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Zach turned, leaning back against the island as Braxton climbed over the gate in the doorway to the utility room. Braxton stood on the kitchen side, still staring back into the room and shaking his head.
“What the hell?” he repeated, jerking around to focus on Zach. “You starting a kennel or something?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I tried calling, but you didn’t answer.” Braxton moved to the refrigerator and opened it to examine the contents.
So that had been the missed call.
“Looking for something?”
Braxton straightened with a pizza box in hand. “Yeah. You need to go to the store.”
Zach sighed. He might as well get this uncomfortable talk over with and move on, because Braxton was definitely going to be the easiest one to share the news with and now was as good a time as any.
“I’m selling the house.”
Braxton dropped the box on the island and stared at Zach. “What?”
“This house,” Zach clarified. “Not the Sunset Lake one.”
“Regardless, why?” Braxton flipped the lid on the box and surveyed the few remaining pieces. “Are you asking or just telling me? I assume you haven’t told Liam or he would’ve called me.”
Zach pulled the pizza box away. “Forget this. We’ll order a new one. There’s not enough here for both of us.”
Braxton crossed his arms over his chest. “Then order it, so we can talk about this ridiculous idea of selling the house.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” Zach muttered, pulling out his phone.
He hated the look on his brother’s face, hated having this entire conversation, but Braxton would see this was the only option at this point.
Zach placed the order and made his way into the living room. He assumed Braxton would follow. After they ate, maybe they could finish that final bathroom project so the place could be put on the market. Not that Braxton was big on manual lab
or; he’d probably hate to get dirt on his expensive teacher pants, but Zach could always use an assistant.
Zach sank into his oversized leather chair as his brother stepped into the room and leaned against the door frame. “You want to tell me about the dogs or why you’re suddenly selling our childhood home?”
Resting his hands on the thick arms of the chair, Zach shrugged. “Pizza will be here in forty-five minutes. I can cover both topics pretty fast. The dog was a stray in my bushes. I couldn’t leave her, and the vet couldn’t get here to help, so I brought her in last night and she delivered puppies. I’m looking for homes for them.”
Zach refused to shift in his chair under his brother’s intense stare. The decision was made, for reasons beyond his control, and regardless of emotions or memories or anything else that might factor into Braxton and Liam’s point of view, Zach wasn’t giving in.
“As far as the house, I need the money to help with Chelsea’s project.” When Braxton continued to stare, Zach shrugged. “That brings us up to date, and we still have forty-four minutes left if you have anything to add.”
Pushing off the door frame, Braxton moved farther into the room. “Yeah. I have a hell of a lot to say. First, good for you with the dogs. I guess you do have a heart when it counts.”
Standing by the fireplace Zach had just finished refacing, Braxton toyed with picture frames that had been their mother’s. Zach had put them in a box when he’d added the new stone, but as soon as he was done he’d gotten them back out. His mother’s treasures couldn’t be kept in a box, even if one of the photos was of Zach in his cap and gown at graduation, looking like he was fake smiling for the camera . . . which he was.
“Second,” Braxton went on as he turned to fully focus on Zach, “did you already discuss this potential sale with Sophie?”
Zach jerked. “Sophie? Why would I ask her?” As if he needed another reason to contact her.
“If you put it up for sale, I assume you wouldn’t use anybody else.”
Well, damn it. He hadn’t thought of that. He hadn’t gotten quite that far in his plans. Basically he knew he would need the funds from this house to pay for the other, and he had to get the bathroom completed in order to sell it.
Blowing out a breath, Zach laced his hands over his abdomen. “Yeah, I’ll use Sophie. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this.”
“So you haven’t called her.” Braxton rested his hands on his hips, his eyes moving around the room as if to take it in for the first time. “Did the taxes get paid?”
