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

hammered out an agreement that resulted in me getting the deed to the Winnimocca property, along with a cash settlement that will enable me to cover taxes, reconstruction, and some seed money to launch the place. If I can’t make a go of it from there…” She shrugged. “Then I lose. Ultimately, I’m responsible for my success or failure. So I took the launch, but beyond that, it’s up to me. And, even with all the headaches and Shelby challenges and now whatever the heck is going on with the vandalism and maybe the people in town…I still wouldn’t have it any other way.”
    â€œI can see your point.”
    She laughed again. “Good, because a lot of people thought I was nuts. I guess I just want to be in control of my destiny, not following my mother’s. I’ll take the helping hand, whether she intended it or not, but nothing more. That’s Shelby’s domain and he’s welcome to it.” Or will be , she thought, if she could figure out why he hadn’t shown up to sign the papers. “So, now it’s my turn. You said you had personal experience with inheritance; only I didn’t think Donny Mac—”
    â€œNot my father, Finn’s. I don’t know how much you knew of their relationship, but it sounds like the mirror image of yours and Louisa’s. Only in Finn’s father’s case, he was rather unscrupulous about how he went about amassing his fortune.”
    â€œWhereas my mother just married hers,” she said with a smile. It was odd, talking to him like this, about things that she’d been so sensitive about before. It wasn’t like that with him. His pragmatism made it easier, she supposed. And his own past.
    â€œWell, to each his own, but Finn had personal reasons why taking on his father’s empire—also a surprise inheritance—was untenable to him. He didn’t want it, at first, but, as you say, it’s not as easy as just saying no thanks. It was his whether he wanted it or not, and there was no Shelby in the wings. Like your mother’s situation, the inheritance was complicated. It took quite a long time, years in fact, but he did dismantle the empire, piece by piece, doing his best not to screw over the little people, but it happened on occasion. Even just putting the more unscrupulous ones out of business, there was no way to protect everyone, and there were innocent bystanders, so to speak. But the bigger plan was to use the money to help the very same people whose backs Harrison Dalton spent a lifetime stepping on in order to move up in the world.”
    â€œSo, some karmic justice, then. I can appreciate that.”
    He smiled. “You know, I’m beginning to think you can.”
    She shot him a smile. “Beginning to?”
    He lifted a shoulder. “I’m still getting to know you.”
    She shouldn’t have been warmed by his easy tone, the hint of a friendly smile on his lips. His apparent interest in getting to know her, case or no case. What she did know was that leaning on him, even a little bit, would be dangerous. She’d spent most of her adult life learning how to lean only on herself. Just because things were looking a little tricky didn’t mean she had to drape herself over the first shoulder that presented itself. “I’m surprised you didn’t already know more about all of it, what with all your skulking around.”
    â€œI only had a day to dig. I hadn’t gotten around to that yet. I was too busy trying to figure out how dangerous this person is who’s getting his jollies from vandalizing your property.” There was a long pause; then he added, “And I don’t skulk. I track.”
    She tried mightily to ignore his dry tone. He’d been a bad boy charmer in his youth, all moody and temperamental with the male campers, but never without a smile for anything in pink camp shorts or a tennis skirt. She’d been as