Read Online Ask Anyone by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page A

best not to drive you crazy.”
    â€œToo late.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a rectangle of paper and slid it across the table.
    Jenna looked at it but didn’t reach for it. “What’s that?”
    â€œA check.”
    Hope stirred inside her. Was this the down payment on the deal? They hadn’t talked money, but maybe he’d decided on a nominal retainer. She swallowed hard and met his gaze. “For?”
    â€œThe horse,” he said quietly. “It’s the amount you mentioned. It should cover the loss.”
    Her stomach fell. “You’re paying me off to go away?”
    He nodded. “That’s the idea.”
    Jenna shoved the check back across the table, spilling her tea in the process. She paid no attention as it ran straight toward her lap. “Forget it,” she said fiercely.
    She wasn’t about to let Bobby Spencer buy her off with a check to cover the cost of the carousel horse. Shewanted a contract for the waterfront development and her blasted horse. Nothing less would do.
    And if she had to pack up Darcy and take up residence right here in Trinity Harbor until she got what she wanted, well, that was what she’d do.
    â€œI’m not going anywhere, Bobby. Get used to it.”
    He seemed completely nonplussed by her vehemence. “But your daughter—”
    â€œIs out of school for the summer,” she retorted. “I can have her down here with me by tomorrow.”
    â€œYour job—”
    She made a quick decision and met his gaze evenly. “ This is my job. Getting this contract is my chance to make something happen in my career. I’m not walking away from it without a fight.”
    The fact that her announcement made Bobby look as if he’d been punched right in the gut was just so much icing on the cake.
    Â 
    â€œWhere’s Jenna?” Maggie asked, when Bobby returned to his office after lunch.
    â€œGone, I hope.”
    Maggie seemed surprised and a little disappointed. “For good? I thought she was made of tougher stuff than that.”
    â€œI should be so lucky,” Bobby said with a resigned sigh. “No, I imagine she’ll be back.”
    His secretary grinned. “Good. I liked her.”
    â€œThat doesn’t surprise me. You’re cut from the samecloth.” He regarded her pointedly and added, “Neither one of you knows when to let well enough alone.”
    â€œOkay, I get it,” Maggie said agreeably. “By the way, Richard called from the paper. He’s on his way over. He heard about the theft.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell him to talk to Tucker?”
    â€œHow do you think he heard about it?” Maggie retorted.
    â€œWell, hell,” Bobby muttered. What good was it being the sheriff’s brother, if the man was going to blab your business all over town?
    â€œThink of it this way,” Maggie advised. “It could be worse. It could be your father on his way over.”
    â€œYou have a point,” Bobby agreed, but his momentary cheer faded quickly.
    Why had King been so silent? Usually he liked to make his opinions known. His silence did not bode well. Either he was sick or he was up to something. Since King was healthy as a horse, it was more likely the latter. Bobby started to reach for the phone, then stopped himself.
    â€œBe grateful,” he muttered.
    Maggie eyed him curiously. “What?”
    â€œNothing. When Richard comes, send him over to the kitchen. I’m going to experiment with a new crab recipe.” Maybe he could find a spice that would cover the taste of arsenic. The list of people he’d like to serve it to was getting longer and longer.

5
    H iding out in Trinity Harbor for a few weeks began to seem more and more sensible as Jenna drove back to Baltimore. Not only would it give her time to land the development contract, but it would lessen the odds that her father would find out about that