Looking For You All My Life Part 68

said everything that you came to say?"

He gave the paper another loud shake. "I want to knoW

where you get off writing this kind of stuff? Just who do you

think you are anyway?"

"Who do you think you are, Greg Snider?" She stood

now, her desk safely between them. "First you act like you're

some flarning environmentalist who's totally against all

forms of growth and development, then you and Rick prac-

tically steal Arnold Westerly's farm, and now you want to

turn it into some sort of shoddy development for whatever

rich fools you can lure in here who'd be crazy enough to buy

into such a thing-"

"And now I suppose you think you're going to stop us with

all of your overblown environmental concerns!" He laughed

cynically. "Well, let me set you straight. n.o.body in Byron

County gives a flying fig about your ridiculous wetland issues-

I already talked to the boys down at the county and they think

what we're doing is just great, thank you very much!"

"So, what exactly is your problem then?"

108Melody Carlson

"My problem is a certain Miss-Know-It-All editor who

can't keep her nose Out of other people's business. And I've

had more than enough of your biased press coverage on TS

Development."

She forced a saccharine smile to her lips as she spoke to

him in what she knew was a patronizing tone. "But, unfor-

tunately for you, we haven't had enough yet, Greg. And our

readers still find this whole thing very fascinating. It's just so

interesting how someone so opposed to development less

than six months ago is now in the process of trying to develop

the biggest chunk of property in Pine Mountain. And it's so

interesting the way you guys swindled an old man-"

"Yeah!" he snapped. "And look where that story got

you! The old guy dropped deader than a doornail just as

soon as he read your stupid article. Doesn't that tell you any-

thing, Maggie Carpenter? How many other writers can

boast that their reporting actually kills people? Maybe you

should have a warning label on the front of your paper.

'Reading the Pine Cone could be hazardous to your health!'

Or maybe I should get the sheriff in here and see if he can't

charge you for murder~r at the minimum, manslaughter."

A wave of sadness washed over her as she remembered

the vivid image of poor Mr. Westerly slumped over his news-

paper. She was instantly at a loss for any witty comeback or

sharp retaliation. Why had she even lowered herself to

Greg's level in the first place? To engage verbally with Greg

Snider was almost always a lose-lose situation. She held her

chin up and looked him squarely in the eye, determined to

deny him the pleasure of witnessing the deep hurt he'd just

inflicted upon her.

He tossed the newspaper to the floor, then leaned forward,