A Love of Her Own (33 page)

She blinked. Wait a minute. Real estate. That was the key. Keith Norwood could do something for her that would help her even more than twenty-five thousand dollars’ cash, something that would help her get back on her feet.

“Um, Mrs. Pegram?” Jeff Howard prompted.

She decided to go ahead and ask. All he could say was no. She could even make him sweat a little, suggest subtly that she’d go to the police if he didn’t give her what she wanted. She wouldn’t actually
do
that, of course. Tracy had no interest in revenge. She just wanted a chance to get ahead for once in her life, and a better future for Amber and Gabe. If he resisted, she’d just accept the money and go about her business. But
he
didn’t have to know that. That damn background check showed she wasn’t a criminal, but it wasn’t like they could read her thoughts by reading a piece of paper.

“I’m going to make you a counteroffer,” she said. “Your offer is very generous, and while cash is always wonderful
…”

Keith and Jeff looked at each other in puzzlement, and she knew they were wondering what on earth she was about to ask for.

Tracy rushed on. “But what I’d really like is a rental house with free rent for five years, a house with three bedrooms in a good school district, like Gurnee.”

There. She’d said it.

Isn’t She Lovely?
by Bettye Griffin
,
available now!