Page 6 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

“Say that again.”

Braxton leaned against the rail on the newly renovated porch and stared at Zach. “I said the new masseuse is coming to check the place out tomorrow.”

“After that, dumbass,” Zach grumbled, shaking his head.

“I said she’s blind.”

“How in the hell can she do this job, then?” Zach’s arm flew out, his tone raised. “You needed to run this by me and Liam before inviting her here and all but handing her the position.”

“Ignore him,” Sophie stated, coming out the front door. “He’s in a mood because he didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

She threw Zach a wink and Braxton held up his hands. “I don’t want to hear about bedroom habits. You left the final judgment call up to me and I think she’ll be great for the job.”

“I never said you had the final word,” Zach stated.

“Since I was the one chosen by default to go get a massage, I’m the one making the final decision. Cora is hired.”

“I agree,” Sophie chimed in, wrapping an arm around Zach’s waist. “The other employees we’ve hired all have a trial period once we open, so Cora will be no different. Sixty days is the perfect time frame for all parties. Who knows, Cora may end up not liking it in Haven and want to move back to the city. It’s a risk we have to take. But, for that matter, any of the employees we’ve taken on may decide they don’t like it. It’s just one of the many perks that come along with owning a business.”

Braxton kept his thoughts to himself, but he seriously doubted Cora would leave Haven. She’d seemed adamant about getting away from her family, away from the city life. He’d also heard that wistful tone of hers when he’d been discussing his brothers. She didn’t have the bond, didn’t have the stability family provided. In a brief time, Cora had made him extremely protective and defensive.

Damn it. He hadn’t allowed himself to be so exposed to vulnerability in over a year. Now all of a sudden because some stunning stranger gave him a massage he was ready to get possessive and take charge. How the hell had this happened?

He quickly reminded himself of how she’d reminded him a bit of Anna. Polished, poised, a bit of sass behind the class.

But there was something about Cora that was a far cry from Anna. The determination to prove herself, to stand on her own two feet. Anna would rather stand on someone else’s feet and have them carry her where she wanted to be.

And why the hell was he comparing the two women?

“You knew from the start that she was blind and didn’t say a word to any of us.” Zach turned an accusing eye on his fiancée. “I’m not trying to be rude here, but I’m just concerned for obvious reasons. This is a brand-new resort and we can’t afford to take such big risks.”

Sophie shrugged. “I’m not concerned one bit. I checked out her past employer and they were sorry to see her go. She had the most clientele of the entire day spa. That tells me all I need to know.”

Cora’s popularity with her clientele didn’t surprise Braxton at all. Her hands were magical. Damn it, why did he keep using that word? Why did he keep reliving those sixty minutes her hands had been nearly all over his body? He seriously needed to get a grip.

“You can meet her in the morning,” Braxton stated, circling back around to the point of the conversation. “Liam should be back this weekend to talk with the new cook we hired. He can meet with Cora, too, if you still have reservations. But please, I’m begging you to be nice when she comes. She doesn’t need you to be your usual grouchy self.”

Zach growled. “I’m nice. Just because I don’t smile all the time or try to make everyone in my life see puppy dogs and rainbows. You’re the peacemaker, not me.”

Guilty, but the peacemaker hadn’t been able to come through when it had been most important. His life had changed forever, but he was still just as determined to keep those around him in calm waters.

Braxton pushed off the newly installed post. “Since the inspector passed the cottages, I need to get those porch swings up soon. I’m going to be moving in some of the furniture tomorrow afternoon. I’ll need to borrow your truck. I found some end tables and a kitchen set in town at Old Days Antiques.”

Zach nodded. “If you’d get rid of your fancy SUV, you could get yourself a truck.”

“I prefer something classier when I take a woman out.”

Speaking of which, he had a date tomorrow. He hadn’t had a date for two weeks. A dry spell for him since he’d revamped his social life after Anna publicly ripped out his heart and handed it back to him in shattered pieces.

He’d pined for her for a while, he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. He was human, he had been blindsided and crushed. But he’d made a promise to himself never to let a woman get that close to him again because he wasn’t sure he’d live through more heartache. The deaths of his biological parents, the deaths of his adoptive parents, then Chelsea, then Anna deciding she deserved better . . . there really was a breaking point in everyone and he’d nearly exceeded his limit.

“Whatever,” Zach replied. “Just don’t put a ding on it.”

Ignoring the pang of betrayal that accompanied any memory that had just flooded his mind, Braxton forced a laugh and headed down the new, wide porch steps. “That rusty deathtrap?” he asked, throwing a look over his shoulder. “One more ding and it would fall apart.”

“Trust me,” Sophie chimed in. “He knows all the scratches and dents. He’ll know if you put in another. Don’t ask me how.”

Zach merely raised his brows at her affirmation. Braxton shook his head and moved down the newly designed walkway that curved out around the landscaping he and Liam had spent hours sweating over. Now they were transitioning into the holiday season and all too soon Sophie would have lights, garland, and wreaths all over the house, inside and out. Braxton couldn’t wait until Zach saw that expense. Zach wasn’t known for his . . . holiday cheer.

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