Page 104 of Redeeming Harmony

“If that’s the case, why do you want him back?” Nathan asked.

“Because what’s mine is mine.” The man gave him a hard look. “Ain’t nobody takes what belongs to me. Now, are ya gonna give me my fucking dog, or do I have to get the sheriff out here?”

“I’ll buy him from you,” Harper blurted out.

The man blinked at her. “What?”

“Eight hundred dollars,” she said. “I’ll give you eight hundred dollars cash for the dog right now.”

The man’s face turned cagey. “He’s a purebred shepherd, worth way more than that.”

“He’s not purebred,” Nathan said. “He’s a mutt, and you probably bought him for fifty bucks from -”

“Nathan, hush.” Harper took his hand, squeezing it hard. “What do you say, sir?”

The man studied her and Winston for long moments while Harper’s stomach roiled and flip-flopped.

“Two thousand,” he said.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nathan said.

“Two thousand or he leaves with me.” The man shoved his dirty ball cap back on his head and crossed his arms over his chest, smiling benignly at Harper as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her tits. “What do you say, little girl? We got a deal?”

“Keep looking at her like that, and I’ll knock out every one of your fucking teeth,” Nathan ground out.

Harper squeezed his hand again. “It’s a deal. I’ll give you the eight hundred now and bring you the rest tonight.”

She would have to borrow the other twelve hundred from her dad, which she hated to do, but Warren would give it to her without question. She’d just have to find two extra jobs instead of one so she could pay him back.

“Nope,” the man said. “Full amount now in cash, or the dog comes with me.”

“I don’t have that kind of cash at the house,” Harper said. “But I promise I’ll bring it to you tonight. You have my word.”

The man scoffed. “Like a woman’s word means dick all. Money now or the dog comes with me. Of course,” his gaze dropped to her tits again, “you’re welcome to come by later tonight with the money and pick up old Duke. We’ll have a drink or two.”

Harper would rather eat tree bark than drink with this asshole, but what choice did she have? The idea of Winston having to go with him even for the time it would take to get the money together made her want to cry and vomit at the same time. Who knew what the man would do to him? “Um, I could maybe come by around -”

“I’ve got the cash,” Nathan said. “I’ll give you the two thousand in cash right now, but you have to sign a surrender form stating you give up all rights to the dog forever.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll sign whatever. Just give me the cash.” The greed on the man’s face made Harper feel even sicker.

“It’s at the clinic. Follow me.” Nathan turned to Harper, squeezing her hand. “Go in the house with Winston.”

“I’ll come with you,” she said.

He shook his head, glancing at the man before turning back to her. “No. Go inside with Winston, and I’ll come see you in a bit.”

“Nathan, I -”

He bent his head and kissed her, stopping her from speaking. “Go, honey. Please.”

She nodded and her entire body still numb, said, “Winston, c’mon, boy. In the house.” She opened the door, and Winston, moving faster than she’d ever seen him move, fled into the house and disappeared into the kitchen.

Nathan squeezed her hand and, blinking back tears, she walked into the house, shutting the door behind her.

Chapter 23

Harper wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans before knocking on Nathan’s door. It was just after nine, and the wind blew bitterly. The weather had turned this afternoon, only half an hour after the man had tried to take Winston, and the frigid wind and the bulky gray storm clouds promised one hell of a storm.

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