Page 1 of Lost in You (The Monroes 3)

Chapter One

Macy tried to ignore the footsteps overhead as she went through her evening routine. As the owner of Knobs and Knockers, the only hardware store in Haven, Georgia, Macy ran a bustling business and often stayed after hours to accommodate customers.

Which was why she now found herself listening as her new tenant moved around upstairs. Her new tenant who drove her out of her ever-loving mind, who kept her awake at night, who monopolized her every thought . . . well, most of them anyway. On occasion she also thought about tacos, so there was that.

And if Liam Monroe ever knew just how much mind time he inspired, he’d never let her live it down. Or he’d use it against her, which would be mortifying, because if he rejected her . . .

Ugh. She ignored the path her thoughts had traveled and focused on something she could actually control. Control . . . something she prided herself on, something that had gotten her through the past several years.

Macy shoved the cash and receipts into her bank bag and tucked the bulk beneath her arm. She needed to get out of the store before she had a run-in with Mr. Sexy Tenant. Liam had moved in a few months ago and she’d tried to avoid any face-to-face time when no one else was around to buffer. . . . So far so good.

Even though she’d known him since she was a teen, she’d never been more aware of her feelings where he was concerned. That teen crush had vanished, replaced by something intense and much more grown up. She couldn’t describe how she felt now that he was back home. Knowing he was so close made her want to reach out to him, but then that fear from her past, the fear of his reaction, had her hesitating.

Damn fear. Why did she let that control her? She’d wanted one man for years, and now that he was here, she went on about her life like everything was perfectly normal.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Slinking in and out the door of her own business was absolutely not normal. Her heart accelerating each time she heard heavy footsteps upstairs was not normal.

Yet here she stood with bank bag in hand, just like every night the past two months he’d been here. The internal battle between her angel and devil never more prominent. He wasn’t in town to pick up where he’d left off years ago. Not that they had shared anything to pick up. Her attraction had clearly been one-sided because she was pretty sure he didn’t even flick a glance her way other than on friendly terms.

No, what brought Liam back to Haven—reluctantly—had been his family. He and his brothers, Zach and Braxton, were now owners of Bella Vous, a women-only resort and spa. The fact that three rough-around-the-edges men now owned something so dainty and feminine would be laughable if the circumstances surrounding their decision weren’t so tear-jerkingly sweet.

Their late sister, Chelsea, had created this vision, going so far as to keep notebooks and journals about a place for women to go and relax, take a break from reality, or just have a fun girls’ trip. When Chelsea unexpectedly passed away, the guys banded together to make her dream a reality.

Granted, it took Liam a bit longer to come around, but the bad blood between him and Zach had been somewhat settled . . . as much as possible, considering their past and the ordeal they had been thrust into.

Just before the grand opening, Bella Vous lost its chef when the lady who’d been hired opted to take off with her boyfriend on a cross-country trip. Needless to say, the Monroe brothers were in a bind, and since Liam had been let go from his hoity-toity position at an upscale place in Savannah, he decided to fill in.

Macy knew Liam didn’t want to be here. He never came out and said the words; he didn’t have to. His actions, his apparent unhappiness, spoke volumes. But as much as Liam wasn’t keen on being back in the town that reminded him of the tragic night that had altered his life, he wasn’t about to let his family down when they needed him most.

And the last minute change of plans had left him with nowhere to live . . . until Zach’s intended, Sophie, mentioned the apartment over Knobs and Knockers.

So, now Macy had to hightail it out of her own territory because the man she’d been infatuated with since high school was invading her space.

As soon as she grabbed her keys from the shelf beneath the counter, Macy froze. Those footsteps overhead were now on the steps . . . as in coming down the steps. Toward her. She’d hung around too long. It wasn’t like she could make a mad dash

for the door now.

Gripping the keys in one hand, she grabbed the bag from beneath her arm and whirled around to the back of her store. Clad in well-worn jeans and a black T-shirt that molded to his muscular form, Liam met her gaze as he crossed the wide aisle toward the counter.

The scar running along the left side of his face might have been intimidating to some, making him appear harsh, but to Macy he was the sexiest man she’d ever met. And that scar was a reminder of how close they’d all come to losing him. His broad frame, those dark eyes fanned with dark lashes, and an intense gaze only added to the appeal. The ink peeking from beneath the short sleeve didn’t hurt, either. Would it be too forward to ask him to take the shirt off? Just to see the rest of the tattoo, that’s all. Maybe she could trace it with her finger . . . or tongue.

Yeah, this was no teenage crush anymore. This was full-on adult hormones with very adultish images scrolling through her mind each time she saw him.

“I need some putty for the faucet in the bathroom upstairs,” he told her in that low, gravely tone that covered her entire body with chills in a very delicious way.

Focus, Macy. The man needs putty, not drool.

Macy loved this old building, which was full of charm; however, charm and old often went hand in hand with renovations and repairs. She’d lived above the hardware store her entire life. Her grandparents had started the business and saved money by living upstairs.

Then the store was passed to her parents when they married. Macy had never known another home until a few months ago. She and her father had moved when Macy decided to build a house, with an apartment built on the back of her garage for her father. Needless to say, she was adjusting to a new life from every possible angle.

“I’ll come up and fix it.” She sat her bag and keys on the counter. “Let me grab the putty.”

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