Delivering His Gifts (Mountain Men of Liberty #10)- K.C. Crowne Page 0,9

we get my friend the best dog possible, and I trust you.”

I was in shock over his generous offer and swallowed before speaking. “You hardly even know me.”

“Yeah, but I read your reviews, and I’m also a good judge of character. I can tell you’re good at what you do. You’re passionate and caring,” he said, a crooked grin on that handsome face.

“That’s very generous of you, but—" I thought about Greg. He had once offered the property to me as a very generous gift, no strings attached. But there’d been strings; I only got caught up in them later. My eyes narrowed. “But why would you want to pay me so much more than my going rate?”

“Because I only want to work with you, and it’s clear you need the help getting back on your feet. I’ll pay you today,” he said, pulling out his wallet. “How much you need? I don’t know what’s a fair rate for this sort of thing. $10,000 maybe?”

My throat felt like it had clenched shut to try and stop me from speaking. God, I needed that money. I needed it so badly…I should say yes. But he seemed eager. Too eager.

“You’re still here!” Skyler’s voice cut through my thoughts. In her arms was our big, white, fluffy cat. “Meet Marshmallow.”

“Oh, what a good-looking kitty,” Mason said, reaching down to pet the cat’s head. Marshmallow loved attention and enjoyed being held and carried by Skyler, which was one reason I’d kept the cat when he’d come into our shelter. The animal purred as Mason scratched under his chin.

He was perfect. Too perfect. Just like when I’d met Greg. He was all charming and full of flattery. He’d ooh and aah at animals with me, donating large sums of money to charities and advertising what a good man he was to try and lure me in. It taught me something - never trust a man that seems too perfect. If it seems too good to be true, it’s probably because he has something to hide.

So what was Mason Harvey up to, and what did he want?

“Mr. Harvey, I—I can’t work with you,” I said flatly.

Mason stopped petting the cat and stared at me. “Why not?”

“Well, first of all, why would you offer to give me $10,000 just out of the blue like this? Right as I’m telling you that I don’t have a facility or my dogs. It feels off to me.”

“Like I said, I trust you, Danielle.”

Trust me? He barely even knows me. Sure, he read my reviews, but to just hand me a large sum of money based on reviews online seemed fishy. I’d noticed the way he’d looked at me when we first saw each other. His eyes had nearly exploded from his head as he gave me a once over. Sure, I was ogling him too, but that was different. I wasn’t offering an exorbitant amount of money for a job that wouldn’t cost near that much.

“What do you really want, Mason?” I asked. I reached over and cupped my hands over Skyler’s ears, and lowered my voice. “Because if it’s sex you want, you can get prostitutes far cheaper than what you’re offering me.”

Skyler scowled at me as I removed my hands from her ears.

His eyes widened, confusion on his face. “That’s not—I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re a beautiful woman, but that isn’t at all what I was looking for. I just want to help.”

Mason’s brow furrowed in concern and his eyes seemed so sincere, I wanted to believe him. Hell, maybe I did believe him - that he didn’t want sex from me. But I knew from experience that no one just handed you ten grand on a job that would likely cost half that or less without expecting a little more out of the deal. Eventually, my debt to him would come due, and the last thing I needed was owing my life to another man.

“I don’t need your charity, thank you. I’ll do what I can to find a suitable dog for your friend, though I can’t promise anything since I don’t know of any off hand. But if I find one, I’ll do the work for my regular fees only.” I rose from the table, a hint that I was ready to show him out.

Mason looked as if he wanted to argue, but he nodded and said, “Alright then. I appreciate that.”

He handed me a card with his name and contact details. I tucked