SWNOVELS In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes: Chapter 15
“LOOK WHO’S IN HIS LAIR,” Emmett said at the door to my office. He glanced at his watch. “It’s quitting time, don’t you think?”
“Just finishing up,” I lied.
“Liar.” Emmett dropped into the chair. He was in running clothes. “I was out for a run and saw your office light on.”
This shit again. “There are a lot of things going on right now. New projects, wrapping up old projects, hiring more people.”
He studied me for a moment with a thoughtful expression. “So pass off some of the work onto the leads. That’s why we created those roles.”
“I like doing it.”
“You like staying until nine every night?” He arched an eyebrow.
I sighed. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore. What was I going to say? I didn’t trust anyone else to do it. Emmett trusted me to run the company while he was mayor. Once his term finished, he’d come back and he could take some of the workload back.
“Shouldn’t you be home with your wife?” I asked.
“She’s at the restaurant tonight. It’s boring at home without her.”
I held back a groan. I didn’t want to hear more about how much the guy loved his wife. I knew. We all knew. Him and Wyatt talked about it nonstop. Sometimes, it was a bit much. It was like someone talking about how much money they had. People got it. He didn’t need to rub it in.
Emmett shifted in the chair, balancing his elbow on the arm. “Something I want to talk to you about.”
I frowned. “Go on.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the future.” He rubbed his forehead. Discomfort flashed across his face and my eyes narrowed.
“What is it?”
He nodded. “When my term is up next year, I’m going to run again. I like being the mayor. I don’t like all the bureaucratic bullshit and red tape and stubborn fuckers who don’t like change, but I like being involved in the community and making a difference.” He took a deep breath and shrugged. “It feels like my purpose, you know?”
Rhodes Construction used to feel like that until Emmett left and my role changed.
Now I didn’t know what my purpose was.
I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms.
Emmett shot me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I know this is a change in plans.”
“It’s fine.” I stared at the carpet, brain whirring with the next steps.
Emmett wasn’t coming back, and there was no end in sight to this.
He leaned back and studied me. “We should talk about bringing someone on board.”
The idea of handing over half the company to someone made my skin crawl. I couldn’t picture anyone but Emmett in the role.
“No.” I shook my head. “Not this again.”
He groaned. “You are so fucking stubborn. And you’re a control freak.”
I thought about what Sadie said, about me not being able to find anyone because I was a workaholic. I wasn’t a workaholic. I hated working late, but our work was dangerous. Construction sites were full of hazards, and even though we had rigorous safety measures and procedures, a pinching thought always lingered in the back of my mind.
Something could happen, and it was my job to keep everyone safe. It was my responsibility.
Any time my grip on things relaxed, I heard the sickening crunch as Finn fell from the tree in our back yard, when we were kids. I was fourteen and he was ten, and I was supposed to be watching him while everyone was out, but I was gaming in the living room.
Finn cracked his skull. He was unconscious. He could have died. I still heard my mom’s scream echoing in my mind. They came home just as he fell and raced him to the hospital.
I glared at Emmett, folding my arms over my chest. There was no fucking way I was letting go of the company. It was too much of a risk.
He studied me for a moment, his brow furrowing. “What do you want out of life, Holden?”
My chest constricted. “I want you to stop harping about bringing another partner in.”
“Seriously.” He leaned forward, concern written all over his face. “Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
In my home, with a partner who I loved and who loved me. A couple kids, and a dog or a cat, whatever my person wanted. I didn’t care, as long as she was happy.
The work part was a huge blank. I pictured myself here in my office, working late while my family was at home, eating dinner. Coming in on weekends and missing baseball games and piano recitals. My future partner’s disappointment as I got home late or pulled my laptop out after the kids went to bed.
Something pinched under my ribs.
“I won’t let you down,” I told him. “I’ve got this.”
“I know you do.” He frowned. “That’s not the issue.”
I unhooked my laptop and slid it into my bag. “I’m getting dinner. You wanna join?”
“No, thanks.” He stood and followed me out of my office. “Avery’s off soon, I’m going to head home.”
No surprise there. Why spend time with anyone else when you can hang out with the love of your life? We said goodbye and I crossed the street to the bar.
I walked into the bar and a wall of noise hit me. Classic rock played, people talked and laughed, and Sadie and Olivia cackled at something behind the bar.
My spirits lifted and my conversation with Emmett faded to the background.
“Sasquatch sighting,” Sadie called, pointing at me, and a few people laughed.
“You’re really dragging that joke out, huh?” I took my seat, slinging my laptop bag onto another stool.
She leaned forward with a teasing glint in her eyes. “I’m going to milk that joke.” Her gaze lifted to my hair and she raised an eyebrow. “Your hair is getting long.”
I blew a breath out and raked a hand through my hair. “The barber closes at six and is only open on weekdays.”
She rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Small town shit.” She shrugged and her gaze returned to my hair. “You can pull it off. You have nice hair.”
Warmth curled in my stomach and I tried not to smile. “You like my hair?”
She arched an eyebrow, amused. “Don’t be vain, Holden. That’s my thing.” She winked at me and my heart flipped over. She reached for a pint glass and poured a beer without asking.
She handed me a beer and I thanked her. She leaned on the counter and my eyes dropped to the neckline of her t-shirt. Her skin looked so soft, and this t-shirt hugged the swell of her tits.
Fuck, she had nice tits. Her dress at the boat party had dipped low and I had been picturing her cleavage for days.
My cock stirred but I ignored it, dragging my gaze up to her face.
“You’re wearing makeup.” I frowned. Her lips were more red than normal. “Lip stuff.
She shrugged. “I read on the internet that people get more tips when they wear makeup.”
Sharp discomfort twisted in my stomach and I frowned. “It’s a bunch of old married guys here.”
A grin pulled on her pretty mouth and I watched, fascinated. She glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “Maybe we can ask them for some pointers for you.”
I glowered at her and she bit her lip and grinned bigger.
I pictured her pretty mouth wrapped around my cock while she gazed up at me with those dark green eyes.
Oh fuck, that was a good image. Too good. I gripped my beer as blood rushed to my cock. I was half-hard, right here in the bar. I turned away, dragged in a sobering breath, and shoved the image out of my mind.
“When are you going out with Liya?” she asked.
Nerves twisted in my gut at the idea of a date.
“Wednesday night.”
She arched an eyebrow at me. “Nervous?”
“No.” I drank half my beer in one go.
She snorted. “Right, sure. Even if you’re not nervous, I have an idea.”
I shot her a wary look.
She wiggled her eyebrows at me with a big grin. “Practice date.”
“What?” My heart stopped.
“Practice date,” she repeated with more emphasis. “We’ll go on the date you’re going to take Liya on, and it’ll make you more comfortable for the real thing. You can practice conversation skills.”
My pulse sped up. A date with Sadie sounded… dangerous. And too good to be true.
She was so eager, though, and a trial run was a good idea.
Besides, I heard her the other day on the boat, loud and clear. No dating. No commitments. No attachments.
“Fine,” I gritted out, finishing the rest of my beer.
Her face lit up and she straightened to standing. “Great. Tuesday night?”
I jerked a nod. A customer caught her attention and she hustled off, and I watched her ass as she walked away.
A tight warmth built in my chest at the idea of us going out.
It’s a practice date, I told myself. It wasn’t real. She was helping me for the money.
You’re a catch, she had said on the boat.
I hated that I wanted that to be true. I wanted to impress her.
I pulled out my phone to plan our date.