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Best not call him on his fear right now if he was in a mood. Then again, when was he not in a mood?
Still, he looked fantastic with dirt smudges across his face, his ratty T-shirt pulled taut across his broad chest and those holey jeans that fit his lean hips like the proverbial glove.
Whatever his mood was, it wouldn’t ruin the scenery. He was still the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on, and she hadn’t forgotten the image of him bottle feeding a puppy. Could the man be any more adorable?
Sophie bit the inside of her lips to keep from laughing. If she called him adorable she’d see a whole new side of grouchy.
“It’s doable to rework the entire kitchen,” he stated, resting his hands on his narrow hips. “Damn it, I shouldn’t have to. I’ve been over this and over it, and I know there was nothing wrong with the original plans.”
Sophie crossed her arms to ward off the chill of the old home, now wishing she’d grabbed her cardigan from the car.
“Martin did this, didn’t he?” she asked.
Zach’s dark eyes landed on her, sending a whole host of new shivers racing through her. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does if this has anything to do with me.”
Braxton stared back and forth between them before letting out a sigh. “Martin called, didn’t he?”
Zach ignored the question as he walked around the perimeter of the spacious room. He studied the exterior walls, muttering under his breath, and the fact that he wouldn’t address the question told her all she needed to know.
“I’ll talk to Martin.” And let him know exactly how his misuse of power could get him into trouble, because acting like a toddler not getting his way, he was just asking to be called out. “Don’t draw up any more plans for now.”
Zach jerked around. “Like hell you will. This has nothing to do with you, Sophie. Leave it.”
“Then tell me Martin didn’t call you.” His eyes continued to hold hers, but she wasn’t backing down. “He’s abusing his authority and we all know it.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” Zach stated with a laugh. “He can’t hold off on this forever.”
“So it was him who called you.”
Zach’s eyes narrowed. “Drop it.”
“Can you two cool it so we can get this figured out?” Braxton asked. “Arguing won’t fix this, and we need to get the building permit so Zach can get started and move in.”
“Damn it, Braxton!”
Sophie glanced from brother to brother. “What’s going on? What does he mean, you’re moving in?”
“Nothing,” Zach muttered, shooting death glares at Braxton. “Let’s figure out the best layout.”
“No, I want to know what he meant,” Sophie insisted. “Why are you moving in here? You have a house.”
“I’m not getting into this.” Zach crossed to his notepad on the counter and started jotting something down. “I think the industrial stove we discussed will still work fine on this wall near the back door. There should be no problem running the exhaust out here. What do you guys think about keeping the fridge over here, too? For a cook, it would make sense and save steps.”
“You should ask Liam his opinion,” Braxton said.
“Yeah, well, he had his chance to help and chose not to.” Zach moved his gaze from the wall in question to his notes, as he scrawled down something else. “And the other exterior wall could have more cabinetry and a long counter for prep. I want to keep the sink in the new island.”
“Excuse me?” Sophie chimed in. “I’m not done with the topic of Martin or the fact you think you’re moving in here. Can you guys please clue me in?”
Zach dropped his pencil and rubbed the back of his neck as he stared up at the ceiling. “I’m putting my house on the market. Martin will always be a pain in my ass, but nothing I can’t handle.” He brought his eyes back down to her. “There. Can we move on now?”
Crossing the room to stand directly in front of the stubborn man, Sophie crossed her arms. “No, we can’t move on. I want to know why you’re selling your house.”
And why hadn’t he ca
lled her to list it?
