Page 6 of Lost in You (The Monroes 3)

Then that tragic night struck and they’d never been the same.

They’d both grown since, but the old hurt had never disappeared. Neither of them made any attempts to take that first step and merge their differences onto some common ground. Liam and Zach had just had to learn to deal with their pain and attempt to move on into some normalcy—in their own directions.

“Just mixed some spices in a blend I’d never tried before,” Liam stated with a shrug, hating he wasn’t sure how to even reply.

Compliments weren’t something he was comfortable with. Working in an upscale restaurant like Magnolias, Liam was used to getting feedback from customers and he enjoyed it, but it always made him feel awkward. He wasn’t cooking for others for the praise. He’d taken the passion his mother had instilled in him, turned it into a science, a meticulous hobby that just happened to pay the bills. In the kitchen, he was in complete control of his life, of the outcome of what he was doing. It was the other mess in his world that he kept losing his grip on.

“What’s in the sack?” Sophie asked, leaning against the large center island.

Zach took the brown bag and sat it on the counter. Liam instantly recognized the logo on the front. He continued his work, cursing the way his heartbeat kicked up at just the sight of a bag from Macy’s store. Ridiculous. He seriously needed to concentrate on moving on, making a plan and not letting his mind get so wrapped around a woman who had no place in his life.

A near miss kiss, a few months of living in her old apartment, and randomly seeing her and hearing about dates was enough to have him grinding his teeth and clenching his fists nearly every day.

He’d let one woman into his heart years ago. He’d let her so far in, he thought they’d spend their lives together. Foolish, really. She’d been a player, looking for nothing more than using Liam as a stepping stone until someone better, with more money, better looks, less facial scarring, came along. Liam had a great job, lived alone, and had very little debt. His savings and investments were a nice cushion, but he’d never dreamed she was looking for a sugar daddy. Liam still felt betrayed, used, and deceived.

His ex never came right out and said his looks bothered her, but he wasn’t naive. He’d seen the man she’d left him for and Liam was convinced the attraction was about more than a hefty bank account.

After that relationship ended, he became even more detached than before and vowed never again to let a woman work her way under his skin. He’d been doing just fine at staying closed off . . . until moving back to Haven.

The fact that he allowed Macy to have power over him only made him angry. The scar wasn’t his only excuse, though he let people believe that. The jagged line that ran down the left side of his face was not a big selling point with the ladies. And Macy was definitely all lady. She ran a hardware store and knew more about PVC pipe and cement mix than the average woman, and likely some men, but the way she filled out those jeans and her plain T-shirts was damn near a sin. On cool mornings she’d throw a plaid flannel over her T, but by the end of the day, he’d see her with the shirt tied around her waist, flaring out over her hips.

“I had to stop in and order some materials for that house I’m building over on Peach Tree Lane,” Zach stated. “I went ahead and picked up some extra lightbulbs for here as well.”

Zach had followed in their adoptive father’s footsteps, taking over the family business of construction. Zach had definitely hit some major hurdles in life, but he’d jumped over them and kept going strong. At one time he’d tried to give up, but then Sophie entered his life, and Liam knew for a fact that the woman literally saved Zach from himself.

“Haven’t seen Phil for a while, now that he’s pretty much passed the store on to Macy,” Zach went on, tearing off a piece of bread for himself.

“I’m sure it’s hard for him to just let go,” Sophie added. “Even though he still hangs out there and helps, passing that down has to be bittersweet.”

“He was the only one working today,” Zach replied around a large bite. “Said Macy texted him and said she couldn’t make it in. He didn’t say why, but that’s definitely not like her.”

Liam placed the final cream horn on the glass platter and refused to let his mind wander. Most likely she had been on a date. She’d probably left his place last night and headed straight home to get all fixed up. She

’d told him she didn’t have a date, but a woman like Macy didn’t just stay home on a Friday night.

He’d heard the rumors of her social life, had actually heard her talking enough firsthand to know she wasn’t a recluse like him. Probably stayed out too late or maybe slept over somewhere. The thought knotted his stomach.

Still. None of his business.

“I hope she’s okay,” Sophie added, oblivious to the internal argument Liam was waging with himself. “I’ll call later and check on her.”

“Brock will be here after school.” Zach took another hunk of bread, this time dipping it in the sauce. “I told him to come by and help with cleaning since we have those two groups coming in. So we can put him to work.”

Sophie sighed. “I think we’re working him too hard.”

“He’s wanting to save for a new car,” Zach countered. “He can put in the time and save some money.”

This was not an area Liam wanted to be involved in and sure as hell not something he had experience with. Parenting was just as terrifying as a relationship. No thanks to both.

While the two argued about what was too much for Brock to handle, Liam continued getting the snacks prepared for tomorrow. They always offered wine and some type of little finger food or pastry around eight in the evening. According to Sophie, there were four ladies coming in tomorrow morning who would stay two days, in addition to the bachelorette group arriving.

Whatever the reason for the getaways, this was exactly what Chelsea had wanted. She’d had a vision, and so far, her dream was becoming a beautiful reality and really taking off.

“I need to get back to the site,” Zach said, brushing the crumbs off his hands and onto his holey jeans. “Call me if you need me.”

He kissed Sophie good-bye and nodded to Liam on his way out the back door.

“Not that I agree with my brother often, but Brock is a hard worker.” Liam wiped a damp towel over the work space on the oversized island. “He’s like me as a teen. He wants to stay busy, to feel needed. Trust us on this one.”

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