Free Against the Wall by Rebecca Zanetti

buried in the papers.
    “I believe so, yes.” Sophie tightened her knees so she didn’t tremble.
    “That was gutsy, since the county commissioners could refuse their permit,” Freddie chimed in.
    Sophie nodded. “The Group seems confident the law will allow the development. Their lawyers are more up to date with the legal aspects of the proposal. My area of focus is just the golf course.”
    “This does look like a fun course,” June mused. Her deep eyes emerged large and round from thick glasses. “Look at those sand traps around the fifth green.”
    Jacob nodded. “And the water hazard on the sixteenth hole. Man, that’d be fun.”
    Loni grinned. “This is a wonderful design, Sophie. I like how the residential lots are two entire acres while keeping the feel of the country. The council meets again tomorrow, and we’ll discuss an official position on your proposal.”
    The council had been more receptive than Sophie had hoped. Pleasure lifted her lips in a smile and her shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.” She retook her seat.
    “Our next item on the agenda is Willa’s Garden at the base of the road.” Loni perched narrow glasses on her nose.
    The group peppered her with suggestions—everything from a gazebo to flowerbeds and ponds.
    Loni turned toward Sophie. “Willa served on the council until she became too ill and passed away. She taught school for thirty years before that and never married. The tribe was her family.”
    “So was the entire community, tribal or not,” June spoke up.
    The loving way the board spoke about Willa touched Sophie. Ideas shot through her head. A community garden? “How much land are we talking? Do you want fields for sports?”
    Loni shook her head. “No. In fact, we’re going to build an entire sports complex on the other side of the high school. That could be your next project. But for Willa’s Garden, we just want peace and tranquility.”
    Sophie’s hands itched to get ahold of her charcoals and start designing. But she’d never designed a garden. “Well, I can draft up a design for you and then see what you think.”
    “By Wednesday?” June’s eyes lit up.
    Sophie nodded, trying to contain her own excitement. “I can have a rough design by then.”
    “Excellent.” Earl leaped to his feet. “Come on guys, bingo starts in an hour at the casino.” The other two men tossed their empty plates into the trash and followed him out the door.
    “Thanks again, Sophie,” Freddie called over his shoulder.
    Sophie smiled. They’d drawn her in as if she were one of them. Being included shouldn’t matter to her. Yet she couldn’t lose the smile. She stood to help Loni clear the rest of the table. She expected a handshake, but both ladies gave her gentle hugs on their way out the door.
    A deep voice from the doorway startled her. “Drop those sandwiches, Mom.” Jake strode into the room, his eyes on the food as his mother handed over the plate.
    Sophie had thought the man was devastating in chaps. That was nothing compared to his look in full charcoal-gray Armani. The strength of his upper torso was evident through the dark silk, and his red tie breathed of power. The subtle stripe in his pants emphasized the impressive length of his legs. Butterflies danced in her stomach.
    She lived in a big city. Muscles were earned in gyms and exercise rooms. Jake earned his the hard way—outdoors battling nature, lending a wildness to a man she should resist. Men like him didn’t exist in her world, and she didn’t fit in with theirs. But those butterflies beat with furious wings and didn’t give a hoot about logic. Or safety.
    She needed to shut her mouth before she drooled.
    His dimple winked and his gaze slid over her face like a kid eyeing licorice in a candy store. Her gaze dropped to his lips. She remembered how his mouth felt against hers, his tongue tangling with hers, and she flushed. His lips curved in response.
    “How was court, dear?” Loni pushed the plate of