Page 85 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

“Sounds nice.” He glanced at me. “Like marriage.”

I stared at the TV above the bar. “A dog doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Katherine wished she got married,” he murmured, eyes on the hockey highlights. “She never found the love of her life. She told me she wished she had put more effort in. She thought the right person would show up when it was time.”

I considered his words. She had never mentioned this to me.

“I promised her I’d try,” he added.

What if I was like Katherine? What if I never met the right person? I frowned.

Olivia rounded the corner from the back hallway, holding my coat. “It’s dry now. I’ll hang it in the back room.”

“Thank you,” I called after her.

Holden shot me a questioning glance.

“I went for a forest walk today but it started raining,” I explained. “Things take forever to air dry out here and I don’t want it to stink so I asked Olivia if I could put it in the dryer on low for a bit.”

The walk had been serene. Just me, the trees, and a few squirrels. Right before the rain started, fog had drifted through the trees, and I had snapped a quick picture to remember the moment.

He frowned. “You need a better coat.”

I shrugged. “I like my coat. It’s warm.”

“It’s not waterproof, though. You need something for the rain.” He glanced down at my sneakers. “And you need better shoes.”

By the time I arrived back to the inn after my walk, my shoes had been soggy and muddy. He had a point.

“You think you’ll ever change your mind?” Holden asked, eyes still on the TV.

“Hmm?”

“About getting married.”

“No.” The answer flew out of my mouth.

He cleared his throat. “You sound certain.”

“I am.” I shook my head. “I pick wrong all the time and it’s just a piece of paper.”

“It’s not just a piece of paper.” He frowned deeper. “It’s a commitment. It’s someone loving you enough to choose you forever, over everyone else.”

“It’s an anchor,” I bit back. “It gives another person control over your life. I almost married a guy who I didn’t even know, Holden. I didn’t even know his real name.” I let out a sharp laugh. “I guess our marriage wouldn’t have been real if he wasn’t using his real name.” I sighed and rubbed my temples. “I see what you’re saying, and it’s one of those ‘good for you but not for me’ things.”

We studied each other.

“Okay,” he said, expression unreadable.

“Okay.” I shrugged.

I wanted to get up and leave, because it was uncomfortable now, but I didn’t want to leave it like that with him.

“I always pick people who let me down,” I admitted.

He studied my face with a crease between his eyebrows, like he wanted to say something. My stomach flipped.

“So,” I said in a more casual tone. “I bet you have your wedding all planned out.”

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