CHAPTER 1
“Those penny pinching sons of …” Kate Shaw’s angry words drew more than a few stares of disapproval as she marched across the plush burgundy carpet of the bank lobby with its appropriately hushed clients, formally dressed client service representatives and understated, priceless works of art. She shot a withering glance at a matronly woman, with a useless little purse sized dog clutched under her pale fleshy arm, as the woman’s tsk of disdain pierced her angry haze. A punter, her football loving husband used to call that type of dog, Kate remembered with an angry smirk. And right at this moment she was tempted. Sorely tempted.
Wouldn’t that just give all these stuck up society dames something to talk about at their next charity function, she thought. But even her mental picture of the little dog flying through the air, her footprint on its bony rear end, wasn’t enough to loosen the iron band of anger that kept her rigid.
With a muffled curse she slammed her way through the revolving door of the old brownstone bank building.
A man and woman in their early twenties jumped out of the way of the heavy door as it slammed against the wall of the building, narrowly missing hitting the woman. Shaken, the woman clutched the man’s arm as he paused to glare at Kate’s retreating back. But Kate was oblivious, too consumed with the black anger that swirled in her head and the acid churning fear that curdled in her stomach, to see more than the ground in front of her feet.
She marched into the bright midday sunshine, squinting as the light momentarily blinded her, then turned and followed the sidewalk, her pace furious. She didn’t know where she was going and, at the moment, she didn’t care, she just needed to move. Her uncomfortable high heels clicked an angry staccato on the steaming sidewalk as she stepped in time with crush of rushing pedestrians.
The whole afternoon had been a waste of time. She shook her head in disbelief. She had been so sure they would agree…at least have the grace to talk to her, try to work with her. But to throw her out after mere minutes? Paul had been polite enough, but cool and so obviously disinterested, and had quickly eased her toward the door as soon as he realized why she was there. She’d expected more from Steve’s relative. But from the time she had taken a seat in the well appointed waiting room until she had watched the elevator doors close on her way down, barely half an hour had elapsed. Hardly long enough to call it a real meeting. They wouldn’t even let her explain….
The edge of the sidewalk and the red don’t walk signal stopped her forward momentum and drained some of her steam. She removed her dark sunglasses from her handbag and turned to look up at the bank building behind her as she slipped them on.
Anger warred with a feeling of desolation as she followed the lines of the ornate brick to the window of the office she had been in for such a short period of time. She had entered the meeting this morning knowing there was a good chance the bank would reject her plea for the money she so desperately needed. But it still came as a blow. With the ties she used to have to this branch, her relationship with the current manager, she had hoped that they might look upon her problem in a favourable light. After all she hadn’t just been an ordinary customer. Her father-in-law had been their president for years and his father had been one of the original founders.
They had been family.
Once upon a time they had considered her a member of that family, welcomed her into their tight circle. She’d hoped for at least some remaining understanding, a small amount of compassion. Obviously she’d been wrong. She had underestimated the depth of the hatred they felt for her since the accident that had taken Steve.
The flight school and charter service had been his dream too and now she was going to lose it all…unless…. She shook the thought away, she couldn’t do it. It wasn’t right. It went against everything she had planned, everything she believed to be important.
But maybe it was the only way….
She rubbed away the threatening tears with an open palm, irritated at the unwanted show of emotion, and pushed the sunglasses further onto her pert freckled nose with one slim finger. Turning with unseeing eyes, she started across the street.
The sudden blare of a horn and the angry shout of a taxi driver startled her. Leaping swiftly back onto the sidewalk and out of harms way, she paused for a moment to catch her breath. That was all she needed, she thought, pressing one open hand to her racing heart, to end up in the hospital would be the perfect finish to a perfectly awful day.
The rush of pedestrians past her, as the light finally changed, barely registered as she raised one work-roughened hand and angrily pulled out the pins holding her hair in the intricate bun she had fought it into this morning. She shook her head and allowed her hair to fall in a strawberry-blond wave to partially cover her face. In a characteristic gesture she looped it behind her ears and tried to regain some of lost composure.
She scowled as the unceasing cacophony of sounds around her penetrated her fogged brain, irritating her already frazzled nerves. Squealing tires, honking horns, the undulating sounds of conversation as people approached, and then continued on their way, hit her like a never-ending wave. She tried hard to block it out, the way she used to when she was a city dweller herself, but couldn’t.
She rubbed her temple in frustration and tried once again to gather her thoughts. But the noise crowded her mind, confused her senses, and further stressed her already overwrought nerves.
God, I hate the city. She looked up at Toronto’s skyscrapers looming above her and a wave of homesickness hit her. She needed to go home. She could think at home. She shut her eyes briefly. What am I going to do now?
With a last look up towards the twenty-fifth floor office she had been in so briefly just a few minutes earlier, she straightened her shoulders, raised her chin proudly and vowed she would find a way.
Seeing an opening in the sea of humanity surging past, she turned and joined the long line of strangers rushing down King Street. As she headed in the direction of the bus stop she wondered exactly how she was going to break the news to Bob and the rest of the crew.
For once she was actually grateful for the long flight back. It would give her the time she needed to think about it.
To be Continued….
Did you enjoy Double Diamond? Did the excerpt from Jesse's place make you curious about Kate's story? Why not sign up for my mailing list at:
https://Tanyahessbooks.com
To receive special offers, discount coupons and sneak peaks into my upcoming books. (I promise you won't be buried in emails. I'll only send you notifications that I think you'll truly enjoy. )
Sign up for my mailing list!
How to contact the Author
Check out my website and blog: https://Tanyahessbooks.com
Like my Facebook page: @tanyahessbooks
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends