Wrapped in You Read Free

making.”
    â€œChelsea 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?
    â€œI’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.
    â€œDon’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.
    * * *
    Sophie let herself into her cottage, all while juggling four grocery bags full of total crap food that had an insane amount of calories. This day called for ice cream of epic proportions as well as salty chips to follow, for the perfect balanced diet.
    Kicking her front door shut, she headed toward the back of the house and into her kitchen, where she dumped her purse and the bags on the center island. Digging through her purchases, she was torn between the chunky chocolate chip and the strawberry with the cheesecake bites.
    â€œDecisions, decisions,” she muttered as her cat, Flynn, slithered against the back of her legs.
    Choosing the chocolate for now—because chocolate was a staple for emergencies—Sophie put the other ice cream away for later. She didn’t have to settle for just one pint tonight, right?
    Toeing off her ballet flats, she padded to the living room, where she sank onto her bright red sofa. Having all three Monroe brothers in her office had been quite an experience. They were all so different, but the stubborn trait was one common thread. She’d known calling them all in at the same time would be risky, given the ever-present tension between Zach and Liam, not to mention her own issues with Zach. She’d also known she was taking a big chance with upsetting Braxton, but she knew that of all the brothers, he was the most levelheaded and wouldn’t blame her for being the messenger. She really was trying to help, not stir the proverbial pot.
    Selling the estate on Sunset Lake was a perfect opportunity for them to get out from under the burden of Chelsea’s property.
    Sophie and Chelsea had been best friends since grade school when the Monroes adopted Chelsea. When Zach was twelve, the Monroes had taken him in as well, rounding the number of kids to four.
    Mr. and Mrs. Monroe were saints. They’d adopted three boys