“Sounds like a plan. We probably need to talk about the fraternization rules at work before somebody sues you.”
“Not a problem. We’ll keep it cool in the office.”
“Doesn’t matter. Anybody finds out you two are dating, you’re liable. People can claim you’re partial. If she gets a promotion, a better office, a bonus, and she’s screwing the boss, it looks bad. You don’t want to mess up her career, man.” Before Zeke could answer, or even think of a retort, Gabe turned to Nat. “How’s your life?”
“Glad you didn’t ask how my love life was. I, unlike our big brother here, might as well join the priesthood. Where are all the good women these days?” Zeke was glad for a change of subject.
“Rainy’s new waitress had your full attention the other day,” he said.
“Yeah, well, she’s not interested.”
“You asked her out?” Gabe wanted to know.
“Nope, I tried to chat her up the other day, and she let me know, in no uncertain terms, that she is not on the market. She has a kid, apparently, and only wants to be a single mom. What’s a guy got to do? Join her book club?”
“Might work, if you knew how to read,” Zeke said.
“Funny.”
The subject of their conversation came through the doors from the kitchen, and all three heads turned toward her. Luckily, her attention was on the tray of food she held over her shoulder. Her table was on the opposite side of the café. She didn’t notice the three men staring at her, or at least, they didn’t think she did.
“I hear she’s moonlighting at Bart’s Bar,” Gabe said. “Maybe we need to have a brother’s night out this weekend. Show her what she’s missing.”
“I’ve got plans,” Zeke said. It had been a long time since he’d passed up a night of drinking and pool with his brothers for a chance to spend time with a woman, something he and Darlene had discussed ad nauseum before she left him.
“What kind of plans?” Nat asked as he finished the last of his burger.
“Just plans. Nothing you’d be interested in.”
“Sounds like a girl,” Gabe said. “You’re in deep.”
“Boat.” Zeke lied to throw them off.
“Yeah, right. And I’m Santa Claus with a bag full of presents for you, since you’ve been so good all year and never told your brothers a lie,” Nat said with a laugh.
“Just park in the back, dude. I’m serious about this. The company can only do so much. You need to help me help you.”
“What part of boat did you two not get?”
“The part where your lip twisted up on the left side of your face. It’s been your tell since you were five.”
“I hate you both.”
“Uh-huh,” they said together.
Rainy stopped by the booth, effectively putting an end to the back and forth, at least for as long as she stood beside them.
“Anything else?” she asked. Zeke noticed that her eyes were only on Gabe, even as Nat vied for her attention.
“Another round,” Nat said. He pointed around the table at the empty beer bottles.
“You buying?” Zeke asked.
“It’s your turn,” Nat answered.
“Sheesh.” Zeke nodded his head to let Rainy know he was game. She walked away, grinning. Zeke could understand what his brother saw in her. The woman had moves, but she was nothing compared to Sophie. He shook his head slightly to clear his mind of her. He needed the night off.
##
Sophie left her parents’ house with half a pie and a large portion of her mother’s meatloaf. She’d been able to avoid all talk of her personal life after she cornered Sean and threatened him within an inch of his life if he brought it up. Her dad was interested in eating fast and watching the ball game. Her mom played twenty questions with Sean since he was there without his fiancé.
Sophie’s refrigerator was empty, so the leftovers were welcomed. She looked forward to sharing them with Zeke the next evening. She smiled, thinking of how he had looked in her apron. Zeke’s ringtone rang out in the other room. She ran to pick up.
“How was family time?” he asked.
“Good. How was yours?” She sat on the couch and kicked her feet up onto the coffee table.
“Good.”
“Care to elaborate?” She slid her shoes off and wiggled her toes, feeling relief immediately.
“Just normal brother time. Joking around at Rainy’s as usual.”
“You guys. Some things never change. How’s Nat?” Since she’d been seeing Zeke, she found that she was interested in his brothers’ lives for the first time in years. Nat was several years younger, so she didn’t know him that well.
“He’s thinking about boarding animals.”
“Sounds great. There’s a demand for that these days. Sean boards his dog when he travels, and he has to drive across town to do it. He’d be one of Nat’s first customers. Nat did wonders with training my parents’ dog, Storm. Mom allows him in the house these days, and that’s saying a lot. He was an outdoor dog when Pops insisted that they adopt him.”
“What are you wearing?” Zeke’s change of subject took her by surprise. Although he couldn’t see her, she turned bright red. She looked down at her slacks, silk blouse, and jacket she’d worn to work and dinner.
“Nothing. Under my clothes,” Sophie said with a tease in her voice.
“I’ll be right over,” he said.
“Don’t you dare. I can barely walk as it is. You stay home, big boy.” She loved the fact that he wanted to rush over to her at the slightest provocation. She wished this could last, but knew better. She told herself to be cool. She’d worry about heartache another day.
“We could have phone sex.”
“Zeke!”
“Just saying.” She could tell he was smiling, and it made her smile right back. Who knew a Hart could be so much fun?
“Yeah, well, get your mind out of the gutter. I’ve got to get ready for bed.”
“Ooh, I could help with that.” His tone was playful, but she thought he’d jump in his truck if she said yes.
“Not tonight. But I have left-overs from Mom for tomorrow if you want to come over after work.” She reached for the remote and powered on the television. It was time for the weather, and she always watched. She hit mute, so he wouldn’t know she was dividing her attention.
“Sounds great. Do you want me to pick up one of those bags of salad. You know, the kind with everything you need?”
“That would be good because I have nothing to go with the meatloaf.” The news was ending, so she put the captions on. She needed to plan what to wear to work, and it would depend on whether there was rain in the forecast.
“We have a plan. I’ll see you in the morning. Gabe says we can’t make out in the office, or I could get sued.”
“Damn. That brother of yours is no fun.”
“I know! See you,” and he was gone. She sighed. Were they that obvious? She’d better rein herself in. She switched the sound on and forgot about lawyers for the night.
Chapter Twenty
Zeke’s phone was ringing when he walked into the office Friday morning. He slipped out of his jacket and tossed it onto an empty chair while reaching for the receiver.
“Zeke Hart.”
“Mr. Hart, I have Mr. Walsh on the line for you. Will you take the call?” It was a female voice, but she didn’t bother to introduce herself. Zeke frowned at the formality. Walsh Industries was big, and the CEO was a busy man, but this was taking it a little too far. He thought Walsh was forty years behind the eight ball.
“Yes.” He sat and booted up the computer while she transferred the call to her boss.
“Hart. Walsh here.” Like he hadn’t already had his assistant announce him. Zeke rolled his eyes. Some days, fishing looked better and better.
“What can I do for you?” He hid his frustration with the older man’s ways.
“You can tell me what the hell is going on down there. I thought we h
ad a deal.” The man was thundering into the phone.
“We do. What makes you think we don’t?”
“You don’t watch the news, boy? Read the paper? I hear they have them on that web thing you young people are so tuned into these days.” Zeke scrambled to pull up the local online rag.
“I’m looking now. Care to fill me in while it’s coming up?”
“The property. It seems Walmart plans to build on the same acres as we had in mind. I can’t fight the likes of Sam Walton’s company. You had to know this was coming. I can’t say how disappointed I am. This squirrels the deal, as far as I’m concerned.”
Zeke located the news article and scanned it while Walsh yelled in his ear. It was true. How had this happened? The council had to know about it. Why the hell hadn’t they told him when he’d talked to them about property tax breaks and zoning? His mind raced as Walsh ranted.
“Mr. Walsh. Let me assure you; this is news to me. I am as disappointed as you. If you give me a little time, I’m sure I can get to the bottom of this.” He was scrambling for anything to save the deal.
“You better, son. I’ve got other offers. Good offers.”
“Yes, sir. I understand the severity. I’ll be back with you as soon as possible.”
“I expect to hear from you or that lawyer brother of yours by this afternoon, or I’m taking my business elsewhere. Your little town is not the only one vying for Walsh Industries. Don’t waste my time.” The man hung up with a bang in Zeke’s ear.
He sat back in his seat and blew a raspberry. He hesitated less than a minute before grabbing his jacket and hot-footing it up to his brother’s office. By ten o’clock, they had a plan. Another property had come on the market recently, and the location would be great for Walsh’s needs. Zeke planned to have words with the city councilmen he’d talked to earlier, but not until he struck another deal on the new property. He was in the city hall building by noon and had Walsh on the phone by one. When all was said and done, he was proud of his ability to act swiftly. As he sat in his office with a sense of pride, Sophie stepped in. She did not look happy.
“Did you see the news about Walmart?” she asked as she sat across from him in her tailored suit and impossibly high heels.
“Uh. Yeah. I dealt with it.”
“What do you mean?” she sat forward, and he noticed two lines formed between her brows when she got that questioning look on her face.
“Well, let’s see. Walsh called, mad as an old wet hen, screaming and ranting about taking his business elsewhere. Gabe and I put our heads together and talked to Barry. Acreage south of town off Interstate 45 just came on the market, so I went to city hall and made sure we could get the same deal as before on the property taxes and licenses. Walsh has his guys looking into it. He seems calm now. I think it’s all good.”
She exploded, taking him completely by surprise.
“Did you even think of letting me know what was going on? How dare you?” She didn’t wait for an answer, simply stormed out of his office. He watched in amazement as she purposefully slammed his door with all her might. He could hear her heels clicking down the hall. She was running. He got up and caught sight of her, turning for the stairs. He scratched his head.
“Damn. I guess I didn’t handle that as well as I thought.” Besides, how many times had he lost his temper over the years. One of his best ways of diffusing his anger was to walk away and give himself time and space to think. He didn’t go after her. She’d cool off, and they’d talk calmly about it later. He went back to his office and phoned in a sandwich order. He’d worked hard all morning and didn’t have the desire to go out for a late lunch by himself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Storm clouds gathered above the dull gray horizon as Sophie pushed through the doors and ran to her car. Tears threatened to fall before the first raindrops, so she blinked rapidly and focused on her anger.
How dare he 'fix' everything without consulting her. She'd believed they were forming a team, and not only at work. She'd let herself think there might be a future for her with Ezekiel Ray Hart. What a fool she considered herself now. She backed out of the parking lot and pushed the gas pedal to the floorboard. Her tires screeched and left marks on the pavement.
Good, she thought, they'll match the marks left on my heart. Hart, I should've known better. How did I let myself fall so hard? She shifted gears and entered the freeway ramp at speed. An eighteen-wheeler roared by, swamping her Mini-Cooper in its wake. She gripped the steering wheel tighter and swore under her breath. He's been using me all along. He never thought I had it in me to close the deal and used the first opportunity that presented itself to prove it.
"Where am I going?" she said out loud. She had no plan, no destination in mind. She was running from her own demons. She'd instinctively pointed her car in the direction of the lake and the vicinity of Zeke's dream cabin. She'd opened her heart to him. Why had she done that? His slow kisses and sexy bedroom eyes had hypnotized her, convinced her that she could trust him.
The storm followed her. Windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the torrent. She pulled onto the shoulder of the road under an overpass and waited out the rain. She was upset, mad as hell, but she had no death wish. She wanted to live, to prove her worth to the likes of Zeke Hart, and she would do it. She just had to get her head together first. Her phone rang out with Rainy's ringtone.
"Where are you? I saw you drive past the café going at least eighty miles per hour. You know there's a school nearby. You didn't hit anyone, did you?" Rainy had always been a worrier. She worried about her family, her friends, her café, her employees, her animals. There was no end to what she could find to worry about.
"I'm riding out the rain under an overpass. The storm is incredible. My car hydroplaned, so I pulled over. I'm not stupid, you know, but thanks for worrying."
"What are you doing out on the road in the middle of the day?" Rainy's voice was breaking up.
"Had to get away from the office. The Harts have struck again. I should've known better than to trust Zeke." She slapped her hand on the steering wheel and hit the horn. She felt like a fool when the sudden sound made her jump.
"What did he do?"
"It's a long story. Cell reception is bad here. Can I call you later?" The rain was letting up, so she thought it was safe to drive again. Having stopped, she realized she had nowhere to go. Was she going to drive around looking for Zeke's cabin while feeling sorry for herself all day? Or maybe she'd find the place. She could break a window and sleep in his bed like Goldilocks. She could even eat oatmeal and call it porridge. She snorted and shook her head at the silly idea.
"Come by the café. I'll make you the best latte you've ever had, and you can talk it out with me. We'll sit in the back corner booth, no one will hear. I'd meet you at your house, but I can't leave. It's crazy busy."
"That's nice, but I'll be all right. I think I'll go home. I need to regroup. What was I thinking? You can't trust the Harts."
"You were thinking with your heart. I'll bet those Hart boys are awesome at kissing. I've often wondered. You at least can share the juicy parts with me. How about I come over after the rush hour? Unless you're going back to the office?"
"I may never go back there. Pops was right. I should've listened to him and got a job for any firm other than one owned by the Harts. I'll never meet my goals in an organization that puts family before talent. I'm an idiot." She pulled onto the freeway when an opening became available and took the first exit that would allow her to turn back toward town. The roads were wet, and her wipers had a tough time keeping the windshield clear, but the worst of the rain had let up.
"Don't make a hasty decision when you're upset. We'll talk later. I need to go. Are you sure you're safe out there?" Rainy's anxiety was palpable. Sophie had to calm down to convince her friend to stop worrying. The simple act of calming her voice helped her.
"I'm glad you called. I'll be home all afternoon. I promise I won't quit until we've tal
ked. Now go get your work done. I've taken up enough of your time." Her phone was indicating another call coming in. She couldn't tell who it was until she disengaged from Rainy.
"Bye, honey. We'll talk later." Rainy hung up, and Sophie's other caller had hung up too. She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and shifted gears.
##
Zeke began to worry when Sophie wasn't back by three o'clock. He'd called and left a message after she stormed out, but she hadn't responded. He pushed his chair back and paced his office like a caged animal. What had she been so upset about? Couldn't a man handle a simple bump in the road without asking permission? Did she think she had to control every aspect of life? He walked to the window and stared out at the river. The banks glistened in the sunshine. The storm had washed away the dust, and the greens were greener, the yellow flowers waved in the wind, a fish jumped. Probably a carp. He stuck his hands in his pockets and wondered what to do. He'd be damned if he'd call her again. He wouldn't run after her or any woman like a kicked puppy. She could get over herself.
He sat down. Concentrating on work was impossible. He stood and yanked his coat off the chair as he walked out of the office.
"I'll be out the rest of the day," he said to Janice as he passed her desk. She nodded, but he was already gone. He drove straight to Sophie's house. Her car was in the back. He skidded to a sideways stop in the front and jumped out of the truck.
"Open up. I know you are home," he yelled as he pounded on her door. She was going to talk to him. He was tired of women driving away without a word. Grant it, he'd done the same thing many times, but now that he knew how it felt, he could see the error of his ways.
"Go away." She sounded angry, but he wasn't going anywhere.
"Open the damned door before I break it in." He crossed his arms and snorted like a mad bull. She'd really done it this time. He wasn't taking no for an answer.
He saw movement at the window, heard the latch. And then Sophie was standing in front of him looking for all the world like an avenging angel. Her blond hair was mussed, she had a hand on a hip and one on the door. Her eyes were puffy. Had she been crying? She wore a frayed tee-shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans frighteningly like the ones he'd imagined in his fantasies. Her feet were bare. Her toenails were bright orange. He wanted to remove those shorts to see if her panties matched the color. She wore no bra. She was spectacular. He'd never wanted a woman more, and she wanted nothing to do with him.
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