Lost in You

by Jules Bennett

  Apparently he was happy with her answer since he gave a brief nod. “Speaking of the store, everything okay? When I worked the other day I saw you had rearranged the plumbing section.”

  Yeah, she didn’t figure he’d be good with any changes she made, but she’d had cause. “I got in a new line of products that had a huge rebate and catered toward the DIY crowd. I wanted to showcase that and the plumbing needed to be shifted.”

  “Customers don’t like change,” he grumbled.

  Macy patted his smooth cheek and smiled. “But customers like rebates, so I think I’m still okay. Besides, I’ll be changing it out again when the new spring items start arriving. All the pots, the seeds. I’m trying a new distributor this year.”

  He grunted before heading toward her back patio doors, which looked out onto the spacious yard. “I know it’s your store now, at least in all the legal ways, but I’m still here. I can do more than just fill in when you have a headache.”

  Macy knew that’s why he’d randomly stop by the store when she was open. He would make the excuse of already being out running errands and say he just popped in to see the customers. But she’d caught him shifting the boxes of nails around, changing out a few sale signs, and one morning she’d discovered he’d already opened for her, claiming he’d gotten up early.

  In all reality, her father wasn’t ready to retire. She’d tried to talk him out of it, but he said it was time for the next generation to take over. She figured he wanted to still live his life and have a good time while he was young enough to enjoy it. He had a few buddies that had already retired and were living it up on the golf course. She couldn’t fault him one bit for wanting to join them.

  Macy always knew the store would go to her—that’s what she was raised understanding—but part of her wished she would’ve finished her business degree. No one in her family had gone to college and she wanted to be able to prove she could, to make her parents proud. She didn’t need the degree to run the store, but she wanted it. There would have been some sense of pride in knowing she’d been the first.

  But she couldn’t regret not getting her degree. Had she managed to finish, she would’ve missed out on several years of being with her father when he needed her most. Actually, they’d needed each other. All things happened for a reason, right?

  Even bad things that altered your every decision in life.

  “I know you’re there for me, Dad.” Her cell vibrated on the counter where it lay charging. She’d check it later. “I’m really fine, but it isn’t my store. It’s our store no matter what. Come in and do whatever you want. Now that we don’t live together, I miss seeing you all hours of the day.”

  Her father laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure you’re happy to have your own space. Now your dates can pick you up and not have to run into your dad.”

  “My last few dates I’ve actually met at a restaurant,” she countered with a grin. “And I haven’t been on a date in almost a month.”

  She refused to admit, even to herself, that she’d been preoccupied with a certain Monroe brother and she’d wasted time waiting on him to make a move. Granted, he did admit he wanted to kiss her, so . . . was that a move? If so, could he scoot his fine rear end a little quicker and make said kiss happen?

  “I don’t want to meddle in your love life, so I’ll just stay in my apartment. You tell me if you need me at the store, to shoot a guy, or to walk you down the aisle. I’m always here.”

  Macy laughed. Her father had the driest sense of humor, but she adored him. He’d been her only stability after she returned from college a shattered teen who’d seen the cruelty of life and lost her mother all in the span of twenty-four hours. Even though her father didn’t know everything, he’d held her while she cried, he’d wiped her tears, and he’d never questioned her need to be home. He’d never acted like her turning away from the scholarship was a disappointment. No matter the decisions she made, he always stood right behind her. And he’d done every bit of it through his own grief.

  “I don’t plan on walking down the aisle anytime soon,” she told him. “And I don’t really want you shooting anyone for me either. Feel free to come in to the store anytime, though. It’s our home, Dad. It always will be.”

  “Speaking of home, how’s Liam working out?”

  Macy resisted the urge to sigh. Crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her feet, she tried to think of the proper words. “I haven’t seen much of him.” Okay, that might be a lie. “He tends to be getting in as I’m closing up and uses the back steps.”

  Well, that much was completely true. Best not to mention the whole late night escapade. In reality, she wasn’t even sure what had happened then. She’d wanted him to kiss her, to quit dancing around the friction that always stood between them. But he hadn’t. Liam Monroe was the only man she just couldn’t make herself take that first step with. She wanted him to make the leap. She wanted him to cross that line in the fiercest way . . . and the fact she was so hung up on him terrified her.

  She’d promised herself she wouldn’t let another man control her. Being physically controlling was one thing, but Liam had complete emotional power over her in a way that both thrilled and terrified her.

  “That poor boy never was the same after that accident,” her father muttered, shaking his head as if talking to himself. “Maybe now that he’s back home he can put those demons to rest and move on. Family is the best medicine for healing.”

  She wouldn’t bank on Liam recovering. From what she’d witnessed, he had enclosed himself behind a self-erected steel wall. What would it take for him to remove that outer shell and let someone in? He was loyal to his family, that much was obvious, but he even kept them at somewhat of a distance.

  “I’m his landlord, not his therapist.” There. That sounded convincing. “Besides, I’ve heard what an amazing chef he is. Bella Vous is one busy little resort, and between Cora’s magical hands and Liam’s dishes, Chelsea’s vision is really exploding.”

  Raking a hand over his still thick, now silver hair, her father laughed. “A women-only resort. I’ll be the first to admit the concept sounded crazy when I first heard it, but I know the determination of those Monroe boys. They were raised right, once they came to Haven. They may have had their share of hard times—they’re human. But they’ve moved on and made something of themselves. Ed and Carol would be proud of their boys.”

  Each of the brothers, and Chelsea, had come from foster care when they’d been sent to Haven. Macy didn’t know much about their lives before they came to town, before she met them at school, but those early years couldn’t have been good considering none of the boys ever talked about their pasts.

  She wondered what all Liam had endured before the accident, before he ever came to Haven. Were his only good years the brief window from when he came to live with the Monroes? Did he ever have an actual happy memory? Macy physically ached for him. She couldn’t even imagine how much pain he carried around. What had happened with his biological parents? She had so many questions she wanted to ask, yet she had absolutely no right.

  “The resort has definitely brought quite a bit of new tourists to the area,” she added. “Especially those day trippers from Savannah who are just nosing around and want to know what all the buzz is about. They’ve been open since the beginning of the year and have more bookings than they expected right off the bat.”

  “A smart business plan is what it takes,” he said with a firm nod. “Perseverance and motivation, too. Those boys had everything on their side from the beginning.”

  Macy’s phone vibrated on the counter behind her once again. Someone clearly wanted to talk to her.

  “I better get back home,” her father sighed once again. “If you don’t have plans for Saturday night, I’d like to take my favorite girl out to dinner.”

  Macy smiled. His favorite girl used to be the position of her mother, and now Macy held that title. She was honored.

  “I have no plans and
I’d cancel them for my favorite guy,” she said, then remembered the game on Saturday she was invited to. An early game. “Would you mind watching the store for a bit on Saturday? Maybe from ten-thirty to noon?”

  He cocked his head. “Something going on?”

  She didn’t want to discuss the position she was offered, but she didn’t want to lie to him, either. “I need to check something out. Can I wait and tell you about it later? It’s still new to me and I’m not sure how I feel, yet.”

  He eyed her another minute, then finally nodded. “Sure. I’ve got nothing else going on.”

  In all likelihood he would’ve been at the store anyway. “I know that’s a busy time, so I’ll try not to be gone too long.”

  Maybe if she just went and watched an inning or two she’d get a good sense of where her head was. Macy would no doubt know the second she walked up to the stadium if she could handle being there or not.

  “You forget I used to work at that store alone when your mother had to run errands and you were too little to help,” he reminded her. “I think I can handle an hour and a half. I’m more interested in what’s pulling you away, though, but I’ll be patient.”

  She closed the space between them and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

  He hugged her good night and left out the patio door, the motion lights instantly kicking on and lighting his path down the drive toward the back of the garage where his apartment was. The thousand-square-foot add-on wasn’t too large or too small. The space was perfect for him and Macy figured he was finally glad to have his own space. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. For the first time in forever, he was living on his own. He’d married her mother right out of high school, then when she’d passed, Macy had moved back into the hardware store apartment, so he’d never truly been alone.

  This whole new chapter in their lives would take some getting used to, but this was for the best. She needed space and he did, too. Granted she’d never brought a man back to her house because this was her space and nobody had impressed her enough to deserve to come here.

  She’d actually only been on a handful of dates since Liam came back. Suddenly, the appeal just wasn’t there. But she needed to figure something out. Either she needed to be bold and make a move, forcing his hand, or she needed to move on before he completely turned her world inside out.

  A sliver of giddiness spread through her as she realized that she was quite possibly turning him inside out, too. He wouldn’t be so cranky, yet caring, and confess his need to kiss her if she wasn’t getting under his skin. More than once she’d seen him barely hanging on to his control. What she wouldn’t give to have him snap and just tell her what he truly wanted.

  Macy crossed back to where her phone lay on her limestone countertop. She loved every aspect of her new home, loved even more that a friend had helped design and build it. Zach was definitely the only person she would’ve considered for the job.

  Leaving her phone to charge, she thumbed through her texts. One was from a guy asking her out, and the other was from Sophie, wondering if Macy wanted to get together for girls’ night one day next week.

  Only one of those messages received a yes . . . which just proved how wrapped up with Liam she was. Really, it was absurd to allow her mind to focus on one man for this amount of time. This wasn’t like her, but she couldn’t help but wonder. There was so much energy surrounding them whenever they were together.

  She’d always found him to be intriguing in high school, in that quiet, mysterious way. Now more than ever she wanted to dig deeper, to find out what made him tick. Macy wasn’t one to throw herself at a man, and being flirty didn’t count. All of that was superficial. She refused to be that clinging, I-need-attention girl, too. What she wanted from Liam was so much more. She wanted into his world for reasons she wasn’t ready to explain even to herself.

  With a sigh, Macy pushed away from the counter and turned. Her gaze landed on the calendar hanging on the side of her refrigerator. In bold, red letters she’d penned in her father’s birthday. She should do something for him. Going out to dinner wasn’t new for them, considering she couldn’t boil water without setting off her smoke alarm. Besides, just taking him out to dinner wasn’t special enough for a sixtieth birthday.

  The idea hit her so hard, so fast, she wanted to squeal and jump up and down. A surprise party. That was so the answer. Phil Hayward was such a loved man in the community of Haven. He and their store were staples in the center of town. People would no doubt love to come and celebrate. But she was limited on planning time. She had no idea where to have the party, but worse yet, she had no idea what to serve. Store-bought cake and chips with dip were not options.

  That initial idea snowballed into another because she knew someone who did cook. He was phenomenal, actually. But she didn’t want to use this party as a way to get closer to him. That would be seriously pathetic, and the surprise wasn’t about her trying to get Liam to face whatever feelings he may or may not have. She legitimately wanted to throw her dad an amazing celebration.... She just needed a little help.

  One glance to the clock and she figured now would be as good a time as any to get this ball rolling. Excitement bubbled within her. She couldn’t wait to plan this party and see her dad’s face when he realized how many people wanted to share his special day.

  Macy would definitely have to enlist the help of Sophie, who was a whiz at planning things. In addition to being a real estate agent, the woman was a meticulous organizer. Plus, she’d been diligent in getting the word out about Bella Vous, so spreading the word around town about a party shouldn’t be a problem. Macy just needed everyone to keep it under wraps because she wanted nothing more than to catch her father off guard and surprise him.

  But her entire plan all started with catching another man off guard.

  * * *

  Was Liam ignoring her? His black SUV was parked behind the store, but she’d knocked for a while now. Maybe she shouldn’t assume she was welcome. He’d tried to keep his distance and maybe he didn’t want to associate with her any more than necessary.

  Well, too damn bad. Macy had a party to plan and a father to surprise. Her fist pounded once again, until the door flew open and—

  Oh. My. Word. Whatever she’d come here for had completely slipped her mind because right now Liam Monroe stood in his doorway wearing black running shorts. Only black running shorts. Earbuds dangling around his neck, hands wrapped in tape, and a sexy amount of sweat all over that bare, broad chest completed that mouthwatering view. That ink across his pec and up to his shoulder glistened, rendering her speechless. Seriously, when someone was built like this, shouldn’t spectators take the time to appreciate the entire package?

  Her eyes traveled with the bead of sweat that trickled from the side of his neck, down his collarbone, and directly over perfectly toned muscles.

  His heavy breathing only led to thoughts she shouldn’t be having, not that scolding herself changed anything. The images were still there. Sweat never looked so good on a man.

  “Macy?”

  She shifted her gaze up to his. He swiped his forehead with his forearm and tipped his head slightly to offer the smooth side of his face.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she told him, but she wasn’t about to apologize. Mercy sakes, she wasn’t one bit sorry she’d persisted in getting him to open the door. This sight alone would fuel her dreams for weeks, months.

  “I’m done now.”

  Which would explain why he hadn’t answered the door before. Clearly he’d been working out with his punching bag, if the tape on his knuckles was any indicator, and the earbuds had been in place. Oh, yeah. This was definitely worth the wait of knocking for several minutes.

  “I just needed to borrow some recipe cards or cookbooks. Whatever you have that you can loan me for a few days.”

  Liam’s brows drew together, his fingers wrapped around the edge of the door as he shifted his stance. “Recipe cards?”


  Why was he looking at her like that was an absurd request? He was a chef, wasn’t he? Although right now he looked like he could do more heating up in the bedroom than the kitchen.

  Okay, that was a cheesy thought, but her brain was malfunctioning at the moment due to the half-naked hottie before her.

  “I want to throw a surprise birthday party for my dad,” she explained, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jeans. The sharp stab to her palm from the teeth on her keys kept her in check. “I can’t cook to save my life, but I can read, so I figure I can attempt to follow a recipe. I’ll need to borrow some of your easier ones, though.”

  For a split second she couldn’t read his expression and feared he was about to close the door in her face. But then he threw his head back and laughed. A full-blown laugh from the gut. She couldn’t remember a time she’d actually heard him laugh. Surely she had when they’d been younger, but she couldn’t place it. And she wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear it now, considering she was the butt of whatever private joke he was sharing with himself.

  Pulling her hands out, Macy crossed her arms and tilted her chin. “What is so funny?” she had to practically yell so she could make sure he heard her.

  Once he composed himself, there was still a shimmer of pleasure in his dark eyes. Okay, so maybe she didn’t mind taking the hit to the ego if he was going to have a moment of happiness. Now that she thought about it, she not only hadn’t heard him laugh, she rarely ever saw him smile.

  “I don’t have recipe cards or a cookbook.” His face sobered instantly. “Well, I have one cookbook, but I won’t loan it out.”

  “How do you cook if you don’t have anything?” Between the laughter and his obvious lack of wanting to help, Macy was more than done here. “If you don’t want to help, that’s fine, but I thought you would have something simple I could try to do. Forget I stopped by.”

  Macy turned and started for the steps, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

  “Don’t go. I didn’t mean to laugh.”

  She threw a glare over her shoulder. “I’m pretty sure you did.”