Page 22 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

I walked home barefoot, ignoring peoples’ worried glances. It was just after ten at night but there were a few people outside the bar and strolling along the Main Street. My feet were tired. My bones ached. Even my hair hurt. Every step shot pain up my legs. My blisters begged for mercy, but finally, I arrived at the inn.

I would take the hottest shower I could, sleep until noon, and tomorrow, I’d burn these clothes in a barrel fire and finalize my renovation plans for the inn. On the front porch, I reached for my bag to get my keys.

I wasn’tholdingmy bag.

My bag was at the bar.

My keys were in the bag.

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips hard together to hold in the scream. A deep breath, in and out, scented with putrid muck.

I couldn’t walk back to the bar. I’d rather sleep in the flowerbeds than walk all the way back.

On the second floor, I had left a window open.

I climbed the lattice on the exterior of the inn. The vines weaving up the structure looked pretty from the ground but when I had to reach through the leaves to grab hold of the wood, something brushed my ankle and I squeaked. It could have been a leaf, but it also could have been a spider. Or a rat.

“God, I hate nature,” I whispered, wincing and shaking my ankle in the air.

I climbed another rung on the lattice and the piece of wood under my foot broke. I let out another squeak, clinging to the lattice. The rung under my other foot creaked.

At the top, I hoisted myself over the window sill, stumbled into the bedroom upstairs, tripped over a box of paint supplies, and landed flat on my butt. A spike of pain hit my tailbone but I pushed the scream of anger and frustration back down before I lay back on the floor to catch my breath.

My hair was gross, there was grease under my nails, and there was a smushed French fry between my toes. The next six months would suck.

The deal I had struck with Holden appeared in my head, and my chest flickered with stubborn resolve. Grant didn’t crush my spirit.

I wasn’t leaving Queen’s Cove without finding Holden Rhodes a wife.

10

Sadie

I was workingon more renderings of the inn renovation the next morning when Willa called.

“Heyyyy,” I answered with a big grin, setting my brush down.

“Hey, gorgeous. How’s the trip home going?”

Oops. I forgot to tell her my plans had changed. “Well,” I started, chuckling. “Katherine left me the inn.”

There was silence on the other end.

“So I guess you’re not interested in having a little party next weekend?”

When the whole Grant thing happened, I couldn’t pay rent on my expensive apartment, so I spent a month sleeping in Willa’s living room. I didn’t even have to ask her, she just moved me into her place. We had met in a painting class back in university, and lived together for four years before I moved in with my boyfriend at the time, Luke, the painter.

I never should have moved out. Living with Willa was a blast. We’d make dinner together while dancing in the kitchen to music or listening to a TV show in the background. We’d host themed dinner parties with all our friends. No matter how tired or hungover we were, we’s always drag our butts out the door for Sunday brunch.

Being roommates with Willa was one of the best periods of my life. After Grant, Willa was right by my side.

Best friends are special, I thought with a little knot in my throat.

As I filled her in on the inheritance, the inn renovations, and the weird deal Holden and I had struck, I glanced around the sitting room. The light was incredible in here in the morning, and the view of the ocean was spectacular. I could picture people lounging in here, drinking their coffee and chatting about their plans for the day while they visited the small town.

Once I had finished, she let out a loud laugh. “Youdidtell the universe you wanted a distraction.”

“What? When?”

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