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Mason listened to her ramble with half an ear until she mentioned the money.
“… and it’s all because they think that I don’t deserve my inheritance. Every Abrams in the family line has been given an inheritance when we turn twenty-one. But somehow, my mother was able to postpone my payout because I flunked out of Harvard.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This woman not only had the privilege of being raised by both of her parents, who only wanted what was best for her, but she’d also been given every opportunity to have the perfect life.
Money. An education. A safe home. And she was nothing but ungrateful.
Mason held up both hands. “Wait a minute. You’re trying to tell me that you’re only here because your parents want you to learn some manners?”
Harley snapped her mouth shut and her eyes flashed with warning. “I beg your pardon?”
“Manners. That’s quite literally all I can hear from your story. You’re a spoiled little rich kid who wants everything just handed to you. I don’t blame them for wanting to correct the course you’re on.”
The redness in her face deepened as the fury in her eyes exploded.
“No wonder your uncle wanted me to take the job as his head rancher. Part of the gig sounds like I’d be responsible for keeping you in line and teaching you the ropes.”
Her face paled as her brows lifted. Understanding flooded her countenance, and her eyes darted to the side. Whatever she was trying to plan, he wasn’t going to be part of it.
“Lucky for you, I’m not taking the job.”
Harley’s focus jumped back up to his face with curiosity.
“I’d rather sling cow dung for the rest of my life than have to show you how to be a decent human being. There. Happy? That’s why I was speaking to your uncle. And now you know why I won’t be going back.”
“Why exactly? Is he not paying enough?”
Mason’s stomach felt gutted. What was it with this girl and money? He shook his head, not dignifying her question with a response before he yanked open the truck door and motioned for her to get inside.
She scowled at him, their gazes holding the other in a battle that both of them desired to win. He wasn’t about to be pushed around by a spoiled brat, and she was definitely the kind of person who refused to be told what to do.
Her uncle had a long road ahead of him if he thought he was going to find anyone who would be patient enough to handle her. He could only imagine how bad it must have been at home for her parents to send her away.
Neither one of them moved. Not a single shift, flinch, or blink.
Mason grew tired and heaved a groan. “Will you get in the truck already? You’re cold and wet, and I’m sure your uncle isn’t going to be thrilled when he finds out you went missing.”
“I doubt he even noticed. And if he is worried, it’s all his fault. He’s the one who took my phone from me. He’s gonna have to put a GPS tracker on me if he wants to know my location at all times of the day.”
Mason’s scowl deepened. Every word that came out of her mouth only made the sour taste in his mouth intensify. He was inches away from just picking her up and shoving her in his truck when she finally climbed inside. “For the record, I didn’t do this for you, I did it because—”
He shut the door, cutting off her statement. There was no reason for him to care about why she got in the truck. All he cared about was that he could get her off his property. Mason marched around the side of the truck, climbed in, and started it.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve—”
Mason reached for the radio knob and turned the music up loud enough to drown her out. He had zero interest in having any sort of conversation with her. He’d already had enough to last a lifetime.
Harley lurched forward and turned the knob down. “Yuck! I thought when people said you guys listened to country, at least it would be more Tay-Tay and less… this.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t even like the pop stuff that much, but at least it’s better than what you’re listening to.”
He continued staring straight ahead. Her voice grated on his nerves. How could someone be so insensitive and brash and look like a complete angel… well, minus the nose ring and combat boots. Even the local pretty girls in town were better behaved than… her.
She fiddled with the buttons until she found a song she appeared to approve of before she sat back in her seat and stared out the window.
Raindrops pinged the glass, making it harder to see. Mason turned up the speed of his windshield wipers. Just another mile or so and he’d be free of her. No amount of money would ever be worth spending hours with a woman like her—and yet.
As Mason turned onto the short road where he had to type in the code—a code he still didn’t have—he couldn’t help but wonder if Wade was right. Would he be walking away from something great? Wade didn’t know about the deal Abrams had tried to make. He didn’t know what wage the man had offered, and there was no way Mason would share the even bigger bombshell of the whole place being handed down to him.
Mason had no doubt his brother would insist on taking the deal if he was aware of that. He gave Harley a side-eyed glance. What would she say if she found out that the monetary perks were likely even better than her own inheritance? Would she approve or would she be jealous?
