Only in My Dreams

by Darcy Burke

  Liam resolutely crossed his arms. “I won’t change my mind. Is there something I can sign to transfer my share to the others?”

  “No. Alex worded his will very specifically. It’s yours whether you want it or not.”

  Hayden waved his hand toward the other end of the table where Evan and Kyle were seated. “So the three of them can just sit back and enjoy the profits that the four of us work to generate? That’s shittastic.”

  Liam scowled at Hayden. “I don’t want it.” He turned his scowl toward Aubrey. “Figure out a way for me to give it to them.”

  She pursed her lips. “That won’t be possible. Alex wanted all of you to contribute. I don’t think he wanted to make it easy for you not to.”

  Derek shook his head. “Can’t you all see that Alex wanted you to recapture your sense of family?”

  “I’m disappointed you won’t come home.” Dad’s authoritative voice took hold of the room. “Evan, there’s no reason you can’t relocate here. You don’t have to live in the house—I’ll find you a place. Liam, you could very easily carve time out of your schedule to participate. You’re the boss, for Christ’s sake. And Kyle.” His tone turned even darker. Sara couldn’t help but cringe, even though she was also disappointed in Kyle. “You’ve no excuse whatsoever. You think you do, but you don’t. I know it. You know it.”

  Kyle didn’t look at him.

  Evan finally glanced up from his pen, but he didn’t make eye contact with anyone, which wasn’t a surprise. “I’ll think about it.” He wouldn’t.

  Aubrey turned to the chair behind her and pulled two envelopes from her bag. “There’s one last thing. Alex wrote each of you a letter.” She walked behind Kyle and Tori and handed a manila envelope to Mom, then she skirted Sara’s chair and gave another to Dad. “Mr. and Mrs. Archer, Derek, he wanted you to have your letters immediately. The rest of you will receive yours in due time.” She delivered the third envelope to Derek, who set it in his lap and stared at some distant point behind Tori’s head.

  Tears leaked from Mom’s eyes and her hands shook as she looked down at the envelope. Dad was stone-faced, his palm flat atop his envelope, which sat on the table in front of him.

  An apprehensive tremor ran through Sara. What would her letter say? Right now, as unsettled as she felt, she wasn’t sure she wanted to read it and was relieved she didn’t have to.

  “I want my letter now,” Tori said, emotion coarsening her voice.

  Aubrey’s eyes shone with regret. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. Alex was very specific about when each of you would receive your letter.”

  “When?” Liam’s muscles clenched. His gaze was furious.

  Aubrey didn’t move from where she stood beside Dad. “I’m not allowed to divulge that information.” After a tense moment, she looked away from Liam. “So, Tori will manage the design aspects, Sara will be in charge of the event space, and Hayden and Derek will oversee the project?”

  “Sara won’t—” Tori started then abruptly closed her mouth. “We’ll work it out.”

  The frustration Sara had contained throughout the meeting surged over the banks of her control. She stalked forward, stopping a foot or so behind and between Evan and Derek so she could see Tori across the table. “I won’t what? Were you going to say I can’t be in charge of the event space?”

  Tori dashed the tissue across her nose and looked away from her. “I wasn’t.”

  “Bullshit,” Kyle said. “That’s exactly what you were going to say. Sara runs her own business, or haven’t you heard? Even I know that, and I’m clear across the goddamned country.”

  Again, Sara wanted to appreciate his sticking up for her, but it only reminded her that he’d abandoned her to do that for herself. And she’d learned quite well. “I don’t need you to fight my battles, Kyle. Tori, you have no idea what I can do. But maybe you don’t care either. More for you to control and to allow you to bask in the limelight, right?”

  It would be so easy for Sara to bolt. She wanted to—every part of her was screaming to get away from this oppressive environment—but that would only fuel their belief that she was somehow less capable than them. Instead she turned to Aubrey and lifted her chin. “Tell us what we need to do.”

  Aubrey’s gaze was warm and encouraging. It gave Sara a much-needed boost of support and helped calm her spiraling senses. “I’ll put a meeting together early next week for everyone involved. We’ll talk about big-picture plans.”

  Liam shifted his weight and folded his arms across his chest. He glanced at his siblings but directed most of his irritated stare at Aubrey. “You’ll need to think about schedules and permits and hiring contractors.”

  “Yeah, we’ll manage, thanks,” Derek said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

  Liam sent him a sharp look to which Derek only lightly shrugged in response.

  Aubrey straightened her jacket. “I’m confident things will be well managed.”

  Tori tucked her hair behind her ear. “Agreed. It’ll take me a few weeks to finish up some things at work, but I can be here working on plans by mid to late March.”

  “Sounds good,” Hayden said. “Liam, Kyle, Evan, I’m sure we’ll be well underway by the time you bother to come home again.”

  Liam gritted his teeth before going to Mom and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “I’m out of here. Bye, Mom.”

  Mom’s posture sagged. Sara went and set her palms on Mom’s shoulders, giving her the same reassuring pressure that had grounded Sara for so much of her life. It felt so different to be the one providing the support, but she was glad to do it—and glad she’d agreed to come home.

  Thoughts swirled in her mind . . . She needed to call Craig and talk to him about the business. She’d need his help to make this work. A thread of panic worked its way into her gut. No, she could make this work. In the face of her siblings’ doubt, in the hour of her mother’s need, and in the wake of her brother’s suicide. She didn’t have any other choice.

  Chapter Four

  April

  DYLAN LOOKED UP at the gunmetal gray sky through his windshield. When he’d left his house ten minutes ago, it had been blue with patchy clouds. Now it looked like hell was going to rain down. Welcome to spring in Oregon.

  He glanced at the clock on his dash and applied his foot to the gas pedal, speeding up the dirt and gravel road as fast as he dared. He was cutting this close. Which shouldn’t surprise him since he’d sort of dragged his heels. Something about your livelihood depending on a job working for the family of your last one-night stand.

  He suddenly realized Sara had been his last one-night stand, and damn, that was over two months ago. No action whatsoever in February or March, and he’d just now noticed. He shrugged the thought away.

  Bidding on the Archers’ monastery renovation project a few weeks ago had given him a moment’s pause—but only a moment. He needed this job and was damn glad that Hayden Archer had suggested to Cameron that Dylan bid on it. Running a successful general contracting firm was Dylan’s goal, but when he’d gotten out of the army six years ago, construction had taken a nosedive. Undeterred, he’d started by doing odd handyman jobs and steadily built Westcott Construction, tackling residential remodels and builds, and in the last couple of years, a handful of commercial remodeling gigs, though nothing close to this scale. Putting this high-profile project on his resume would finally make him competitive in commercial construction.

  Most important of all—his guys needed this job. If he had to work with the family of the one-night stand whom he still thought about but figured he’d never see again, then so be it.

  Thinking he’d never see her again was foolish. He was bound to run into her at some point, whether this job had come up or not. The question was, how would it go? She’d walked into their one-night stand with her eyes wide open, had been the instigator, in fact. He had to assume she’d be professional, and he meant to be the same.

  Things had changed since then, he reminded hi
mself. Her life had been turned upside down not even a week after their night together when her brother had killed himself. Dylan imagined that even if it hadn’t been a one-night stand, any relationship that might’ve sparked that night would’ve been crushed beneath the weight of grief.

  He shook Sara from his mind and gripped the steering wheel with tight resolve as the old monastery came into view. Today’s interview was only for phase one, a small house they were renovating into a wedding-event space. They were taking it from a mid-twentieth-century ranch to a two-story countryside Craftsman cottage that could handle a three-hundred-person exterior and seventy-five-person interior event. The project was totally doable for Dylan and his crew, but he wanted the bigger fish: phases two and three, the restaurant and the hotel.

  Interviews for those wouldn’t take place until later next month, but Dylan would start his hard sell today. They might not think he was ready for such a large commercial job, but he absolutely was, and he would prove it to them.

  He was ready with a great presentation, and he was going to win them over with the fact that he and his crew were Ribbon Ridgers. Screw whatever larger firms they might interview next month. They couldn’t do better with cost, accountability, and delivery than Dylan and his guys.

  He pulled his work truck into the parking area, which was little more than a large dusty square. He stepped out with his laptop and materials just as the first fat raindrop struck his truck. The second one landed squarely on his forehead.

  There were two other cars. Hayden and who? Damn, he really hoped it wasn’t Sara. Seeing her again would be fine. But seeing her for the first time at a crucial business presentation with her brother in the same room, not so much.

  Dylan jogged to the wide oak front doors of the main building, which somewhat resembled a stone church. As he pulled one of the doors open and stepped inside, the rain began to fall in earnest. He’d cut it close in more ways than one, apparently. But a glance at his watch said he still had four minutes to spare.

  With a smile that suddenly felt like dried mud on his face, Dylan froze. The cavernous room was mostly empty, save a long, folding table with a handful of chairs scattered around the perimeter. Seated behind it were three people: Hayden Archer, a woman he was pretty sure was Hayden’s sister Tori, and Sara.

  Shit.

  She looked great. Her blonde hair fell against her shoulders and framed her face—a face that was bent down toward the table. She appeared to be perusing some documents. Or maybe just avoiding his gaze.

  Double shit.

  He swallowed anxiously as he stepped forward. “Good morning.”

  Hayden stood and came around the table to shake his hand. “Hi, Dylan. Do you remember my sisters, Tori and Sara?”

  One of them better than Hayden would probably like. “Yes.” Dylan went and shook Tori’s hand. “Good to see you.” He moved to Sara, who looked up at him, her eyes inscrutable.

  She held out her hand. “Good morning.” Very formal. Very unlike their last meeting.

  He was so screwed.

  Or maybe not. She was trying to be businesslike, right? He could absolutely do the same. He shook her hand and masked the jolt of desire that raced through him. Maybe they shouldn’t touch.

  She snatched her hand back and put it on her lap where he couldn’t see it. Yeah, definitely no touching.

  “Thanks for coming up here today,” Tori said. She tucked her straight auburn hair behind her ear. “Have a seat.” She gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the table.

  “My pleasure.” Dylan took the seat while Hayden moved around to the other side of the table. “I’m excited to be considered for this project. This old monastery is part of the local landscape.” Careful to avoid looking at Sara, he glanced up at the beamed ceiling with the dull, round pendant lights and let his gaze wander to the high, arched windows against which sluiced thick rivulets of rain. The windows and beams would be striking design elements to work around. He envisioned an elegant space with chandeliers and gleaming hardwoods. “I’m so glad someone is finally going to put it to use again.” The monks who’d inhabited it had vacated the premises nearly a decade before.

  Hayden smiled. “Alex had quite a vision for this place.”

  Dylan realized he’d been half holding his breath, waiting to see if they would mention their brother. He was glad Hayden had so that he could say something without having to awkwardly bring it up. “That’s great that he’ll have this tremendous legacy. I’m just sorry it came about the way that it did.” He couldn’t help but look at Sara, but she kept her head bent.

  “Thanks,” Hayden said. “It’s tough some days to work on this without him here, but we know it will be worth it.”

  Tori touched her brother’s arm and gave him an encouraging smile before looking to Dylan. “Looks like you brought a bunch of stuff with you today.”

  “I did.” Dylan opened his case and withdrew his laptop as well as the presentation he’d put together. It included the phase-one proposed construction schedule, letters of recommendation, and before-and-after photos for a handful of his projects, some of which were commercial and some residential.

  He booted up his laptop and handed the hard copies over to Tori since she was in the middle. She glanced over them briefly before passing them to Hayden. “After going to the University of Washington, you were an engineer in the army, right?”

  “Yeah, I was ROTC at U-Dub. Then I did four years in construction engineering.”

  Tori made a face. “Demerits for being a Husky.”

  Hayden gave Tori a sidelong smile then looked at Dylan. “I’ll give you bonus points for not being a Duck.” He was a Beaver from Oregon State, a chief rival of the Ducks from Tori’s alma mater, the University of Oregon. He was apparently willing to forgive Dylan for being a Husky since it meant he wasn’t a hated Duck. Hayden continued, “No combat engineering?”

  Dylan shook his head. “No, nothing that sexy.” Bad word choice. His blood heated and he fought not to glance at Sara. “Just boring construction—building barracks, repairing stuff, total snoozefest. But I’ll take that over serving in combat. I mean, I would have if it had come to that, and it almost did given the timing. It was a great opportunity to serve my country in a necessary job in my chosen field.” He’d spent most of his time stationed in craphole bases stateside, which his ex-wife had hated.

  Dylan pulled up his presentation on his laptop. “You guys ready to rock ’n’ roll?” He looked at each of them in turn, but Sara still didn’t make eye contact. That was good, he told himself. Yeah, it might be a little awkward, but at least she wasn’t glaring at him.

  He flipped the computer around so he could talk them through the slides outlining his proposal. “I’ve reviewed your plans for the cottage, and we’ll have no problem meeting the August deadline for the wedding.” They’d informed him their brother-from-another-mother, Derek Sumner, would be getting married there. “In fact, my schedule puts the end date right around the first of August.”

  Hayden studied the hard copy of Dylan’s schedule. “Looks great.”

  “I also included a mock-up of a schedule for phases two and three.” All three pairs of eyes looked at him in surprise. “I know you aren’t hiring for that yet, but it doesn’t hurt to get a leg up on the competition, does it?” He smiled, his gaze lingering on Sara, who quickly averted her eyes to his laptop.

  “Very enterprising of you.” Hayden nodded. “We’ll take a look, thanks.”

  “We’re really only hiring for phase one right now, though,” Sara said, the familiar tone of her voice gliding over him.

  “I get that, but think of how smooth things could be if you hired us to do all of it. We’d be here from the beginning, and we’d know all the ins and outs.”

  Tori took the presentation back from Hayden and flipped to where he’d run hypotheticals for phases two and three.

  “Since I don’t know exactly what you have planned, I just made some estimates,” he ex
plained.

  Tori glanced up at him. “We don’t know what we have planned yet either. I’ve been focusing on phase one. I’ll start drafting plans for phase two, the restaurant and brewpub combo, after we start demo on the house.”

  They were converting the church portion of the property into the restaurant. Dylan’s schedule was built around that renovation and also adding on the brewing facility to the small chapel that, in his vision, would be a great expanded bar for the restaurant—a sort of hybrid brewpub. “Well, my schedule is adjustable. I just wanted to show you that we can handle larger, commercial scale.”

  Hayden smiled at him, seeming impressed. “Great to know.”

  Tori nodded in agreement. She flipped back to the front of the book. “This phase-one proposal looks great. I think you’ve got a terrific grasp on what we’re trying to do, and it certainly looks as though you have the right team to deliver the project. Plus, you’re under budget, which is most attractive of all.”

  “If you were awarded phases two and three, would this be your first large-scale commercial project?” Sara asked. She glanced at him, but for the most part kept her gaze fixed on his laptop.

  “It would, yes,” Dylan said. “We’ve done several smaller build-outs, as you can see, but this will be my first job as general contractor over a large project.”

  “I see.” Sara sounded doubtful.

  Dylan wondered if her skepticism stemmed from his lack of experience or from their one-night stand. No, that wasn’t fair. She wouldn’t judge him because of that. It had been mutual and her idea.

  “I understand your hesitation,” he said slowly, trying to choose the right words to win them over. “You might get a more qualified and experienced bid, but you won’t find a crew who will work harder or people who will care about this project the way you do. This is our town, and this property will be a signature location. We’ll do everything to deliver superior work.”

  “A very compelling argument,” Tori said. “I love that you guys are local. You know Ribbon Ridge and how to make this part of the community.”