Zach admired her for putting her family first, for giving up her dreams without hesitation or complaint.
“We’ll make sure it’s something nice for him,” Zach replied. “I’ll grab my sketch pad and let the dogs out. Go on into the living room.”
“I’ll let the dogs out,” she told him. “You go get what you need.”
Zach hesitated. “Do you know what you’re saying? Those little ones are evil.”
Macy laughed. “I can handle puppies. Why don’t you take a break from potty training and let me deal with this.”
Zach shrugged as he headed from the room. “You asked for it,” he muttered.
As he went to get his sketch pad from the office, someone banged on the front door. Zach froze. If Ms. Barkley stood on the other side of that door, he was going to have to tell her once and for all that he wasn’t interested.
As he made his way to the foyer, he tried to figure out if he’d ever given her the impression that he wanted more than a neighborly “hi” in passing. Apparently she didn’t care or she was just really determined to get him into her bedroom . . . or anywhere else he’d be willing to go with her.
Flicking the lock, he jerked open the door.
“Liam.” Zach gripped the door, shocked to see his brother there. “What are you doing here?”
Liam pushed through and entered the house. “I talked to Sophie earlier. She asked if I’d spoken with you. Then I called to talk to Braxton and he asked if I’d talked to you.”
Zach closed the door and folded his arms over his chest. Nothing like being thrust into revealing the secret. But the truth coming out was inevitable.
“You might as well come on in.” Zach gestured toward the living room.
“Is that Macy’s Jeep out there?” Liam asked.
Holding on to the smallest of the puppies, Macy stepped in behind Liam. “Yes, it is.”
Liam turned, then stared back and forth between Zach and Macy. “Am I interrupting?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.
Interesting. Zach hadn’t known Liam to show much emotion, but apparently he didn’t like the idea of his brother entertaining the hometown hardware store owner.
“I’m working on something for Macy.”
Zach left it at that because whatever he or Macy did was none of Liam’s concern. If Macy wanted Liam to know anything, she could fill him in.
Liam stared at Macy holding the wiggly puppy for a moment before he turned toward the door. “I’ll come back.”
“No.” Macy took a step forward. “Talk with Zach. I can go play with these cute little guys.”
Macy held the puppy up to her face, and she was awarded with a lick on her chin. The yipping started again from the laundry room.
“Are you running a damn kennel?” Liam asked.
“I need to put some food down for the mom.” Zach started from the room before turning back. “Neither one of you leave.”
“I’m not staying,” Liam argued.
Zach sighed. “You drove all this way when you could’ve called.”
“Well, I thought something major was happening and you needed to talk to me. Heaven forbid you actually call me and tell me what the hell is going on. I have to get veiled hints dropped from second parties.”
Macy backed up a step. “I’m going to go put this little guy back. I’ll take care of feeding the mom and keeping the dogs occupied. You guys talk. Zach, don’t worry about the plans tonight. We can do it another night. I’m in no hurry.”
She disappeared before he could tell her to stick around because he was sure once Liam realized what Zach needed to say, Liam would leave in a snit.
“Tell me what the hell is going on.” Liam propped his hands on his hips. “I took my one night off this week to drive here.”
“You could’ve called.”
“From the way Sophie and Braxton seemed worried that I hadn’t spoken with you, I figured this was more than a phone call. And you’ve obviously gotten into a fight—I’m assuming with Braxton.”
Zach raked a hand down his beard and shook his head. “Our fight has nothing to do with why I need to talk to you.”
Liam said nothing. He didn’t blink. He merely stood still in that angry pose, glaring across the space between them.
“I’m selling this house.”
The muscle in Liam’s jaw clenched as he crossed his arms over his chest. The scar running down the side of his face seemed redder, as if his anger had spawned the shade.
“I wouldn’t have put it up for sale without telling you, but I just officially decided.”
“What the hell are you thinking?” Liam asked in a low growl. “How could you sell this house? Where are you going to go? Did you even think that maybe Braxton or I would want this, before you decided to get rid of it? Just because this is in your name doesn’t mean we aren’t invested in it.”
Liam spun around, muttering obscenities that would have had their mother scolding them no matter their ages, and then he turned back. “This is just like you, to be so damn selfish,” he continued. “You do whatever you want and to hell with the rest of us.”
Anger slid through Zach, but he’d expected nothing less from Liam.
“Maybe before spouting off you should consider the reasons.” Zach marched through to the living room, knowing Liam would follow. “Braxton and I can only afford to spend so much on Chelsea’s property. That property tax took a good chunk of my savings, and those renovations are going to be expensive. There’s no way around it.”
Zach stopped at the mantel where the photos were, his eyes zeroing in on his late sister. “I’m not going to let finances get in my way of fulfilling this dream of Chelsea’s, because if she were alive she’d do anything possible to get this done. She’d sacrifice everything, and I plan on doing the same.”
Spinning back around, Zach faced his brother, who stood leaning in the doorway. “You can be angry all you want, but shut the hell up when it comes to me and my reasoning. You had a chance to be in on this and you opted out.”
“I didn’t know you’d be making rash decisions without discussing them with your family first.”
Zach hadn’t had to discuss his decisions with anyone. He sure as hell never had to discuss things with his brothers, because they had little to nothing in common other than being taken in by amazing parents who were complete saints.
“I’m telling you now.”
Liam laughed. “I came to you. When were you going to tell me you were selling our childhood home?”
“I would’ve told you before Sophie put it on the market.”
“I’m honored.”
Macy stepped up behind Liam. “The dogs are all taken care of. I’m just going to go, and we can talk later.”
“No.” Liam held his hand up and glanced down at her. “You can stay and finish your date. I’m leaving.”
Well, hell.
“I’m not on a date,” Macy told him. “I want Zach to build me a house.”
Liam dropped his hand. “Regardless, I’m interrupting and I’ve heard what I came to hear.”
“You’re just leaving?” Macy asked. “You can stay.”
Was that hope in her tone? Did Macy have an interest in Liam?
Zach continued to watch the two before him, wondering if this was new or something that had been in front of his face for years. Liam was trying his damnedest not to look Macy dead in the eye. Granted, he rarely looked someone dead in the eye because he usually tilted his head just far enough to keep the scarred side of his face turned away.
But Macy was ringing her hands, looking up at Liam with wide eyes. She wasn’t being coy or playful, she was simply showing a side Zach hadn’t seen before. A side that showcased a woman interested in a man.
“I have no reason to stay, especially since the house won’t be in my family any longer.” Liam glanced at Zach. “There’s nothing for me here.”
Zach watched as Liam stormed out of the house. There was nothing he could do about Liam�
��s anger. Actually, Zach had expected more of an altercation.
But when he looked at Macy, she almost seemed deflated or disappointed. Did she and Liam have something going on that no one was aware of?
Surely not. This town was too small for word of a relationship not to get out, and Macy would’ve said something. The way she was still staring at the door, though, told Zach that she was definitely hung up on Liam.
As much as Zach hated to admit it, he feared Macy’s longing after Liam would only lead to heartache down the road. But he sure as hell wasn’t one to offer advice in the romance category.
Because the one woman he wanted was tempting him like he’d never been tempted before, and he knew the second he caved and gave in to her, he’d be facing a whole host of heartache himself.
Chapter Twelve
Zach swept up the mess in the main floor bathroom. Finally, the building permit had come through and it had only set him back five days.
In that time he’d stayed busy working on various odd jobs and had started new projects where he’d placed Nathan in charge of the crew. This Sunset Lake property was going to take the majority of his time. He intended to focus on this project until it was complete. At that point he truly had no clue what to do, no idea how to run a spa/resort for women.
Yeah, definitely an area where he’d need Sophie’s expertise.
The only interaction he’d had with Sophie was via text, setting up a time to meet in her office to officially put his house on the market. That appointment was later today, and he was torn up just thinking about it. Between being alone with her again and putting the only haven he’d ever known on the market . . . he just hoped he made it through the meeting.
Had he seriously admitted to her that he was ready to try something? What had he been thinking? What if he couldn’t? There were so many issues he had, so much darkness inside him, he seriously was afraid of taking another step with Sophie. But how would he know if he never tried? He’d avoided her and this sexual tension for a decade. That hadn’t worked out so well, now had it?
On another note, Zach had not heard from Liam at all. Braxton was pretty quiet lately too, but he’d most likely been spending time with a woman. Braxton tended to seek comfort from strangers, but that was his cross to bear. None of Zach’s business.
Whatever issues Braxton carried around, he never shared them. That told Zach that the past Braxton kept to himself had deeply damaged his brother. Would anyone ever be able to penetrate Braxton’s outer shell? Zach had thought Anna might, but then she’d cheated on Braxton and he’d closed up even more after the breakup.
All three brothers and Chelsea had carried different pasts into the Monroe home. Braxton had been the most secretive. Zach knew that when Braxton was about ten, his parents were killed, but he didn’t know how and Braxton never offered the information.
When Zach came to live with the Monroes, Braxton was quiet, always wanting peace in the house. Zach and Liam had rubbed each other the wrong way from day one, and that never sat well with Braxton. He’d always tried to intervene and keep everyone calm.
Whatever happened in Braxton’s past had made him determined to see those around him happy and calm. Whatever he’d experienced was rooted so deep, Zach wondered what the young Braxton had gone through.
They all had their problems and they were all dealing with life in different ways . . . or not dealing with it at all, as was the case with Zach. He’d much prefer to ignore his aching for Sophie. He’d give anything to block out the pain of losing Chelsea. And he sure as hell hoped he had the ability to complete this resort and do it justice the way Chelsea would’ve wanted, and have it be a success. Wasn’t that the biggest risk in all of this?
Swiping his arm across his sweaty forehead, Zach dumped the dustpan full of debris and mess into the heavy-duty black trash bag. He needed to have Macy place a bulk order for more—which reminded him, he still needed to get with her.
The last two nights, thanks to the yipping pups, he’d lost even more sleep and had used the time to jot down the main concepts for what he felt Macy would be looking for in a new home. Once he ran those by her, he could start doing a mock-up on the rough sketch.
Stifling a yawn, Zach had no idea how to get sleep. There was no way he could put the dogs outside. He’d not been much of an animal person, simply because the opportunity hadn’t presented itself, but he never liked seeing dogs tied up outside. He never quite understood why people owned a pet they were just going to hook on a chain and toss food to a few times a day.
So outside was out. But how did he sleep, and how the hell did he train them to sleep or at least keep quiet at night? It was like those little things never shut up. If one was asleep, the others were playing and barking. One of them was always awake. No wonder the poor mom just lay around. The poor dog probably just wanted to be ready for a moment’s peace if the opportunity ever came.
Tying up the sack, Zach hauled it into the kitchen and set it by the back door with the other sack he’d filled only an hour ago.
Something scooted against the floor upstairs. Zach froze, listening for the sound again. After a moment of utter silence, and questioning if he’d actually heard anything at all, he shrugged. Old houses always made odd sounds.
He cracked his knuckles as he moved down the hall, the familiar puckered skin on the backs of his hands always a reminder of his carelessness.
When his cell vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out and eyed the screen before answering.
“What’s up, Nathan?”
“I know you’re working and I hate to interrupt, but your neighbor called again.”
Zach withheld a groan as he stopped in the hallway and cringed as he tipped his head back and eyed the ceiling. “And what’s wrong with her house this time? I swear on my life, before that house sold it was solid. I helped build the damn thing myself just seven years ago.”
Nathan chuckled. “It seems the faucet in her master tub is leaking.”
Bullshit. “Did you go check it out?”
“I offered, but she asked if we could both come over,” Nathan said slowly. “That woman is bold. I told her we were busy and I’d have to call her back. What the hell, man?”
Zach gripped his phone and headed back toward the bathroom. “Call her back. Let her know that we’re too busy to spare both of us. Keep it professional, because that woman reads into everything. If she needs the pipes looked at, tell her she should call a plumber. I hate to turn away business, but we both know that’s not why she’s calling.”
Zach had worked too hard to maintain the company’s reputation for high standards, which his father had established in the community and surrounding areas. No way in hell was he going to let it get tarnished because of some divorcée with an itch to scratch.
Yeah, he was a guy and appreciated an attractive woman. But what he didn’t appreciate was a blatant woman, a woman who had no class, and a woman who felt it was okay to disrupt his working hours. He had actual clients, and she was getting to the point of pissing him off.
“I’ll let her know,” Nathan stated. “I’m over at the Butchers’ place now. We’re nearly done shingling the garage and we’ll start on the house tomorrow.”
“Great. You’re too busy to check out a leaking faucet.”
Laughing, Nathan replied, “Got it. Let me know if you need any help out there.”
Zach glanced around the nearly gutted bathroom. “I’ve got it covered. Thanks, man.”
Sliding the phone back into his pocket, Zach started looking around the room. He had the layout of the plans in his head, and he also knew a portion of one of the walls had to go. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was late afternoon and he’d yet to have lunch. Where the hell was Braxton? He’d promised to be there and so far he was a no-show.
Zach sent off a quick text, telling his brother to stop by somewhere and bring some lunch and get his ass in gear so they could get this wall out. Time was not on their side, because Zach wanted t
o get this place done, get it open, and start seeing a return.
Yes, he knew all of that would take time, years most likely, which was all the more reason he didn’t want to wait any longer than he had to.
Braxton replied he was already on his way, he’d stop to get Zach’s food and to “chill the hell out.”
Might as well get the tools ready, because once lunch was devoured, the wall was coming down. The bathroom needed to be expanded, and the wall he’d wanted to remove wasn’t a load-bearing wall, which would make the new design absolutely perfect.
Zach knew he’d have to sink every spare dime into this place, but it would be worth it in the end. He wished Chelsea were here to see it, to guide him and Braxton through the process, but all he could do was honor her wishes per her notes and binders.
And Sophie. Sophie was the thread that would tie this all up in a nice, neat package, because she knew design, she knew Chelsea’s tastes in such things, and Sophie was the only woman in on this entire renovation.
Zach would swear Chelsea was looking down on him, laughing her ass off. He would get this done, it would be spectacular, and women from all over would come to enjoy a getaway and just relax. The draw from Savannah would get them started, and he hoped like hell word of mouth spread like wildfire.
Now all he had to do was finish fixing up this massive home, the two small cottages, learn about facials and cucumber sandwiches or some other ridiculous things women ate to stay thin, and watch the money roll in.
Sounded about as easy as keeping his feelings about Sophie to himself.
Zach was nothing if not determined. On the upside, the landscaping wasn’t terrible. Being in the South, the tall, mossy trees stood strong and provided shade all over the property, including near the pond in the backyard. Mostly they’d need new shrubbery and flowers around the porches, but Zach knew an amazing landscaper he often recommended to other people. But that was the last thing they’d need to worry about.
After pulling in the necessary tools and another box of trash bags, Zach’s cell vibrated again. If that was Braxton saying he’d be late, Zach was going to kill him.
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