"Oh, really-twins? I didn't know that."

"'Course that doesn't mean I can tell him how to run his bank," the big man pointed out, "but like you say, my opinion does carry a little weight."

"I'm sure it carries a great deal of weight," Sally said warmly,

"That's why I came to you. And also, of course, because I feel that I know you… a little, at least. I couldn't have gone to Mr. Quigg, for instance, with such a request. Will you help us, Mr. Blodgett?" Her grey eyes rested pleadingly on his face and she sat forward slightly in her chair, the movement deepening the dark shadowed cleft between her large breasts. Blodgett's gaze flicked downward and rested on those twin mounds that were quivering noticeably from her nervousness. God damn, he thought, but the girl had a pair of beauties! He could hardly believe that Ray Denham's snotty New England wife was actually sitting here in his office at this moment asking him for a favor. He had always dismissed her as unattainable, no matter how attractive. Now, a bold plan was rapidly taking shape in his devious, cunning mind.

"Look, Miz Denham-may I call you Sally?" She nodded breathlessly. "I want to help you, Sally. I sure-to-God do!" his husky southern voice oozed sincerity, "and maybe there just might be something I can do. But don't go gettin' your hopes up too high. We all of us business people in this town would like to see Ray running the store. After all, he's a Tennessean… practically a local boy. But these aren't the best of times, I guess you know that, and there's certain rules any bank has to be guided by in making loans. If you start bending those rules too much out of shape then the bank's in trouble."

"Perhaps," she said timidly, "if you feel there's no chance of our getting the loan, you'll reconsider selling and go back to the partnership plan?"

He smiled sadly. "I'm afraid my doctor would have something to say about that, and Lauralee wouldn't be too happy either. Now if you and I were going to be the partners, that might be different."