Page 7

“I’m sorry, but what does that have to do with—”

“The Keagan name, on the other hand, has been blamed, joked about, and discussed ad nauseam ever since your folks high-tailed it out of town.”

A sharp, painful jab dug into Mason’s palms. He glanced down to realize he’d been clenching his hands so tightly that he’d broken the skin in one place. His face felt hot, and as he swiveled his eyes back to the man who managed to appear so nonchalant over the Keagan family name, he had to focus on his breathing to prevent himself from lashing out. He’d never felt this defensive in his entire life. “So why exactly do you want to hire one?” he muttered through clenched teeth.

Abrams cocked his head slightly. “Because I think I’ve found the one in the lot of you that can value what I have to offer.”

“And what is that?”

“An escape. A chance at starting over. A future.”

Not even two weeks ago, Mason would have laughed in this man’s face. Who did he think he was, making that kind of offer? But something nagged at him. This man was different. He knew something Mason didn’t. How else had he managed to create this life for himself—one Mason was quickly starting to envy?

“You’re curious.” A hint of a smile touched Abrams’ lips.

“Of course I’m curious. That doesn’t mean I’m on board.”

“No, I wouldn’t presume that to be the case.” He leaned forward in his seat. “If there’s one thing that the town knows about me, it’s that I don’t have a family—no sons to pass this on to. After my assistant, Tanner, got married and moved to the city, it got me realizing something. I don’t want this place to go to the highest bidder. I want it to mean something to the person it goes to.” He shrugged, leaning back into his seat. “That might be you, or it might not. It’s too soon to tell. Regardless, I’d like to figure out if I was right about what I saw in you.”

“Do you know how crazy you sound?”

Abrams’ smile widened. “I’ve been called worse.”

“So you’re just gonna hire me… then what? Give this place to me when you die?”

“I’ve heard crazier stories.”

Mason’s jaw dropped. That was exactly what Abrams was offering. “And what if I realize it’s not for me? What’s gonna stop me from going around talking about how crazy you sound—” Mason snapped his mouth shut. Right here and now, he might have destroyed the lifeline Abrams was offering him. The man wasn’t wrong. Mason was smart enough to understand that the ranch could only sustain them for so long. Wade’s need to provide for all his siblings was probably the one thing that had pushed him to tell Abrams to ask a Keagan before anyone else.

The man’s eyes never left Mason’s face throughout that entire tirade. His face remained stoic as ever, and then he stood. “Like I said. I’m curious how this would all go. But in answer to your question, you’ll be paid far more than you will find anywhere else. If you decide this isn’t the life for you, there’s nothing stopping you from spreading gossip like the rest of the town. But something tells me that’s not your style.”

“And that’s it? Help you around the ranch and I get paid gross amounts of money? It can’t be that easy.”

Suddenly, Abrams laughed. “Oh, that’s only the beginning. Nothing in life is easy, son. You’ll be supervising someone else, showing them the ropes.”

Mason snorted. “I have eleven brothers and sisters. I think I can handle teaching someone how to do basic chores.”

The amusement in Abrams’ eyes remained. “You haven’t met Harriet yet.”

4

Harley

The stench in the barn was unbearable. Harley’s stomach roiled, and even though she focused on breathing through her mouth, she couldn’t keep the smell of the animal feces from her nose. She gagged several times as she scooped the stuff with the rusty shovel and dumped it into a nearby bucket.

She couldn’t believe that her uncle actually liked this sort of thing. Hadn’t he gone to one of the more prestigious universities? She could have sworn her mother had bragged about him when Harley was younger. He had graduated with honors or something.

Stepping back, she glowered at the stall in disgust. Vern had shown her how to do the first one. It had seemed easy enough if it hadn’t been so smelly. But then he said he was headed out to get some paperwork done, and he’d left her alone with this mess.

How on earth could one animal do so much damage?

Gagging again, Harley ran from the stall and into the aisle. Surprisingly, the smell wasn’t nearly as bad out here. She didn’t understand how it was so contained. Harley dropped the shovel to the floor and leaned over to gulp in some air that wasn’t nearly as bad. Wherever her uncle was, it had to be better than what she was doing. This was his life, not hers, and she refused to let him push her around. There had to be some parameters while she was visiting. Even Blaire wouldn’t approve of the way he was treating her.

Harley stepped over the shovel with disgust and headed for the door. Vern had to be around here somewhere, and they were overdue for a talk. She shot one more fleeting look at the shovel she’d left behind and stepped into the sunlight, only to collide with another human being. Stumbling backward, Harley sputtered. “Why did you leave me here alone? My mother might have wanted me to suffer, but this is just cruel and unusual punishment.” She dusted off her clothes and looked up only to come face-to-face with someone who was very much not her uncle.

He stood tall and confident like he owned the whole world, and it irritated her all the more.

Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a sneer. “You.”