The Black Sheep and the Princess by Donna Kauffman Read Free Book Online Page B

has to be more to it than that.”
    â€œIt’s the God’s honest truth that if not for that article, I wouldn’t be here. But, actually, it was Rafe who spotted it.”
    â€œRafael Santiago? You’re still in touch with him?”
    â€œI work with him. Finn Dalton, too. Rafe ordered me to come up here and fix the situation you’re in. Finn backed him up.” He raised his hand. “Scout’s honor.”
    He saw the corner of her mouth quirk slightly. “Like any of you were ever scouts. Finn, maybe.” She paused for a split second. “No, I don’t see him playing by anyone else’s rules either.”
    Mac smiled and settled back in his seat a little. She was talking to him, and, for the moment, not threatening to leave him on the side of the road. It was a start. “True. But my word is still good. Always has been. There have been times when that’s all I had, so I don’t give it lightly.”
    She didn’t say anything to that, concentrating on the road instead, probably choosing her next words. Or figuring out how she could ditch him in town. “So you’re saying the Unholy Trinity has this sudden vested interest in saving a rotting old camp for sentimental reasons, or because of some little newspaper write-up.”
    â€œHardly little. It was the New York Times . And the headline was something about an heiress giving up her inheritance to take control of family lake property in order to open up a camp for disabled kids. Is that true?”
    â€œWhich part? That I swapped my inheritance with Shelby? Or that I’m planning on a camp for kids? And why is it I think both of those things surprise the hell out of you?”
    â€œThey both do, frankly. Although, perhaps you’re doing well enough on your own not to need Louisa’s money.”
    â€œDoes it look like I’m rolling in it, Donovan?” She briefly lifted a hand. “Mac.”
    â€œI have no idea what game you might be playing at. With Shelby involved and an inheritance worth a lot of zeros, now vandalism, and rumors of developers being involved—”
    Kate braked and abruptly pulled over. “Get out.”
    â€œI’m not judging, Kate. I’m just calling it like I see it. Do you want me to sugarcoat it?”
    â€œI want you to get out. And stay off camp property. My property.” She wasn’t looking at him, and her tone was flat and hard. But he saw the tremor in her jaw, the vein standing out in stark relief along the side of her neck, and the white knuckles gripping the steering wheel.
    â€œSomeone isn’t just spraying unhappy little messages on trees, Kate. Someone has been watching you,” he said without preamble. “You may not like me or what I have to say, or believe why I’m here, but that’s beside the point. The point is I have the resources to help get you out of whatever it is you’ve gotten yourself into.”
    Her cheeks drained of color, and she swallowed hard.
    â€œYou may not even know what you’re up against,” he said, a tad less stridently. “So stop looking the gift horse you have in the mouth and let me help you.”
    Her chest rose and fell more quickly.
    â€œLook at me.”
    Her throat worked.
    â€œKate.”
    She swung her gaze to his, and there was no mistaking the fatigue, wariness, and the healthy dose of fear he saw there. “What?”
    â€œTo be perfectly honest, I haven’t the faintest freaking clue why I’m here. Maybe it’s some sort of whack karmic justice, or God having a really big laugh at my expense. All I know is that I felt—we all felt—like it was the right thing to do.” Now it was his turn to look away. Because he still wasn’t being completely truthful with her. “And maybe it’s because once I saw your picture, it stirred up a bunch of stuff I thought I was long done with. Stuff that not even my father