Page 59 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

“Um. Someone thought my painting was his and he got offended.” I shrugged and gave Holden anI’m finesmile.

He frowned deeper. “Sadie. That guy was a fucking asshole. You’re talented.”

I rolled my eyes and waved him off. “He had a fragile ego, and he thought he was more advanced than me.” Still, my chest fluttered when Holden defended me. “I guess he was, since I’ve only sold one painting my entire life, and that was to Katherine.” I tilted my head at Holden. “Do you know what happened to that painting? I didn’t see it in the inn.”

He froze and his eyebrows lifted. His gaze shot to mine and he shook his head.

I shrugged. “Probably went to the thrift store.”

We walked on through the quiet forest. A bird chirped on a branch above us and the sun peaked through the tree cover. A hundred feet away, a creek trickled and bubbled.

“If this place makes your problems disappear, I’ll have to bring you back,” Holden murmured.

I studied his handsome face. Against the dark green forest and his black parka, his eyes burned bright. No man should look this good in a parka.

Holden and I were friends, I realized. I couldn’t use the excuses I was just helping him find someone or renovating the inn, because what were we doing right now, in the forest? We weren’t going to find a wife for him out here amongst the squirrels.

Holden and I had become friends, and I wasn’t upset about it. I liked spending time with him. After we got past the initial grumpiness, he was pretty easy to chat with, and when he got irritated with me, I loved it.

He was nice to me. He brought me coffees and made sure I got home okay from the bar.

“Is that the guy you were engaged to?” Holden asked quietly as we crossed a small bridge over the creek.

“No. Different guy.”

He made a noise of acknowledgement in his throat, and I was grateful he didn’t push the issue.

My mouth twisted and a funny pressure rose in my chest.

Iwantedto tell him about Grant.

I didn’t the other day, when we worked on the inn late at night, but right now, walking in the forest, after he talked about painting and art? I’d changed my mind.

We were friends, after all.

“He stole a lot of money from me,” I blurted out, and my pulse went nuts. My gaze swung to the ground, a tree stump, the sky—anywhere but Holden. “The guy I was engaged to. Like, a lot. He encouraged me to start an interior design firm with him and then he stole the business loan. So. Um.” I shrugged at the ground. “No company, no money, no fiancé.”

Holden stopped walking. His eyes flashed with fury.

“That’s why you need two hundred grand?” he asked, voice low and careful but his eyes flashed.

I gave him a tiny nod.

“Fucking hell, Sadie.”

Pain and defensiveness wrenched in my chest. Ugh.

“I know, okay!” I winced. “I was so stupid to trust him with access to my accounts. I rushed into things with him. I made mistake after mistake and it’s all my fault. The detectives made sure I knew how much I fucked up. I know.” I rubbed my temples. “I’ve learned from my mistake.”

“Sadie.” His hands came to my shoulders. “Look at me.”

“No.” I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to see the judgement in his eyes. Ugh. Why did I tell him? So dumb. I always opened my big mouth.

“Sadie.” He squeezed my shoulders gently and one of his hands came to the back of my neck. His palm was warm and comforting. “Please look at me.”

Against all my judgement, I opened my eyes.

The expression on his face, so caring, concerned, and worried, melted the words right out of my mouth.

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