by Ann, Natalie
A month later when Kaitlin invited everyone together again, this time to announce she was having twins, Sophia was thankful that she really did have plans and couldn’t make it.
“Hey, where are you off to?” Kaitlin asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.
Shaking her head and forcing a smile, she said, “Sorry, just organizing my week in my mind.”
Kaitlin placed the last pair of Sophia’s shoes in a box, then walked over and gave her a big hug. “I’m so happy you’re moving close. It’s going to be like old times again.”
Sophia returned the hug. “Yeah, old times.” Too bad she couldn’t go back in time and change the events of the last few months. She’d handled everything poorly.
Inspections
One week later, Sophia was ready to crash from exhaustion. She had signed the lease on the house months ago, sight unseen. It was perfect for her, and she was so glad that Kaitlin had found it.
She’d trusted Kaitlin’s taste. Plus, Kaitlin knew the area. Besides, Sophia hadn’t had the time to even look for a place. This ended up being the perfect solution.
The little three-bedroom ranch was recently remodeled and almost four times the size of her loft in Manhattan. It didn’t matter that it was half the size of some of the houses she’d lived in growing up. Her parents always had to have the biggest and the best, and each marriage her mother entered into resulted in grander houses in better neighborhoods.
Her father was no different. Each new wife wanted more than the one before. Before Sophia was eighteen and left for college, she had moved no less than ten times with whatever parent had custody of her. And an equal amount of moves with her other parent. Packing had become second nature to her, but that didn’t mean she liked to do it.
Living for six years in Manhattan was the longest she’d ever stayed in one place, let alone one city. At the end, she had gotten itchy feet, though. There was nothing keeping her there any longer.
Sitting down on the couch and slipping off her four-inch heels, she rested her feet on the coffee table, laid her head back and took a few deep breaths. Tax season was in full swing—probably not the wisest time to have made the move. Not that she had a say in the matter.
As sad as it was, she was grateful it was Friday night and she had no plans other than a nice soak in the new claw-foot tub in the master bath.
Months ago on a Friday night she would have rushed home, changed clothes quickly, then dashed out the door for a date. Regardless of a twelve-hour day, let alone a seventy-hour week.
Things had changed though. It wasn’t like there were that many places to go on a Friday night in Saratoga. At least nothing like she was used to. She was looking forward to life in the slow lane. The change would be a good one.
She stood up to make her way toward her waiting bath, hearing the bubbles calling her name, when her phone went off on the coffee table. It was only a reminder alert. Everything in her life was planned and organized just so. It had to be. She was way too busy with work and too fearful of forgetting an important meeting.
Too many people in her life had seen the blonde hair and green eyes, the curvy body and flirtatious manner, and labeled her as an airhead. Little did they know she had graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Stanford University. She never broadcasted it. She didn’t need to. But it also meant she had to work harder to get where she was.
Picking up her phone, she saw the reminder that at ten tomorrow morning the landlord was coming over to see if everything was fine and to show her around the place more.
Sophia didn’t need to waste her time with that. She had already found everything she needed in the house. But it would be nice to meet with the landlord and get to know him in person in case she had any problems with the house. Not that she expected any. The place was pretty much brand new.
***
“Don’t forget about the new tenant inspections tomorrow,” Mary called out to no one in particular.
Alec Harper looked at his twin brother, Phil. “This one is yours.”
“Why me?” Phil complained. He hated dealing with the tenants. Hated dealing with people in general. He could do it and he did when he needed to. It was all part of his job. Of course, he would like it better if everyone just sent him emails on what they were looking for in their homes and he could design it and send it back.
Unfortunately it didn’t work that way. He had to meet with the clients one on one. Thankfully his brother was normally in the room with the clients, or at least had met with them in the first place.
Alec, being the contractor, would meet with most of their clients first, find out what work they wanted done and their timelines and such. Then once that was all agreed on, it would be up to Phil to draw the blueprints.
As kids, he and Alec loved building things. Alec could build about anything off the top of his head. He didn’t need a plan at all. He could see it in his mind and then create it.
But Phil loved to draw. He was the same as Alec, he saw it in his mind, but he had to put it on paper. He wanted to see the finished product in front of him all at once. Not in stages like construction.
They made a great team and worked well together. Except neither one of them really liked meeting with the clients. They both wanted to just do what they excelled at.
Over time they’d made a name for themselves. Alec bought out the construction firm that he worked at during his summer breaks, and once Phil graduated from college and received his architect license, he bought into the firm.
They carried on the business of the previous owners—home remodels, flips and new construction. But little by little, Phil felt a pull to the commercial side of real estate. So even though they didn’t do the actual construction on commercial builds, Phil made a name for himself with his designs and worked on those projects on the side.
The same with Alec buying homes and flipping them. They each had side projects and it worked well for them.
But years ago they decided to start a small subsidiary—rental property. Together they would find a house, remodel it and keep it for rental income. They currently owned over twenty properties and their workloads were piling up. Almost to the point of being unmanageable.
That didn’t even include the development deal that Alec managed to secure months ago. In the next month, they would be breaking ground on the eighty acres of land they purchased and would start construction on the first ten homes. Phil was buried in work right now with the plans for that on top of everything else they had going on.
He really shouldn’t complain. Alec had it worse. It took longer to build the houses than it did for Phil to design them. That is, if the homeowners didn’t keep changing their minds.
“Because I had to deal with the Clemsons today, and that’s enough to give me a free pass for a week.”
“Please tell me they don’t want another change,” Phil said, groaning. There were ten different basic house plans to choose from in the hundred-lot development. Once the homeowners chose the style house they wanted, Phil would sit down with them and draw up the specifics. If they wanted rooms bigger or smaller, the layout of the kitchen, a finished basement, and so on.
“No. No plan changes. Just countertop changes. Again. She’s changed her mind three times now. I told her next week is it. I have to place the orders.”
“At least you hadn’t started building yet when she made the change.”
Alec cringed. “Don’t jinx it. Anyway, since I had to deal with them today, you get the tenant reviews this weekend.”
Phil sighed and turned to Mary. “How many of them need to be done?”
“Only three,” she said. “I’ll email you the properties and times right now, and then I’m out of here for the weekend.”
Alec walked over and slapped him on the back. “I’m out of here, too. I’m going home and putting my feet up and grabbing a beer. Lock up the office when you’re done.”
Phil watched his brother and the office manager leave. The rest of the office st
aff had left about thirty minutes ago. He should leave too, but he wanted to finish up the last few stages on the commercial building he was doing for a technology company moving into the area.
Opening his email first, he scanned the properties. Thankfully they were all in town. Then his eyes landed on one in particular, a new tenant he’d been more than happy to take on, and he realized his weekend had just improved. Sophia better be ready for him.
Never Forget
The doorbell rang at exactly ten the next morning. Sophia jumped up and opened the door. She stood rooted to the spot as she stared at Phil Harper, who looked sexy as hell in faded jeans and a button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms and a small folder in his large hand. Oh those hands, she remembered them fondly.
Pushing her anxiety away, she reminded herself she just didn’t have time for him today. “What are you doing here, Phil?”
He raised his eyebrow at her terse question but held his tongue. He’d never been much of a talker. Always sweet and friendly. He even had a dry sense of humor, unlike Alec who was more jovial. “I’m sorry, I’m busy right now,” she rushed out. She wanted him gone. She was finally getting herself under control again where he was concerned. She didn’t need him to throw her off balance. “The landlord is on his way to show me around the house.”
He pushed his way past her with a small smile forming. That slow sexy smile of his sent tingling waves crashing through her body. When he stopped a few feet into her living room, she looked down to see him extending the folder toward her. “The landlord is here.”
Her jaw dropped, and then she snapped it shut. “What? I read the lease. I know who my landlord is. Nowhere did it say Harper Construction on it.” Turning briskly, she left him standing in the living room, marched to her office, pulled open the drawer, grabbed the file, then marched back out. No way would she have rented a house from Phil.
Stopping in front of him, she flipped to the second page, found the company and froze. “APH Real Estate,” he said, a trace of humor in his voice, before she could finish reading.
Face flushed, she looked into his gorgeous sparkling brown eyes and didn’t find anything funny about this situation at all. Now she knew how Kaitlin managed this rental as fast as she did. Kicking herself, she wished she’d asked more questions. Kaitlin never volunteered it was her brothers’ property. It really wasn’t important, at least in Kaitlin’s eyes.
Sophia had read the lease through word for word before she signed it. Only she never bothered to look into the landlord. Why would she? She trusted Kaitlin and everything looked good.
Nothing to do about it now. It wasn’t like she would have a lot of dealings with him. The house was newly remodeled. She couldn’t imagine anything going wrong. Besides, she couldn’t avoid him forever, even if she wanted to. Which she really didn’t. But right at this moment, she wasn’t prepared for him. Or where to go from here. She needed another plan and hadn’t even tried to come up with one. “Very well. Let’s get this over with.”
He chuckled at her disgruntled tone. He had her cornered and she knew it. She could get through it though. How hard would it be to walk around the house with him? Only he looked too sexy for her own good, smelling just like she remembered. Fresh, clean and a touch of male under it all.
Ten minutes, twenty tops, then he would be gone.
***
Phil hadn’t missed the look in her eyes. She was annoyed with a trace of embarrassment over not realizing whom she rented the house from.
Not that he minded in the least. The minute she turned her back, he grinned wide. He was smart enough to not let her see how humorous he found the whole situation.
She was downright stunning. Dressed in jeans, a cotton shirt and barefoot, she was the right amount of sexy-casual. It was a good look on her. One he hadn’t seen before. She was always so well put together. He couldn’t remember if he had ever seen her in jeans before.
He remembered their first meeting over five years ago. He and Alec were visiting Kaitlin in Manhattan—checking up on her, actually—but visiting just the same.
After losing the coin toss with Alec, he had to run out and get breakfast. He had stepped outside of Kaitlin’s door when Sophia walked out of hers. They’d met face-to-face, both startled, then froze. Even on a Saturday morning she was dressed immaculately in tailored pants, a bright sweater and heels, not a hair out of place.
She’d gathered herself, let out a little chuckle and opened her mouth to speak the same moment that Kaitlin opened the door. Seeing the two of them there, Kaitlin made the introductions, and then Phil nodded and hurried off.
The brisk walk for breakfast was exactly what he needed after running head-on into such a beauty. It didn’t matter that she was the complete opposite of him and his usual taste in women.
He was laid-back, more comfortable in jeans or cargo pants and a button-down shirt. He owned a few suits, mainly for weddings and funerals. Otherwise he was simple and low-maintenance.
Sophia looked anything but low-maintenance, and it didn’t bother him one bit. On top of that, he had seen her look of mutual attraction. That slow assessing look of hers, starting at his feet and traveling all the way to his eyes. Staying there a fraction longer than necessary.
Yes, he saw the attraction, and felt it just as hard. Unfortunately, he’d had a girlfriend at the time. One that he enjoyed being with. Someone who was more his style, more his type, and closer to home. They were compatible and got along well. So he’d pushed those thoughts of attraction away from his head and went back home to Linda.
The same as he’d tried to do every time he saw Sophia over the years. Only it kept getting harder. The more he was around her, the more he liked her. The more he liked her, the more he wanted to see her. Whenever they crossed paths his day turned brighter than the moment before.
It made no sense to him, none at all. They had nothing in common—other than an attraction. And attraction wasn’t enough to make a relationship. At least it wasn’t in his eyes.
Except he’d never been able to convince himself of that.
Slowly as the years went by, his attraction turned to something more. He wasn’t sure what. He wouldn’t call it love. No way could he say that. They’d never spent enough time together to discover feelings that deep. But whenever he saw her his heart raced, his pulse throbbed and he tried to find any excuse he could to talk with her. Be around her.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he opened the folder that Sophia had yet to take from him. “Here is all the pertinent information you need. On this side is the contact information if you have any problems with plumbing, electricity, and things like that.” He pulled out another sheet in the back. “This has after-hours contact information for our head contractor should something happen at night or on the weekend.”
She grabbed for the folder and started to search the numbers on the list. “I see Alec’s number on here and not yours. I guess there aren’t too many emergencies that require a computer or pencil.”
He saw the humor in her eyes and heard the light teasing, a moment before she realized she’d relaxed enough to slip into their old routine. Then all too soon, she put a mask of annoyance back on. “True.” He pulled the pen off the top of the folder where it was clipped and added his number to the list. “My direct line at the office in case you have a different type of emergency.”
Her green eyes rose and met his, sizzling with emotion, before she extinguished it. “I’m sure I can take care of myself.”
She didn’t mean that the way he thought, did she? No, she couldn’t have. Either way, his pulse kicked up another notch. He cleared his throat. “You’ve got the number now, anyway, not to mention my personal number.” He reached for the folder and pulled out a few other pieces of paper from the opposite side. “This is all the information for the appliances in the house. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
“I’m sure I can figure out the appliances just fine.
I’m smarter than I look. I haven’t broken or burned anything down in the last few days.”
“Oh, I know you’re smarter than you look.” She seemed surprised by his compliment, but it was true. He’d always thought she was intelligent. He didn’t understand why she always got defensive when someone made a comment about it.
Pulling the folder back toward her and out of his hands, she walked over and placed it on the table, then turned to face him. “Is there anything else you need to show me?”
He bit back the answer that popped into his mind on the loaded question. She had been avoiding him for months. He wasn’t going to stalk or chase her. But he wasn’t giving up either. He had waited over five years for her. He could wait a little longer. “You won’t really have a need for the furnace now with spring here, but I’ll show you how to work the central air. Well, program it really. But the information is also in the folder. I like to walk everyone through it, though.”
She nodded her head and walked toward the thermostat, flipped down the lid and then promptly programmed it right in front of him. “It’s not that hard to figure out,” she said with her lips twitching.
“You would be surprised how many people can’t figure little things like that out,” he said, impressed.
“Anything else?”
“No, I think we covered everything. There is no need to show you the alarm system. You’ve been here almost a week without setting it off,” he said, trying to tease a snort out of her.
“True enough. I do appreciate the system. I know this area is more secure than most, but it does feel safer having it. Do all your properties have them?”
“Some, but not all.” He wasn’t about to tell her that he’d had it installed the minute she signed the lease. This was only the third of their houses that had an alarm system. The other two were installed by the request of the tenants and at their cost for coverage. It wasn’t the norm to have them installed. “The security company’s number is also in the folder, along with police and fire.”