BUY NOW
The
pre–Civil War home had housed slaves in the underground tunnels that led from
the main house to two other homes on the estate that overlooked a lake. No boring
museum would be going in there. He’d find a way to . . . hell, he didn’t know,
but he knew he wasn’t selling to the assholes in suits.
“You
have to pay the taxes somehow,” Sophie argued. “This is the best way to pay off
the debt and not have to worry about what to do with such a large, empty
estate.”
Still
sitting forward in his seat to look at the paper, Braxton glanced over his
shoulder at Zach. He merely stared back, waiting for Braxton’s thoughts. Hurt
settled in Braxton’s eyes, but there was an overlying mask of anger.
Braxton
shifted back around and faced Sophie. “We need to discuss this. We can’t decide
right here.”
“And
we’ll get the damn taxes paid,” Zach muttered just as Sophie opened her mouth.
“Let us worry about Chelsea’s property. You can tell your boyfriend and the
mayor we don’t want the offer.”
Sophie’s
shoulders stiffened, her eyes narrowing in his direction. “I’m only trying to
help everyone here. You don’t have to be a jerk.”
Yeah,
well, he felt like a jerk, so how else was he supposed to act?
“What
do you want to do with the property?” Liam asked, turning in his seat just
enough to see Zach.
“Pay
the taxes and figure it out from there.”
“I
don’t have time to invest in that place,” Liam countered. “I understand why
Braxton would hesitate, but you have to think about what a liability that
property is going to be. I don’t want to sink money into something that will
have no benefit to me.”
Zach
uncrossed his arms and stood straight up. “Well, I’m not ready to get rid of
that land. Chelsea loved that old house and she had a vision. She used every
bit of her savings and her portion of the inheritance from Mom and Dad to buy
the place, and you’re ready to just give it away for some museum? Or if that’s
not enough, perhaps you’ve forgotten about—”
“Enough.”
Braxton glared from one brother to another. “We’ll discuss this once we’ve all
had a chance to think. Bringing up Anna won’t solve the problems.”
Anna.
The woman Braxton had been engaged to until she’d shown her true colors and
left Braxton days before the wedding. She’d run straight into Rand Stevens’s
waiting arms. The two were both shallow, and Zach hoped they were miserable
together for many, many years.
“I’ve
thought of Braxton, but we can’t let that situation stop us from using common
sense here.” Liam came to his feet, hands on his hips and blue eyes blazing.
“I’m getting that headache off our hands. We’ve already paid the mortgage on it
this month and still have the taxes due. I’m done.”
“Fine.
Then be done with it. I’ll cover your part.” Good thing he had a chunk in
savings, but even that would run out if he didn’t come up with a plan.
“Consider yourself dismissed.”
Braxton
rose, holding up his hands. “This is a record. You two went five whole minutes
without griping at each other. We’ll give Sophie a definite answer in a week.
Can we all stop and think about what Chelsea would want us to do? Leave my past
out of the decision making.”
“Chelsea
wouldn’t want you guys fighting,” Sophie muttered.
Zach’s
eyes cut to her. Her face had paled, showcasing the dark circles beneath her
eyes. Damn it. Why did her silent vulnerability always make him feel like a
bastard?
“I’ll
take a week.” Zach agreed with Braxton. “But I’m not changing my mind. Selling
is a bad idea right now.”
He
turned to go, when Sophie called his name. Glancing over his shoulder, two sets
of eyes were on him. Liam kept his back turned.
Zach
raised a brow, waiting for Sophie to say something. Was that moisture in her
eyes? She blinked twice, as if willing unshed tears away. Pushing away from her
desk, she came to her feet and straightened her shoulders.
“Don’t
be stubborn about this,” she told him, her voice calm and controlled. “I know
Chelsea wanted
this house, and
I know Braxton has issues with the mayor. The past can’t be changed, and
Chelsea would understand that you guys have no use for the property.”
Zach
said nothing as he turned and walked out of her office. He’d barely cleared the
door before he heard Braxton say, “That went well.”
Exiting
the building, Zach actually agreed. He and Liam hadn’t thrown punches, as
they’d been known to do on the rare occasions they’d been together. And Zach
had managed to avoid the giant elephant in the room.
Sliding
behind the wheel of his work truck, Zach brought the engine to life. Gripping
the steering wheel, he looked down at his hands. The scars crisscrossing his
knuckles always reminded him how he’d fought to save those he loved and how
he’d severed any bond they’d once shared.
Yeah,
that went well in there, considering they were all broken people with very
different views of absolutely everything.
Zach
was not looking forward to more chitchats with his brothers over this, and he
sure as hell wasn’t wanting another encounter with Sophie. He couldn’t handle
being that close, not when he still wanted her despite their past.
National
bestselling author Jules Bennett is a former salon owner
turned full time author. Considering she met her husband at the age of fourteen
and they’ve been together since, Jules knows a thing or two about romance and
happily ever after. She and her husband live in the Midwest with their two
young children. When Jules isn’t creating emotional, witty stories, she’s
spending time with her family, working out or procrastinating on social media.
She loves to hear from readers. You can connect with her through Facebook, Twitter, or her Website.
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