Forever and Always by Leigh Greenwood Page A

Corner,” Logan said.
    â€œI’ll hold you to that,” Cassie said.
    â€œI’d prefer it if you didn’t tell Mrs. Spencer about this. No need to worry her.”
    â€œOnly as long as I think it’s best for her not to know,” Cassie said.
    â€œFair enough. Now I’d better get back to work. I don’t expect Mrs. Spencer would like her employees standing around gabbing.”
    â€œWhy should she care? Horace and me don’t have any customers, and you’re not being paid.”
    â€œI care,” Logan said. “I made an offer, and I mean to stand by it.”
    * * *
    Sibyl was having trouble getting over her astonishment. Logan had interpreted the contents of Norman’s ledgers as though it were something he did every day. He had worked though the books so quickly she could have believed he’d written down the figures himself. Even more amazing, she could understand his explanations. What Norman had always insisted was a complex system that required a long apprenticeship, as well as great intelligence to master, was simply a matter of common sense. Once she knew what the figures were intended to represent, it was like coming on the answer in a flash of understanding.
    â€œThe bank doesn’t seem to have been doing much business,” Logan told her. “I find that surprising considering the prominence of the building.”
    â€œThat was built when this was the only bank,” Sibyl told him. “Norman was so obnoxious people opened a second bank. Nearly everyone went there.”
    â€œWhy are all these loans so large?”
    â€œThe other bank has limited resources. If anyone wanted to borrow a lot of money, they had to come to Norman.”
    â€œWhat did he do to lure them back?”
    â€œNothing.”
    He looked at her like she hadn’t understood his question. “He must have done something. Any businessman would.”
    â€œYou would have to know Norman to understand. He didn’t believe it was his fault. If anyone left his bank, it was their fault.”
    â€œWell, you must certainly attempt to regain their business. There must be lots of things you can do. The first thing we have to do is analyze your competition to learn their strengths and weaknesses. Once we know that, we’ll be in a position to attack them.”
    Sibyl was feeling very uneasy. “I don’t think I’d like that.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œThe people who own the bank are all related to me.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œI expect it’s hard for someone without a family to understand how I feel.”
    â€œI have a family. I just don’t know where they are.”
    There was such sadness in Logan’s voice that Sibyl wanted to reach out and comfort him. She’d often felt she had too much family, had longed for the chance to live her life without having to consider how it would affect people she loved. There had to be a sense of freedom to owe allegiance to no one—no explanations, no excuses.
    â€œYou don’t know where they went, what happened to them?”
    â€œNo.”
    She waited for him to explain, but he said nothing. She took that as a sign he didn’t want her to pry. “I’ll be happy to lend you some of mine. I’ve got more than enough for both of us.” She was relieved to see him smile.
    â€œI had an adopted family.” His smile vanished. “I’ll trade you.”
    â€œI think I’ll keep mine even though they think they can run my life better than I can. It can be annoying, but it’s a comfort to know they’re concerned about me and Kitty.” She smiled. “Though I’m not sure letting her play with Colby’s twins is a good idea. Colby is happy to let them run around like two ragamuffins.”
    Logan’s eyes lit up. “I met all three of them yesterday.” He laughed. “The oldest can’t be more than ten years old, yet they