Page 7 of Unmasked

He shoved his chair back and stood. “I've got a meeting with the builder in an hour. Are you staying until Vivi is done?”

Even though they had an emergency buzzer, he didn't like to leave his sister there all alone. Mason nodded and pushed to his feet. “Yeah, she and I rode together today.”

“Good.” He began to gather his things and pushed Everleigh's file back toward Mason. “Go ahead and file this, would you?”

“No problem.” Mason fell into step as they left the office. “You said you're meeting with your builder?”

“Yep.”

“How are things going?”

“Good so far,” Knox took a moment to lock the door behind him. “Got a couple changes to make to the blueprints before we break ground.”

“That's awesome.” Mason dipped his head. “Seems like it’s coming together fast. I’m glad to hear it.”

“Thanks.”

Vivi was on the phone as he left through the lobby, and Knox tossed a wave her way. He slid his shades into place as he stepped out into the bright sunlight and made his way toward his SUV. He stopped at a fast-food joint before heading home, and forty-five minutes later, he pulled into the driveway.

The small house had once belonged to his parents but was sold after their deaths when he was a teen. Barely more than a shack, the clapboard house was tiny. Just under eight hundred square feet, it had two small bedrooms and a narrow single bathroom. The exterior was dingy, almost black with age and disrepair.

The person who’d owned it previously had apparently used the yard as a dump site, and the waist-high grass was full of tires, car parts, and other random objects. He’d even found a stainless-steel sink half-buried in the mud out back. It was a lot of work to get it cleaned up, but the land was worth everything.

Twelve acres of woods and gently rolling hills surrounded the house. He had selected a flat portion of land to build on in the western corner of the property. It was ideal, because they would be able to run all of the existing utility lines to the new house, and he could stay in the cabin until the new one was ready. He would get to see the progress every single day, and the prospect was exciting.

He'd been planning this for years, and it was a stroke of luck that he’d heard an acquaintance had picked it up for cheap when the market crashed. Ex-lieutenant Piers Davenport had left Blackwater Key PD several years ago after the death of his partner and taken up the reins in his father’s real estate business.

They bought and sold properties, and Piers had made a killing when the market crashed several years back. He was a shrewd businessman, but one who genuinely cared about the city and its inhabitants. A developer was looking into the property to clear the land and build some condo units when Davenport swept in and rescued it.

When he heard Piers had purchased the land, he immediately reached out to him to see if he would be interested in selling him the original twelve-acre parcel. Piers had happily agreed, and he’d paid him a decent percentage over the purchase price. It was like destiny in a way, like everything was working out perfectly. The only downside was that he didn't have anyone to share the house with.

He was jerked from his thoughts as a large white truck pulled into the driveway behind him and parked. He grabbed the blueprints he’d been doodling on earlier and climbed from the SUV. The site manager approached, and he held out his hand for a quick shake.

“Hey, Austin. How’s it going?”

“Good.” Austin nodded once, then tipped his head toward the build site. “You said you had a couple requests.”

“I do, actually.” He moved to the hood of the SUV and unrolled the prints. “I was thinking of changing up these windows here.” He pointed to the windows they’d originally sketched in for the basement. “And I’d like the porch to wrap all the way around the house.”

Austin made a couple of notes off to the side, then nodded. “We can make that work, no problem.”

He followed Austin toward the build site, where the foundation had already been staked off. A sense of pride and accomplishment raced through him. In just a few weeks he’d break ground on his dream home—the one he’d been planning for decades.

A tiny ache flared in his heart, but he shoved it down, not allowing it to dim the excitement bubbling in his veins. So what if he didn’t have anyone to share it with? Once upon a time, Everleigh and he had talked about building this very home. But those days were long gone, even if the woman herself was back. Sometimes it was best to leave the past where it belonged—in the past.

An hour later, Austin emailed him the build schedule then drove off with a wave. He propped his hands on his hips and glanced around the yard. He still had a long way to go to get this place in order. Grabbing up a pair of gloves he’d left on the porch, he waded into the grass and threw himself into clearing the yard, hoping if he exhausted himself enough that he wouldn’t think so much about Everleigh, wishing she could see the plans for the house they’d dreamed of sharing.

CHAPTER

FOUR

THEN

Everleigh slipped through the trees silently, her heart pounding against her ribs. It had been almost three days since she had last seen Knox, and she couldn't wait another second. The urgency to see him tugged at her, and she picked up her pace as she headed straight for their tree. A peal of childish laughter rang out, and her heart twinged at the sound.

Knox and Vivi came into sight, and she slowed her pace, just watching them for a second. He was so good with her. Ever since their parents had died several months ago, he had stepped up to take care of her. Although truly, Knox had always been more of a parent to Vivi than the Castillos ever were. He would be an amazing father.

She settled her fingers over her stomach as she moved forward. Knox’s alert gaze immediately snapped to hers. A smile curved his mouth, sending her heart into rapid flutters. He was so gorgeous when he smiled.