Wrapped in You (13 page)

Car lights cut through the darkness and slowly turned into her drive. Taking a sip, Sophie went to unlock her front door. She wasn't nervous about breaking things off. There was no love, nothing that indicated she wanted a future with a man who put work above her. Besides, there were no sparks. Kissing him was just . . . a kiss.

Kissing Zach was an experience. An experience she didn't have time to focus on right now.

Before Martin could knock, Sophie had gone to the foyer and opened the door just as he mounted the steps. Gripping the edge of the door in one hand and her wineglass in the other, Sophie offered a smile.

“Thanks for coming by,” she told him, feeling rather silly trying for small talk.

“Is everything okay? You sounded different earlier.” Martin stood just inside the threshold, but shifted as Sophie started to close the door. “I couldn't get here any earlier, but I've been worried about you all evening.”

Which meant he'd actually thought about her during a business meeting. That would be a first.

“Why don't you come in and sit down,” she suggested.

Before she could walk away, Martin stepped to the side, blocking her path. “Just tell me what's wrong.”

Holding on to her glass with both hands now, Sophie tipped her chin up and looked into Martin's worried eyes. She wanted to feel a connection, a spark . . . something to show her that these last six months had led them somewhere, but the longer she stared, the more she realized she'd been with Martin for the wrong reasons. She'd been with him for security and comfort. At first she'd been attracted to him, and they'd been on friendly terms. He'd asked her out and she'd been excited, but the longer they were together, the less he made her a priority.

Not that she was a needy female, but she would like to come before every other thing in a man's life.

“Martin, I think we need a break.”

There. She said it. Sophie held her breath as she waited on his reaction. She didn't need to wait long.

“I was waiting for this,” he said, shaking his head with a soft chuckle that held no humor whatsoever. “I knew once you started getting cozy with Zach over this project—”

“No.” Sophie held up her hand. “Zach has nothing to do with this.”

Seriously, he didn't. She'd been having doubts about Martin and her for a while, but kissing Zach just confirmed that she had no feelings for Martin anymore.

“I just need to concentrate on some other things in my life now, and to be honest, I don't feel like you're putting a lot into this relationship.”

She wanted to cringe as those last words left her lips, but she wasn't sorry she said them. He deserved to know the truth about how she felt.

“So you're blaming me?” he asked, propping his hands on his hips. “I'm the one who rescheduled everything so I could take you out of town. You're the one who canceled after you spent some time with those Monroe brothers. You never will break away from them, will you? You'd think after that accident . . .”

Martin trailed off, muttering a curse beneath his breath. “You know what? Fine. If you want to move on with a guy who doesn't deserve your loyalty, then you two deserve each other.”

Sophie didn't have time to say much else as Martin stormed out of her house, leaving her front door wide open. Warm evening air filled the foyer. Sounds from the neighbors filtered in. A car door slamming, kids screaming and playing, laughter. Life around her continued to go on as she stood there wondering how this breakup had turned on her, leaving her feeling guilty and like a terrible person.

On a sigh, Sophie closed the door and locked it. After setting her alarm for the night, she took her glass to the kitchen and finished off the wine, placing her glass in the sink. She wasn't quite ready for bed, though it was getting late. No way could she sleep now, not when Martin's parting shot still resounded in her head.

Sophie truly didn't want to think that her breaking things off with Martin had anything to do with Zach, but she was lying to herself. The breakup with Martin would've inevitably come, but since Zach had been part of her life more recently, the split just came a bit sooner.

And mixed in with the guilt also came relief. She didn't want to keep stringing Martin along, not when her heart wasn't in their relationship. Anything between them had fizzled out long before Zach's lips touched hers.

Still, she should've known, the moment she realized she'd never sleep with Martin, that he needed to be out of her life. She'd only been with two men in her life. Partly because of her scars from the accident, partly because she just didn't feel a connection to many people. Intimacy wasn't something she took lightly, but if she couldn't be with someone that way, then she didn't need to waste time dating him.

Sophie turned off the lights in the house and headed to her bedroom. She wanted to look through those binders Zach had left on her porch. She'd come home earlier and there they were on her porch swing. No note, nothing but the binders. Stupid jerk couldn't even leave a note.

What would he say if he did write something?
Sorry I'm a jerk. I've been this way since you've known me. Here are the binders.

But seriously, what did she expect? Zach was a man of few words when they were face-to-face. Did she honestly figure he'd pen something on a Post-it note?

The fact that Zach took up so much of her head space was ridiculous. If he wanted to ignore the obvious attraction between them, then Martin was right that Zach didn't deserve her.

After changing into her silky tank and matching tap pants, she sat down on the cushioned, floral seat at the corner desk. Since sleep wouldn't be coming for a while, she wanted to look through Chelsea's ideas and really get a good feel for the overall theme, then dissect each room in her head to figure out the best plan of attack.

The more she flipped through and studied pictures and small notes written in Chelsea's elegant hand, the more excited Sophie became. So excited, she pulled out her sketchbook and started outlining the foyer and sketching in a chandelier, cushioned bench seating, and a large circular table with a vast floral arrangement adorning the center.

These sketches were going to keep her sane. She'd used her pencil art to concentrate on healing after the accident. Now she would use it to keep her mind on the project, and not on the man in charge.

Already a hell of a day and it wasn't even lunchtime.

Zach pulled his work truck into a parking spot right in front of Knobs & Knockers. He could've had Macy bring him the supplies when she closed for the day, but he needed to speak with her anyway, and he needed a break from that damn pipe in the main floor bathroom of the Sunset Lake house before he threw a stick of dynamite in there and called it a day.

But if he wanted to sell his home and stay at the mansion while fixing it up, he preferred the bathroom renovated . . . or at least in working order.

First, though, he had to talk to Liam. And wouldn't that be a fun time on top of all the other bundles of excitement he'd already experienced?

Yanking on the door to the hardware store, Zach stepped inside as the bell chimed over his head.

Wearing her signature plaid shirt and dark hair in a ponytail, Macy greeted him with a smile.

“Hey, Zach.” Her smile quickly died on her face. “Oh no. Whatever the project is, you don't look happy. It's the Sunset Lake property, isn't it?”

Sighing, Zach leaned onto the scarred wood counter. “I've just started. I swear it's trying to kill me, and Chelsea is somewhere laughing her ass off at my expense.”

Macy reached across the counter to pat his arm. “You know everything you're doing would make her happy, and that's all that matters.”

Zach grunted, though he knew Chelsea would love that her brothers were moving ahead with her dream. Well, two of the three. And that was all that was keeping him partway sane.

Rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, Zach shook his head. “I need some PVC pipe cut.”

Macy straightened, tipping her head to the side. “You look exhausted. What else is wrong?”

Zach couldn't prevent the sarcastic burst of laughter that slipped out. “I have puppies. They yip all night. I think they're in cahoots with Chelsea's spirit.”

Macy stared at him, her lips quivering. “Dogs?”

“If you laugh, I will bring the mom and her little fur balls and drop them off to you. Then we'll see who's laughing.”

She didn't hold back another second. Macy laughed so hard she ended up with tears running down her face. She waved a hand toward him.

“I'm sorry, Zach,” she said between fits of laughter. “I'm just trying to imagine you taking care of a litter of puppies.”

When the door chimed again, Zach glanced at the robust man with silver hair and dark eyes that matched Macy's.

“Maybe your dad will cut that pipe for me instead of laughing,” Zach muttered.

“I'll cut your pipe,” Macy told him as she wiped beneath her eyes. “Come on back and tell me what you need.”

Phil Hayward came around the counter and eyed his daughter. “Hassling the customers again?”

“Oh, it's just Zach.” Macy smiled up at her father. “He doesn't count.”

Zach wasn't offended in the least by her words or that he'd been the fodder for her laughter. Macy was one of the few people he was comfortable around. She was easy to talk to and joke with and he knew she felt the same or she wouldn't go out of her way to agitate him.

“If you're done mocking me, I'll meet you in the back.”

Macy gestured for him to go ahead. “After you, dog whisperer.”

Zach headed to the pipe area and searched through the sizes until he found the piece he'd need cut. When Macy came in beside him, he pointed to the pipe.

“I need a three-foot piece,” he told her. “And even though you nearly doubled over with laughter, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back with you about those house plans.”

Macy pulled the piece from the others stacked along the wall. “No worries. I know you're busy.”

“I'm not too busy for friends. Would you want to come over to the house Friday night and we can discuss this more in depth?”

Holding on to the pipe, Macy nodded, her ponytail shifting over her shoulder. “Sounds good. I'll close up at six and head on out. Is this the only piece you need?”

Once he finished giving her his entire order, because he really didn't want to have to make another trip, he waited for Macy to get it all together.

His cell vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he cringed when he saw the number. Martin's office. Fantastic.

Zach slid his finger across the screen and held the phone to his ear. “Zach Monroe.”

“Zach, this is Martin.”

Shoving a hand in his pocket, Zach leaned against the door frame leading into the room where Macy had gone. He waited for Martin to continue.

“I'm calling about your building permit.”

Words no contractor ever wanted to hear, let alone from the man who annoyed said contractor just because he breathed. From the tone of Martin's voice, Zach was already pissed.

“What about it?” Zach asked.

“The plans you submitted were not approved.”

Did he sound smug? Zach gripped his cell and gritted his teeth. “And why not?”

“The plans for the kitchen were not satisfactory in regards to the exhaust and how the electrical would be run.”

Zach cupped the back of his neck and dropped his head. There wasn't a doubt in Zach's mind that Martin was taking great delight in this moment. That suit-wearing jerk had never made it a secret he didn't like the Monroes. Not that Zach cared, but there was no way he would let this small-town politician ruin Chelsea's dream.

“What exactly is the problem?” Zach wanted details, not just a smug asshole telling him he couldn't do something. Although there was no doubt in Zach's mind there was nothing wrong with the plans, other than his name had been on them.

Martin went into some nonsense about the exhaust needing to be on the other exterior wall to free up the second exterior wall for the double ovens and stove. Because the house was so old, they felt it best to be routed differently.

Focusing on the bright yellow sale sign hanging above a display of lightbulbs, Zach replied, “Fine. I'll draw up new plans and have them for you by the end of the week. Is there anything else?”

Because once he drew up new plans, Zach didn't want Martin coming back and saying there was a problem with the bathroom or the steps or some other issue. Zach could see Martin being a pain in the ass during this entire project.

“Nothing regarding the house,” Martin told him. “But there is something I want to say.”

Macy came back through with the pipe. “I'll put it up at the counter,” she whispered as she passed through.

Zach nodded, then focused back on the sign. Whatever Martin was about to say was only going to make Zach even pissier. “And what's that?” he asked, eager to end the call.

“You may think you have some hold on Sophie, but I know you're just stringing her along.”

Zach jerked at the bold statement from the prick. “What?”

“Don't act like you don't know she broke things off with me,” Martin retorted. “I'm sure you were just waiting for this to happen. She's always been infatuated with your family, and I see how you look at her.”

Sophie broke things off with Martin? Good for her. Martin was an ass. And how had anyone seen how Zach looked at Sophie? He tried his hardest
not
to look at her.

This breakup was not good news for Zach. There went one of his best excuses for keeping his distance from her. She deserved better than Martin, but definitely better than anything Zach could offer.

“Whatever you and Sophie have going on is none of my business,” Zach told him, purposely sounding bored, as if he couldn't care less. “If that's all you have about the house, then we're finished. But I will tell you this: If you're jerking me around on this project because of your personal life, I suggest you rethink your strategy.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Zach laughed. “If I threaten you, you won't have to ask.”

He disconnected the call before he really did something that would cause problems down the road. Zach would love nothing more than to punch Martin in his smug face, but Braxton and Sophie would not approve. Added to that, Zach's business had an impeccable reputation, started by his father. No way would Zach tarnish it, not when his father was the main person to help Zach turn his life around and give him chance after chance at redemption.

Zach couldn't help but smile. Sophie had finally ended things with Martin. Smart girl, but what did this mean? He shouldn't care what she did with her spare time, her personal life, but damn it, he did. He couldn't push her away and still want to know what was going on in her life. He had no right to anything from her. Yet the fact she was free and single now, especially after they'd kissed and she'd admitted her attraction, would only complicate things further.

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Zach headed to pay for his supplies. He had a bathroom to tackle and new frustrations to get out. Between the new plans he had to draw up and the bomb about Sophie being single, Zach was ready to do some demolition.

* * *

Sophie rubbed her head. “Yes, Mom. I'm doing fine.”

She loved her mother, she truly did, but the woman hovered. No, hovered wasn't even the correct term. The woman controlled . . . or tried to, anyway.

“Martin and I just needed a break, and it's really for the best,” she repeated for what seemed like the fifth time in as many minutes.

“Why on earth would you end things with him?” her mother asked yet again, her tone even more shrill than the last four times. “He was perfect for you.”

No, he was perfect for her mother and the ideal family her mother wanted Sophie to have. Her mother was still in denial about Sophie's infertility, but that topic wasn't one she was getting into today. Of course, even if Sophie wanted to discuss it, her mother always blew it off as something a specialist could fix. Yet another area they argued about. Hard to fix what wasn't there.

“When are you and Daddy coming back?” Sophie asked.

“Changing the subject won't make it go away,” her mother stated.

“Martin and I are over, and I'd rather discuss your fabulous trip.”

Her parents were constantly taking trips, whether it be to an exotic country or an ocean cruise, they were always on the go. Sophie often wondered how she could be so different from her mother, because being home was all that mattered to Sophie. She had no desire to travel the globe.

“Oh, darling, I just had the best massage and facial.”

Sophie eased back in her office chair as her mother went on about the masseur and his magical hands. Sophie knew all she had to do was turn the topic back to her mother and Martin would be all but forgotten. Her mother was a bit of a narcissist, but at times like this the selfish manner came in handy.

Sophie printed out the forms for the property she'd just done an open house on. The first offer had come in and she needed all parties to sign the agreement before further steps could be taken.

“But, darling, I really must get off of here,” her mother told her. “Your father has scheduled a lunch for us at my favorite place, before we board the ship.”

Sophie said her good-byes and realized her mother never did tell her when they'd be home. The cruise was due to end in a week, but that didn't mean anything. Her parents were known for moving from one adventure to another without coming up for air.

Her cell chimed once again, this time lighting up Braxton's name.

She slid her finger across the screen. “Hey, Braxton.”

“Got a minute?”

Pulling the papers from the printer, Sophie placed them in a folder. “Sure. What's up?”

“Can you meet Zach and me at the new house? Apparently there was an issue with getting the building permit because of the kitchen layout and the electrical work with the exhaust.”

“Seriously?” Sophie eased back in her chair and shifted to relieve the pressure from her hip. “What could be the problem? Has he ever run into issues before?”

Zach might be grouchy, moody, and flat-out frustrating, but he was the epitome of professional when it came to his job. When his father had passed the business down to Zach, Zach had been so surprised at the amount of faith his father had invested in him, he'd thrown himself into the job. Sophie knew he took pride in the business his father had built up and he wouldn't do anything to tarnish his dad's reputation.

So the fact that the building permit had been declined was absurd and hard to believe. The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.

Dread slid through her. Surely Martin wasn't taking this breakup out on Zach and Braxton.

“Never, that I know of,” Braxton replied.

“Who told you guys of the problem?” she asked.

“Zach just said he received a call from the city office.”

Sophie had no doubt who'd placed that call, but she wasn't going to start stirring the pot, because if Zach and Martin talked, there was already trouble brewing.

“When do you want to meet?” she asked.

“Zach is working there now. I'm free whenever, so just tell me your schedule.”

She glanced over her planner, though she tried to keep it memorized. “I can be there in a couple hours. I just have to get some papers signed and run a few errands. Does that work?”

“Sure. See you there.”

As eager as she was to get the new listing under contract, Sophie was more eager to get Chelsea's project under way and find out exactly who had called Zach, though she suspected she knew the answer to that one.

After making a few calls and setting up two showings for other properties, Sophie gathered her folders and slid them into her messenger bag. By the time she got out of the office, she realized she was running late.