Page 49 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

Next garbage day, I’d throw it into the bin first thing in the morning, and never see that thing again.

20

Sadie

“I heardyou’re into some weird alien sex stuff,” Olivia said at the bar that night.

“Oh my god.” I rolled my eyes. “This town is ridiculous.”

She smirked at me. “People talk.”

“That was a mixup from a store. I didn’t buy that. It’s not for me.”

She shrugged. “You don’t need to be embarrassed.”

“It’s notmine.” I started laughing out of frustration. “If it was mine, why would I throw it in the garbage? Wouldn’t I keep it?”

Olivia glanced over her shoulder from where she was cutting limes. “I don’t really want to think about what you’d do with it.”

I grinned at her. “Now you’re messing with me.”

She grinned back. “A little.” Something caught her attention over my shoulder and she nodded. “Hey.”

Holden took his seat at the bar and nodded at me. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

My heart gave a strange flutter.

Stop that, I told it.

A few minutes later, Hannah and a woman with shoulder-length auburn hair took the seats beside Holden.

“Emmett’s wife,” I said when Avery introduced herself. “Elizabeth told me all about your restaurant.”

She smiled. “How are you liking being back in town?”

I leaned on the bar. “You know, I had this image in my head of Queen’s Cove being so boring and sleepy, but I was only sixteen when I visited. The guys were always working and besides spending time with Katherine, there wasn’t that much for me to do.” I tilted my chin at Holden, whose eyes were on the TV. “And this one was such a dickhead, no wonder it took me fifteen years to come back.”

The corner of his mouth turned up but his gaze stayed glued to the TV.

“How are the inn renos going?” Hannah asked.

I filled her in on the progress. “I did another bathroom today and I’ll probably finish by the end of the week.”

Holden’s gaze shot to mine. “You tiled a bathroom today?”

I nodded. “Was I supposed to wait for you?”

He frowned. “It’s a lot of work for one person.”

“I have lots of time on my hands.”

He gave me a long look over the rim of his beer before he glanced back at the TV. Was he disappointed I worked ahead without him? It was more fun working alongside someone else, but he had a full-time job. He couldn’t be at the inn every day.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Are you hungry, honey?”

His gaze returned to mine and his eyes flashed with interest.

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