodness his back only sustained bad bruising, but it’s been a long recovery, and he suffers from constant pain. At first, the Bradford medical insurance covered him for almost all the expenses, but as you know, when they claimed bankruptcy, he had to cover the bills himself. With the economy in town taking such a hit, we took a huge loss selling the house.”
“How terrible. I’m ever so sorry, Josie. That’s when you were forced to leave college and return to Bedford Falls, right?”
“Yes. Dad needed someone to help him, and I had to get a job. Thankfully, Maddy has been super about my hours, and we’ve managed. That’s where Ralph found me, when he came in with another thug to harass Rory, Maddy’s son, about paying up money they say he owes.”
