Delivering His Gifts (Mountain Men of Liberty #10)- K.C. Crowne Page 0,66
the same bushes Skyler had found her the day we met Mason. Marshmallow came right up to them once the noise calmed down. She was always an affectionate cat and drawn to humans.
The dogs came once they were called - even Zeus. Sam said he growled a little when he picked him up but didn’t bite and eventually calmed down once he was in the truck.
“Thank you, Mason. You and your brothers are beyond amazing, do you know that?” I couldn’t hide my gratitude. These grown men risked their lives for our pets. I squeezed Mason’s hand tightly.
“It’s the least we can do, considering, well, you know.”
“I know.” I sighed and looked at Skyler. She was so happy and carefree right now, but what would happen when she found out about our home? I would have to break it to her gently. I stroked her hair back with a free hand and listened as she talked Mason’s ear off, telling him all about the house we were staying in and how much she loved it.
Mason looked past her, at me, and smiled.
And I no longer felt alone. Not with Mason at our side.
Ooo000ooo
“Zeus! Gris!” Skyler squealed as we opened the door to the rental.
Both dogs were waiting for us, bodies wiggling and tails wagging. Zeus let out an excited bark as soon as he saw Skyler.
Skyler picked the little terrier up and hugged him tightly, as if they hadn’t seen each other in days. “I missed you, little guy.”
Graham was standing in the entry to the living room, arms crossed and smiling down at my daughter. “She’s adorable.”
“Thank you. I hope the critters didn’t give you any trouble?”
Graham shook his head. “Not at all. The little one even came around to me after a while. He sat on my lap for a whole five minutes. Never a problem with the big one.”
I scratched Grizzley’s head. “Not surprised. He’s a gentle giant.”
“The cats are hiding somewhere. Last I heard, they were running around upstairs,” Graham said.
“Probably exploring the new digs,” I chuckled. “I need to get their litter boxes set up or we’ll have a mess.”
Mason walked in the door behind us, moving a little slower than normal.
“And what about you, man? How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better, but can’t complain too much,” Mason said.
“Did they stitch you up?”
“Yep. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t that deep. They were mostly concerned with the blood loss.”
Graham walked over to his brother and patted him on the shoulder. There was a look between the two men, a brotherly love that warmed my heart. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too.”
Graham looked between me and Mason, then over at Skyler, who was distracted and rolling on the floor with Zeus. He leaned in close and whispered. “Did they, you know, figure out what happened?”
“Not yet,” Mason said softly. “They’re still working on that.”
“What about the cameras? Did they catch anything?”
“All gone,” Mason said.
My stomach dropped. I’d already known all this, but I kept trying to forget. I couldn’t believe our home - and everything we owned - was gone.
Mason must have seen the look on my face because he draped an arm across my shoulder and leaned in close.
“I’m going to take care of you and Sky, don’t worry about a thing.”
My initial reaction was to freeze in place and panic. How could I ever trust a man after everything Greg put me through? Then I saw Skyler on the floor with Zeus, with Grizzly sitting nearby, wagging his tail. The cats were upstairs, and I could see the guinea pigs and Jellybean in their carriers in the living room.
This man, along with his brothers, had risked their lives for animals.
It truly said a lot about them. I remembered how I felt about Mason, how terrified I was when I thought he could be hurt or worse. I cared about him, and from the way he looked at me, I realized he cared about me too.
Relax, Danielle.
I turned my head toward Mason, and he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Graham raised an eyebrow and grinned but didn’t say anything.
“I think I’ll stay here tonight, just to keep an eye on things, if that’s alright?” Mason asked.
“I planned on it, too. Already told Emmy I might not be home tonight,” Graham said.
“I’ll sleep on the couch. There’s an extra bedroom upstairs for you, Graham,” Mason started to say.
“No,” I said.
Mason looked ready to argue with me. “Danielle, after what—”