LITMIR.BIZ

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life. Not that Mason had been allowed to see it. Officially, he’d seen it only once. He’d been told to take some papers to Daulton Hyatt at the big house. EvaMarie’s mother had trailed after him, anxious in case he tracked manure on her antique rugs.

      As though he was too much of a heathen to know how to wipe his feet. The only other time he’d been inside, there hadn’t been a parent in sight.

      “You may be right,” Mason conceded, trying to shake the memories away. “But trust me, they care. I remember that much all too well.” And he was gonna use what he knew about them to his every advantage.

      It paid to know thine enemy.

      * * *

      EvaMarie Hyatt didn’t have a clue who was driving up to the house in a luxury sedan followed by a shiny new pickup truck. But as she spied out her bedroom window on the second floor, she fervently wished that whoever it was would go back from whence they came.

      After all, she was sweaty and gross after hanging insulation inside the old dressing room between her suite and the next. Plus, she had a headache pounding hard enough between her temples to rival a jackhammer. And she was the only one here willing to answer the door.

      Still, she smiled with the satisfaction of knowing all of her hard work would be perfect for what she had in mind.

      But this wasn’t the time for lingering admiration of her handiwork. She had to get herself in gear and head their visitors off at the pass. She scurried down the back stairs, hyperaware of her parents’ location. They’d be interested too, but she knew good and well they wouldn’t come outside.

      It was so sad to see her once social butterfly parents now housebound. Their secrecy and embarrassment made EvaMarie’s responsibilities that much harder...and much more painful.

      She made it to the side entrance just as the vehicles parked. Unexpected nerves tingled through her as she attempted to smooth her hair into some semblance of order. Maybe her parents were rubbing off on her...or the isolation of taking care of every last detail of their lives was turning her into a hermit.

      To her surprise, the bank manager stepped out of the first vehicle, his pristine suit making her all too aware of her dust-covered T-shirt and sweatpants. But it was the driver of the truck who confounded her.

      She studied him as the two men approached across the now cracking driveway. He was a stranger, yet familiar for some reason. There was something about the cocky set of his shoulders, the confidence of his stride. As he came closer, the realization struck her like lightning.

      She hadn’t seen Mason Harrington in nearly fifteen years. Oh, she’d wondered about him almost every day since then. But she’d refused to let her curiosity turn into anything more. After all, she imagined she was the last person Mason ever wanted to contact him.

      It looked like the years had been good to him. Even at this distance, she could spot the telltale features she’d found so attractive: the dark blond hair cropped close at the sides, but leaving just enough length on the top to showcase its inherent wave; large hands rough from working but with long fingers that could play her like the most delicate of instruments; the square shape of his jaw that belied the soft curve of his full bottom lip.

      He was even taller now, filled out and muscular in a way that made her uncomfortably aware of him. As did the piercing blue gaze that found her with unerring accuracy. But it was the signature black cowboy hat that he swung up onto his head that was the nail in her coffin, confirming that she faced the boy she had wronged.

      And now he was every inch a man.

      Mason Harrington was someone she certainly didn’t want near the house...or within miles of her father. Rushing forward despite her nerves clenching her stomach, she ignored the bombshell and focused on the manager. “Clive,” she said, “what can I do for you?”

      “EvaMarie, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

      She wanted to look at Mason, see if he knew what was going on. Which was silly. Of course he did or he wouldn’t be here. “I thought we had everything straightened out last month?” Oh, goodness. Please let this not be what she feared most.

      “Well, I’m afraid corporate overruled us. As I mentioned then, everything has to be approved through them.”

      Her breath caught for a moment, then she forced herself to speak. “But I thought you said you knew enough people up there to get them to listen.”

      “I know, honey. Apparently I wasn’t quite persuasive enough. I was going to call today, but got—” he glanced at the silent man next to him “—sidetracked.”

      EvaMarie hugged herself as her heart pounded in her chest. Nausea washed through her. She’d been alone through a lot of hard times over the past five years, but right now she wondered if there was a person alive who wouldn’t let her down. “What does that mean?”

      Mason stepped forward, his boots scraping across the driveway. “It means I’m the new owner of the Hyatt estate.”

      His voice had deepened. This was a man speaking. A man taking away what he had to know meant the world to her. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. Turning back to Clive, she struggled not to beg. “I just need a little more time—”

      “Too late.”

      Mason’s harsh words made her cringe, but she tried to focus only on Clive. Breathlessly she pushed the words out. “But the mares will foal—”

      Clive stepped forward, cutting off her view of Mason with a hand on her shoulder. “You know it won’t cover more than a few payments,” he said, his voice low and firm, even though his touch was gentle. “Then you’ll be behind again. You’ve done the best you could, EvaMarie, but we both know you’re only delaying the inevitable. It’s time. Time to let go.”

      She shook her head, the words ringing in her ears. Time to admit defeat—to Mason Harrington. Her father would rather die.

      For a moment, she almost gave in to the tears that had plagued her for the last six months. She glanced over at the quiet, still barn in the distance. The surrounding lush trees had sheltered her since she’d first walked. The lake in the distance had seen her learn to swim and fish. The rolling hills had been her playground in her youth, her solace as she’d gotten older. Her mind conjured up memories of a time long ago when the picture before her had been bustling with employees, and horses, and visitors.

      Not anymore. No matter how hard she tried.

      Every time she’d thought she was making progress, yet another setback would stomp on her efforts. But this one was the crowning glory.

      Now she zeroed in on Mason, surprised by his smug I won look. Obviously, he could remember a lot about this place, too. Part of her ached that he still hated her enough to find taking her home from her a worthy challenge. But a part that she didn’t want to acknowledge found a tiny bit of solace in the fact that she could still touch him in some way.

      She’d never be able to admit all the ways he’d changed her, even after he’d been gone. The thought was enough to have her dragging her stoic expression back into place, covering her true emotions, all of the frustration and pain she’d dealt with since he’d left, since her father became ill.

      She felt so alone.

      “So when do we have to be out?” she murmured, struggling to be practical. She wouldn’t think right now about how it would feel, leaving the only home she’d ever known. That would lead to the breakdown she wanted to avoid.

      Mason stepped fully into view, muscling his way around the bank manager. How he’d heard her, she wasn’t sure. “As soon as possible would be great. You can work that out with Clive here, but first, I’d like to look over my purchase, please.”

      If she hadn’t been struggling already, his complete lack of compassion would have taken her breath away. EvaMarie looked at the smug man, seeing again the few traces of the boy she’d loved with all her heart, the boy she’d given her body

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