SWNOVELS In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes: Chapter 52
I STARED at the treehouse in the woods, surrounded by twinkle lights. My heart beat hard in my chest and my eyes stung like I was going to cry. A metal staircase wrapped around the tree, leading to the platform twenty feet in the air.
“How did you…?” I trailed off, jaw slack as I took it all in.
Holden took my hand and tugged me towards the bottom of the staircase. “Come on.”
He led me up the winding steps, our footsteps clinking against the metal until we reached the platform, where he opened the door and I stepped inside.
My breath caught. It was my treehouse, the one I had told him about while we wandered through the forest. Four barstools sat around the counter, and behind the bar, a wall of windows overlooked the forest and the tiny, sparkling lights. A small antique chandelier hung above the bar, casting a soft glow over everything while a record spun. The record player sat on a shelf built into the wall, playing speakeasy jazz music over the speakers installed in the ceiling. The other shelves were stocked with multi-colored liquor bottles and cocktail glasses.
My gaze landed on the wallpaper and my heart stopped. I covered my mouth with my hand.
“Holden,” I said through my fingers. “That’s my wallpaper.”
Red wine and navy blue stripes, with gold and white birds floating every foot. The one I had designed years ago.
The treehouse was beautiful, like something out of a fairytale, filled with magic and whimsy. My heart lit up like a sparkler on a birthday cake.
And it was for me. Holden built this for me.
It clicked. The phone calls he didn’t want me to overhear. The drywallers taking three days to fix a window when it was a job that should have taken one. It all made sense now.
“Why?” As soon as the word was out of my mouth, I knew the answer.
He stared down at me, intense and serious, and my hand automatically came to his arm.
“Because I love you,” he said, simply. “It’s always been you, Sadie, and now I know that. You wanted a piece of Toronto here, and I’d do anything to make you happy.”
His words plucked strings in my chest, filling my heart. I never knew I wanted to hear those words so badly. My throat clutched with emotion and I blinked at him.
“You don’t have to say anything.” He searched my eyes. “That’s not why I said it. I want you to know you’re perfect and the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and I love everything about you.”
“Even the weird blow-up doll jokes?” I whispered as a tear leaked down my cheek.
He took my face in his hands, gazing at me with more affection than I had ever seen, and I could have died of happiness.
“Yes, Sadie, even when you joke about me and that stupid doll, I love you.” He pressed a kiss to my mouth and I sighed into him, kissing him back.
I pulled back to study the space again. “I don’t want to go to dinner,” I admitted with a laugh. “This place is heaven.”
His expression warmed. “We don’t have to.” He moved around behind the bar and lifted a brown paper bag onto the counter. “Avery dropped off dinner so we could eat here.”
He unpacked the food and I hopped up onto the bar stool, gaze still roaming the space, taking in every detail.
I sighed with happiness before my gaze landed on Holden. “Holden. It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you did this for me.”
The proud, warm expression on his face made me forget every bad thing that had happened in the last year. “I’d do anything for you.”
I came around the bar, rested my hands on his chest, and felt his heart beat through his shirt. Holden Rhodes was fucking perfect, and here I was, humming and hawing about what to do next.
Even if I had my dream job back in Toronto, even if Willa and I were moving into the best, cheapest apartment in town, even if I had made Holden a deal that I’d find him a wife, I couldn’t.
I’d never find another man like Holden Rhodes.
My conversation with Elizabeth from her anniversary party replayed in my head, and what she had said about taking a risk.
A tear leaked out of my eyes and I wiped it away. The answer was so obvious.
“Why are you crying?” he asked softly, stroking my hair with his hand.
I sniffed and another tear spilled over. “Because I’m so happy with you. I love you, and I don’t want to leave.”
Wow. There it was, out in the open.
He searched my eyes. “You love me?”
I nodded, gazing up into his eyes. “So much. More than anyone.” More tears rolled down my face. “And I don’t want to find you a stupid wife.”
He burst out laughing and I chuckled. His arm wrapped around me to pull me into his chest and he lowered his mouth to mine, pausing an inch from my lips, watching me.
“Sadie, I have some bad news.”
I frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m firing you as my matchmaker.”
My face burst into a smile and I leaned up to kiss him. The scrape of his stubble against my skin soothed me and when he coaxed my mouth open to taste me, I sighed into him.
“Stay with me,” he murmured against my lips in between kisses. “Let’s keep being happy.” His gaze seared me, it was so intense. His eyes were electric as he searched mine. “We’ll figure everything out.”
There was a long list of questions in my head. What about Claire? What about Willa? What about my debt? What would I do for work?
I didn’t care, though. Like he said, we’d figure it out. I just wanted to keep being happy with him.
If I didn’t stay, I knew I’d regret it.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Okay?” His brow creased with concern. “Are you sure? This has to be your decision.”
I nodded and another tear fell over the edge. His thumb wiped it away. “It’s my decision. I want to stay with you. We’ll figure everything out and it’ll be okay.”
I’d remember the smile he gave me until my dying day, the look of total adoration, relief, and elation that the uncertainty between us had vanished. He leaned down and kissed me hard, and my hands threaded into his hair.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he told me in between kisses. “I was hoping it so hard. I love you so fucking much, Sadie.”
The dam broke inside me and I laughed with relief against his mouth. It felt so good to lean into his love and let it happen. I sighed.
He pressed one last kiss to me before pulling back and grinning at me. “Let’s eat.”
We sat down at the bar counter and dished out the pasta while Holden told me about the process to build the treehouse. He designed it with the help of his dad and the hardware store owner. He had a local company fabricate the panels in their shop and everything was stored at the Rhodes Construction warehouse. Avery and Elizabeth and even Olivia helped during the day, putting up wallpaper and arranging glassware. I flushed with pleasure at the idea of everyone helping to build it for me. Like I was special to them.
“You didn’t go to work?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “I took three days off.”
I gaped at him. “Who are you?”
The pride on his features warmed me down to my toes.
He sat back in his chair, thinking. “I’m trying to cut back. I like spending my weekends with you.”
I offered him a soft, wistful smile. “I love our weekend adventures.”
“Good.” His eyebrows tilted up. “Let’s keep doing them.”
I beamed at him and ate a bite of pasta. “Deal.”
After we had finished dinner, I took one last look around the space, glancing out at the twinkling lights. I bet those old trees had never seen something like this in their lifetime.
Holden watched me with that smile I had grown to love.
An idea rushed into my head and my mouth fell open. Holden quirked his brow at me.
These past few weeks, I had been struggling to paint, but now, inspiration hit me like a freight train.
“Holden, when we get home, can I paint you?”
He was silent for a long moment.
“I want to remember this night forever, and I’d like to paint your portrait.” I studied his face. “Please?”
He shot me a crooked grin. “Sadie, you don’t even have to ask. I’m yours to do whatever you want with.”
“Good,” I whispered.
Tonight, I’d show Holden Rhodes I loved him.