Page 121 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

Last night changed my life.

There was a light knock at the door of the conference room and Emmett popped his head in with a grin.

“Hey, everyone. What’s going on?”

“Holden is smiling at people,” Zara answered.

Emmett laughed. “Weird. Mind if I stay?” he asked me, taking a seat.

I shook my head. “Not all at.” He probably wanted to speak to me after the meeting about something.

As the next project manager reviewed her project, I tilted my head side to side, stretching my neck. Last night, Sadie and I fell asleep in the blanket fort and I woke up with her cuddled up into my chest, breathing softly and looking so fucking perfect, like an angel. My neck and back were stiff from sleeping on the floor but I wouldn’t change a thing. I saw the flicker of hesitation in her eyes when I suggested we go upstairs to my room. One step at a time.

Spending time with her last night made my solitary, quiet home feel like our own world. I loved having her there.

Her expression before she came as I buried deep inside her replayed in my head and I bit back a groan. She was so fuckingperfect. She was made for me in every way and I hoped I was for her too. After last night with her, I understood intimacy.

“Holden?” Emmett’s voice jarred me from my daydream and I blinked.

“Hmm?”

He grinned at me and gestured around the table. “Were you going to announce the news we got this morning?”

My stomach tensed. Emmett still checked his email from time to time, and all the business development emails were automatically copied to him. I wasn’t planning on telling everyone yet because I hadn’t figured out what to do about it. The second I read the email, dread pitched in my stomach.

“As you all know, I was in Victoria this past week in negotiations for the twelve apartment buildings which will contribute to affordable housing on the island.” My throat knotted. “We received the contract this morning.”

“That’s great news,” Aiden said, beaming. “That project is huge.”

My stomach churned with misery.

“You must have wowed them,” Gurneet added.

“Somehow, he charmed them.” Emmett grinned. “The project should secure work for the next four years.”

I should be thrilled. Four years of work for the company meant more security for the staff. Affordable, environmentally responsible housing for the community benefited low-income families. Our work was exceptional so the apartments would be safe and high quality.

The job benefited everyone. Good things all around.

So why did it seem like this was the worst thing that had happened to me in months?

It hit me. Because of Sadie.

No more weekend adventures. No more time at the inn, teaching her to knock down walls and figuring out how to turn Katherine’s old side table into a bathroom vanity. No more forest walks.

This was going to be so much fucking work. I already had a full plate. Balancing the inn and work was already a struggle, and this would tip the balance. Something had to give.

My phone call with Sadie flickered into my head, just before the tree fell on the inn. I wanted to make space for good things in my life. I wanted to make a change, but I didn’t know how.

Maybe this was how. I glanced at Aiden across the table, chatting with Emmett. Panic streaked through me at the idea of handing this massive responsibility to him.

Aiden ran smaller projects all the time with no issues. He understood the importance of our safety procedures and I’d never had an issue with him ignoring them. He cared about his work and his crew. How would he grow in his career if I never gave him bigger projects?

This project was bigger than anything he’d ever tackled, but Aiden had never let me down. Besides, I wasn’t giving up control of the company. I would still be checking in daily with him, making sure the project was on track. I’d make regular site visits.

I only had a few months left with Sadie and if I wanted to make the most of my time with her, this is what I had to do, even if it fucking terrified me.

“Hey,” I called to Aiden as everyone began standing and leaving. “Do you have a second? You, too,” I added to Emmett.

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