Page 3 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

Elizabeth took the seat I was in and I hesitated before taking the only remaining chair beside Holden.

The second I sat down, his masculine scent teased my nose. Butterflies flitted around inside my stomach. He smelled like a mix of deodorant, shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent. Fresh, clean, and masculine. I wanted to grab his t-shirt in my fists and huff it.

I hated that he smelled so good.

The lawyer opened her folder and began to read Katherine’s will. My fingers strayed to the ends of my ponytail as she recited all the legal stuff. Someone walked by the door and when I turned, my ponytail brushed Holden’s shoulder.

He flinched and glared at me. “Can you sit still for five minutes?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re so uptight.”

The lawyer cleared her throat, watching us. Elizabeth glanced between me and Holden with glittering eyes and a weird, knowing smile.

“Sorry,” I said with an apologetic expression. “Please continue.”

She continued reading. “The Water’s Edge Inn is to go to Sadie Waters and Holden Rhodes.”

The room was silent.

“I’m sorry.” I blinked at her. “What?”

2

Holden

Fuck.

She wasgorgeous. She wasn’t supposed to be gorgeous.

For fifteen years, Sadie Waters had lingered in the back of my mind, and after all this time, she got even prettier.

Same long, shiny brown hair, tied up in a ponytail. A plush mouth that made an O when she saw me sitting here in the conference room. Those dark green eyes as they raked over my shoulders with interest.

I couldn’t breathe. I knew she’d be here and it still blindsided me, seeing her standing there at the door.

She rattled me. Around her, I couldn’t think of anything to say. I wanted to listen to her talk, wanted to wrap that shiny hair around my fist and tilt her head back so I could look into her eyes, and I wanted her to smile at me.

She’s engaged, I told myself. Even if she could stand to be around me, even if she didn’t think I was an asshole, it wasn’t going to happen.

Frustration rolled through my shoulders as I shifted in my chair. God, I was pathetic.

Thank fuck she was leaving tomorrow.

The lawyer finished reading the will and I stared at her.

I must have heard wrong.

“I’m sorry.” Sadie leaned forward. “What?” She lifted a delicate hand and gestured between us. “Us. Together. Sadie Waters and Holden Rhodes. Fifty-fifty.”

My chest flipped when she said my name, and I swallowed. Focus, I told myself.

“That’s correct.” The lawyer handed Sadie a set of keys. “Elizabeth, do you have the other set?”

The inn was supposed to go to Sadie’s parents or my mom, since she was the executor of Katherine’s will.

Not Sadie, who didn’t live here and hadn’t bothered to visit in fifteen years, and not me. Sure, I helped Katherine over the years if she needed things fixed around the place, but I wasn’t family.

Sure, I worked there growing up and I was close with Katherine. She taught me how to fix a sink, how to build a bookcase, how to manage staff. Katherine sparked my interest in building things, and was the reason I started in construction.

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