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Brock’s eyes raked over Sophie. Zach held his ground between them, unsure how the boy would react.
“I can go,” Brock stated. “This—I’m . . .”
Sophie took a step forward. “How about we have breakfast before you dart off? Okay?” Her quiet tone managed to do something Zach hadn’t been able to do, and that was put a brief flash of trust through Brock’s eyes. The boy nodded and bent to play with the puppies, but not before Zach spotted moisture gathering in those big brown eyes.
“Go ahead and play with the dogs.” Zach headed toward the kitchen. Meeting Sophie’s questioning gaze, he jerked his head in a silent motion for her to follow him. “We’ll yell when breakfast is ready.”
“What is going on?” Sophie whispered as soon as they hit the kitchen. “Who is that?”
Zach purposely rattled the sacks to mask his voice. “He’s been hiding in the Sunset Lake property. I found him in the basement last night. His name is Brock.”
“Did you see his face?” Sophie asked, her voice shaking as if she were on the verge of tears. “He’s been beaten, Zach.”
Zach swallowed as he surveyed the contents she’d brought. Bless her, she’d thought of everything.
“Move over and let me cook.” She shoved him aside and started pulling everything out of the sack and placing it on the counter by the stove. “You explain.”
For a moment he was stunned at how perfect she looked standing at his stove, the same stove his mother used to use. There hadn’t been another woman in this kitchen, other than Chelsea, since. Something warmed him, but he didn’t have time to dig into all the reasons why having Sophie here just made his day brighter and more manageable.
Holding a roll of sausage in one hand, Sophie snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Zach. Talk.”
“I don’t know much,” he told her, leaning in so he could talk low. The puppies in the other room, barking at Brock, helped. “He’s obviously running from something or someone. I gather he’s been abused at home and his mother is at the heart of all of this.”
Soon the sausage was frying, filling his kitchen with an amazing aroma he’d missed. Real food, not takeout.
“He claims he was trying to help with some of the electrical work and didn’t mean to start the fire.”
Sophie’s head whipped around. “He set the fire?”
“I don’t think it was on purpose. He’s alone, from what I can tell, and he’s afraid to go home.”
A sad smile spread across Sophie’s face. “Reminds me of someone,” she murmured.
He knew she’d see the similarity too. “I couldn’t let him stay there and I wasn’t about to kick him out or call the cops.”
Reaching up, Sophie framed his face with her hands. Such a simple gesture, yet he felt the impact throughout his entire body. She had a hold on him, and he had to figure out whether he was willing to risk holding her back or letting her go.
“You’re giving him a chance,” she said, her eyes misting. “What can I do to help?”
Zach took her hand and kissed her palm. “Don’t let that sausage burn.”
With a laugh, she turned back around and grabbed a large spatula from the crock next to the stove. “Why don’t you go talk to him? I’ve got things covered in here. I don’t have to be at the office until ten, so we’re good.”
“Thank you.” Without thinking, Zach reached out and smoothed her hair behind her ear so he could fully see her profile. “You didn’t hesitate to come when I asked, and you didn’t ask questions.”
Smiling and working on breakfast, Sophie shrugged. “You never ask
for anything, so I knew it was pretty important. Either that, or you just really missed me.”
Snaking a hand around her waist, Zach shifted their bodies until her side fully connected with his chest, his hips. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve missed you over the years, sweet Soph.”
She concentrated on the meat sizzling, but he didn’t miss the tremble that rippled through her. He slid his hand up her back, cupping the nape of her neck.
“You look good in here,” he whispered into her ear. “And I’ve missed you in my bed.”
Zach left her with those parting words as he tore himself away. If he stayed longer he’d make a fool of himself and start proclaiming things he wanted, things he was wondering if he could ever have. How insane was that? Who was he to get a happily ever after?
Fortunately he had enough to occupy his thoughts and his time, between the resort renovations, the grants, the dogs, and now Brock. How had his life changed so much in the last few months? He’d gone from being a recluse, minding his own business and doing his job, avoiding Sophie and her boyfriend as much as possible, to sleeping with Sophie, somehow starting a new bond with his brothers, and building a women’s resort and spa.
