Page 6 of We're One

Excitement dances in her gaze, but she quickly composes herself. This woman is good at containing her emotions. I wonder what it would take to make her lose control. Maybe that will be one of my goals.

I stand and she joins me. She quickly gathers all of her papers into her bag. I stand in front of her and hold out my hand. I might be old school, but I still believe in a good handshake to seal a deal.

She hesitates so briefly I almost miss it. She doesn’t want to touch me. Another interesting thing to note. As our hands finally connect, that initial spark I felt at seeing her turns into a full-on lightning bolt. Fire ignites in my blood, and I’m shocked at my reaction. Who is this woman?

She quickly pulls away from me and I notice a little hitch in her step. She might not want to face it, but something’s going on between us, and I want to delve deeper into that. She turns from me and begins walking toward the front door. I follow, enjoying the view from behind.

“Thank you for the job and for meeting with me today. I promise not to let you down,” she says as I reach for the door. I open it and find a woman standing on my doorstep. Both Sia and I stop and stare for a moment.

“Hi, Zach, I’m early, but I couldn’t wait for our date,” the woman says. It takes me a moment to remember Patty. I forgot all about our date. Wasn’t I supposed to pick her up? I’m obviously frazzled right now. Patty looks at Sia, her smile only slightly falling. She sizes Sia up and apparently finds her lacking as she turns back to me.

“Wasn’t I supposed to pick you up, Patty?” I ask as my brain focuses. I don’t like women coming to my place; there’s no way I would’ve had her come here.

Patty giggles, the sound grating. “Was that the plan? I must’ve forgotten.” She’s wearing a dress that leaves nothing to the imagination, one I’d normally like. But comparing Patty to Sia, I find Patty lacking. What is wrong with me?

I look to Sia and see judgement in her gaze for the briefest moment before she covers it up, once again wearing her professional mask.

“It was great working with you today, Mr. Callahan. I look forward to the project.” She doesn’t give me time to say a word before she brushes past Patty and walks to her vehicle. I don’t get the chance to say goodbye.

“What was that about?” Patty asks in an overly high-pitched voice that’s already grating on my nerves. I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through our date tonight. Maybe I should cancel.

I stare too long as Sia turns her car around and drives down my long driveway. Patty is talking to me, but I don’t hear a word she’s saying. I want Sia to come back. I finally allow Patty inside and make my way to the kitchen. A small smile flits across my lips. I’ll be seeing Sia again... and seeing a lot of her. I’m pretty thankful for this design project even if I was against it at first. Things have a way of working themselves out.

Chapter Three

Zach

Patty’s sitting at the breakfast counter in my kitchen, not looking too pleased at my choice of rooms. I move over to the liquor cupboard and then pour us each a drink. I need it, and I’m sure she won’t turn one down. She doesn’t have a job, but if she did, even that wouldn’t stop her from getting a buzz going.

That’s about all the mentality I have to think of Patty; my thoughts are still consumed with Sia and the damn box that led me to her. What is it about this woman that’s inspired such an infatuation in me? Is there magic in these boxes? Why won’t my brothers talk about their own journeys? What’s at the end of all of this? I hate not having answers. I might be impulsive at times, but I don’t like mystery. Yes, I’m one of those people who read the last chapter of a book first. I can’t stand suspense. I might like the story, but waiting until the end is too hard. I want answers, and I want them now.

Why does Sia seem so familiar to me? What am I missing? Am I such an asshole I can’t remember women from my past? I feel like I know her. But, from when and where? That’s the mystery.

We received these boxes when we were at college. We rescued a woman from the lake and then found these mystery boxes on our porch. They freaked us out, and we didn’t open them. They got tossed aside. When we packed our college home up, they must’ve come back to the ranch and disappeared. Then when Gramps died, we found them on his desk. They didn’t appear to be tampered with. We were confused than. I still am, and my brothers aren’t talking about the mystery of the boxes. Both Blaze and Callan have opened their boxes and gone through their journeys... where they each found the love of their life.

What in the heck do these boxes from a mystery woman that wound up on Gramps’s desk have to do with eternal happiness? What does this mean for me? And what in the heck does it have to do with this Sia woman? It’s driving me insane.

“You’re not listening to me at all!”

I look up, startled to find Patty glaring at me. Her drink is empty, and her arms are crossed. This is a woman who needs to be the center of attention. I’m annoyed. I don’t like that she showed up at my place and is sitting in my kitchen. How in the heck do I get out of this? And why am I even questioning it. I don’t want her here, so I simply need to ask her to go. I blame all of this on the woman who’s consuming all of my thoughts and sanity.

I can’t be on a date with another woman when my thoughts are consumed with Sia, the mystery box, and this damn game I’m an unwilling participant in. The connection between Sia and me can’t be coincidental, can it? Is this something Gramps orchestrated before his passing, or is it truly a chance encounter from a mystery woman at a lake?

“I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind,” I automatically say. This instantly appeases Patty. She’s clearly a hell of a lot easier to appease than Sia was with her green eyes flashing in a mixture of determination, passion, and annoyance. I’m not used to women looking at me like that, but Sia had no problem with it.

“Where are we going tonight?” Patty asks. She’s a woman who wants to be wined and dined before she puts out. I don’t mind that... or I never have before. Women have always come easy to me, but maybe it’s not as much fun as it once was. Having multiple women was never something I questioned before. As I watch how happy my brothers are, though, I’m starting to want something more.

Before I can dwell on this any longer, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I look and see it’s my brother Blaze. I answer, then listen for a minute while hiding a smile. It’s almost as if he knows I need rescuing. We are triplets after all, and maybe there is something about a psychic connection between twins and triplets.

I hang up and let out a sigh like I’m disappointed. I know how to play the game of dating. I’m not necessarily proud of it, but it is what it is. “I’m sorry, Patty, but I have a family matter that needs attended to. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I make sure there’s an apology in my tone, but firmness, letting her know there’s no changing my mind on this.

Patty’s eyes narrow. “I spent a lot of time getting ready for our date,” she informs me.

“I apologize for that, but the situation can’t be helped,” I say, knowing I won’t be calling her back. Maybe I need to add a gate to my driveway to prevent unwanted visitors. It’s not something we’ve ever needed before, but it might be time now. I didn’t give my address to Patty but she still found me. It’s not like any of us have tried to hide, but we do have a lot of money, a flashing beacon to a lot of people, especially to women like Patty.

She glares at me for a moment, then with a huff of annoyance to show me she’s incredibly displeased, she slides from the stool, her dress hiking up another inch to completely inappropriate heights, turns, and begins walking away without another word. If her hope is that I’ll chase her, she’s going to be very disappointed. I stay where I am and smile when I hear the front door slam behind her. I’m surprised she doesn’t open it and slam it again, just to clearly show me how ticked she is.

I move to my front window to make sure she’s leaving and let out a sigh of relief when I see her vehicle speeding down my long driveway. I’ll make some calls about a gate tomorrow. It’s time.

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