Forever and Always by Leigh Greenwood Page A

it.”
    Sibyl was unhappy to find Cassie waiting when she came to open the bank. She had hoped to spend the day alone in Norman’s office. It was time to decide if she would sell the bank or try to manage it herself.
    â€œI’m not opening the bank,” Sibyl said. “I don’t know anything beyond unlocking the door at the start of the day and closing up at the end.”
    Cassie laughed. “Some days that’s about all we do. The new bank has taken away a lot of business.”
    â€œNorman never talked about that, but I knew. I guess I’ll have to get familiar with the accounts. Do you know where they are?”
    Cassie laughed again. “Of course not. Everybody knows Norman only hired me because he thought my looks would bring in customers. He thought I was dumber than a mule deer. You could have cut out his tongue before he would have told me where to find anything in his office.”
    â€œAll I have is the combination to the safe. I found it in his wallet.”
    â€œDo you have the key to his desk?”
    Sibyl extracted a ring of keys from her pocket. “I’m hoping it’s one of these.”
    Cassie sighed in disgust. “How did Norman expect you to deal with his affairs when he died if he didn’t tell you anything?”
    â€œI don’t believe Norman thought he would die, and certainly not before me.”
    â€œNo point in fretting about what can’t be changed. If you’re not going to open today, what will I tell people who come by?”
    â€œThat we’re closed.”
    â€œWhen will you reopen?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œIt’s better to have a specific date. You can always change it later.”
    Sibyl didn’t know why Norman hadn’t given Cassie more responsibility. The young woman was as capable as any man when it came to common sense. “Tell people three days from now. I ought to have made up my mind what to do by then.”
    â€œI hope you decide to keep the bank,” Cassie said. “It’s about time people in this town learned a woman can do more than cook and take care of babies.”
    â€œI’m not interested in setting any precedents, just doing what’s best for Kitty and me.”
    â€œThat’s staying here and running this bank.” Cassie grinned broadly. “And making sure Horace and I still have jobs.”
    Sibyl had already thought of that. Cassie and Horace weren’t the only ones who depended on the bank for a job. But if she kept the bank, it was quite possible she would ruin it, and no one would have a job. It was enough to make her wish Norman were still alive—as long as she wasn’t married to him.
    â€œDon’t worry about me,” Cassie said before Sibyl could think of a suitable reply. “I can always get a job, but you need to think of Horace and the others.”
    â€œI intend to think of all of you,” Sibyl assured her. “Now I’d better see about getting started.”
    She told herself it was silly to feel uncomfortable walking into Norman’s office, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was intruding. She had no doubt he wouldn’t have wanted her here. She could feel the disapproval emanating from all around the room.
    â€œYou might as well get used to it,” she said to the antagonistic space. “I’m going to be here for a long time.”
    But was she? She didn’t know anything about running a bank, and she had no assurance she would like it or have a talent for it if she did. Right now, she was going through the paces. Once she got over the shock of Norman’s death, she could begin to sort out how she truly felt about things.
    She tried five keys before she found the one that unlocked his desk. Norman had one of those handcrafted desks where one lock secured all the drawers. She found nothing of interest until she opened a deep drawer that contained several large