Wrapped in You (The Monroes 1)

Liam laughed. “Honestly, with those two, knowing it’s for women only, I think that’s their draw.”

Sophie didn’t like the stab of jealousy that speared through her at the mention of Zach’s interest in other women. She knew he didn’t date much, knew he kept to himself. But he was a man, and there wasn’t a woman around that could deny his sex appeal. Between the beard, the broad, muscular frame, and his brooding attitude, he screamed alpha, and Sophie knew she was completely out of her element to even think they were on the same level.

Still, that didn’t stop a girl from desiring everything she shouldn’t.

“Are you telling me you want in on the project?” she asked, circling back to the real reason he called.

Liam blew out a sigh. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t want to put you in the middle, but I just needed to know what was going on.”

“You could move back,” she told him softly. “You could still work there, but live here with us.”

“I’m only thirty minutes away. Savannah isn’t that far.”

Far enough when there was already a world of emotions wedged between the members of his family.

“So what do you want me to do?” she asked, glancing at her e-mails. None that couldn’t wait until after the open house. “Do you want me to keep you updated, or do you want me to try to talk you into jumping on board?”

Liam’s gentle laugh filled the line. “I have no idea. I guess I just don’t want to be out of the loop. I’ve already lost Chelsea. I don’t want to feel like my entire family is slipping away.”

Sophie’s heart broke for Liam. He’d distanced himself from Zach after the accident, but Sophie knew Liam would never have left to begin with if he and Zach had been able to get out their anger and resentment toward each other. But once Zach had gone to prison, Liam hadn’t tried to visit. Each brother had let the hurt fester, and now here they were, ten years later, and all of that pain was just bubbling below the surface.

One day, they were going to blow.

“Maybe if you could keep me updated. Just let me know the costs and where the guys stand? I’m not giving input,” he informed her. “I don’t want to weigh in on this, but if I decide to jump on board later, and that’s a big if, I don’t want to be going in blind.”

Sophie smiled. Liam wouldn’t be able to stay away. He’d want to be part of this, he’d want this as an outlet to feel closer to Chelsea, but he had to figure that out on his own. Every man wanted his ideas to be his own, so Sophie would let him draw his own conclusions.

Perhaps this would be the thread that sewed this broken family back together.

“I promise to keep you updated,” she assured him.

Perhaps some persuasion would accompany her updates when she checked in.

Sophie and Liam said their good-byes, and as much as

Sophie tried to concentrate on digging into work, she couldn’t get her mind off of the Sunset Lake property. Chelsea had had a vision, one that meant so much to her that she’d taken time to plan this out, to hold it close to her heart and not share it with those closest to her.

Chelsea had purchased the property she’d loved since she was a little girl. She’d always joked that she’d own it one day, but Sophie always played it off as a little girl’s dream . . . She knew all too well how those dreams could be crushed in an instant.

Refusing to allow that one life-altering night to ruin her day or the current dream she was fulfilling for a friend, Sophie opted to focus on what needed to be done to help Zach and Braxton with the property now. She might not be able to do much grunt work, but she would definitely be with them through 100 percent of this journey.

Sophie glanced at the time on her cell and calculated how long it would take her to run a last-minute errand before the open house in a couple of hours. She liked to arrive early at the homes to make sure the staging was properly set up before potential buyers strolled through.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she shut her computer off, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door. She wasn’t going to hide behind the awkward tension between her and Zach. This project was a huge undertaking and they were all in this for the long haul.

As she drove toward his house, she wondered just how well she’d be received, showing up so unexpectedly.

Chapter Eight

The bright afternoon sun kept Sophie’s spirits high during her drive to Zach’s house. A beautiful day usually helped to draw more people out to an open house, plus Sophie needed that extra boost of sunshine from Mother Nature. Anything to keep her mood high as she tried to tamp down the nerves.

Why was she so nervous? Was she afraid of facing Zach’s grumpy attitude? That wouldn’t be new. Was she worried he’d look at her with that angst-filled desire? Also not new. He might not even be home, and she’d been getting worked up for nothing.

Sophie’s confidence level and her mood plummeted as she pulled into his drive and spotted a very leggy, busty blonde in killer heels strutting back across the lawn to the house next door.

The blonde threw a look over her shoulder, a smile on the woman’s blood-red lips, toward Sophie.

Sophie couldn’t put her feelings into words, because if she sat there and analyzed them too much, she’d be hurt. She had no claim on Zach. They’d shared a kiss. No, two kisses. But that was all. He’d made it clear there could be nothing else.