Only in My Dreams (6 page)

“She's fine,” Mom said. “She needs to get up and move around.”

Sara turned back toward the table. The only person still watching her was Kyle. Unable to make eye contact, Sara crossed her arms and tried to disguise the clenching of her muscles. Hopefully this infernal meeting would be over soon. She didn't know how much more she could take.

Aubrey cleared her throat. “I know this is an emotional time, and you can certainly think about—”

“I'll do it.” Tori sat straighter in her chair and pressed a kiss to the back of Mom's hand. “I'll take a leave of absence from work and come home.”

Mom smiled at Tori, though a tear tracked from the corner of her eye.

Aubrey relaxed, and a small, relieved smile broke over her. “You will?”

Tori looked around the table. “Yes, and I expect the rest of you to come with me. Liam, you can take a leave too—you have capable people working for you, and you can certainly have a foot in each place. Just fly yourself back and forth for heaven's sake.” Tori turned to Kyle, who was seated on her right. “And there's absolutely no reason you can't come home. Consider it your chance to make up for your sudden, inexplicable departure four years ago.” Then she looked across the table at Hayden and Derek. “You're both already here. You'll help, right?” She looked up at Sara. “And you're pretty much here already.”

No question for Sara, just the same assumption Liam had made—that she'd never really “left” in the first place. Which wasn't true. Sara
had
left, and coming home would feel like a massive step backward—probably because deep inside she felt like she needed it.
No, I've overcome this. I am not the same girl they grew up with. I am successful and capable, and I don't need them
.

Derek turned to Evan on his right so that both had their backs to Sara. “What about you, Evan?”

Evan didn't look up. Sara knew he was listening, but that he might be a beat or two behind—and he wasn't likely making an effort to keep up. The pen came apart again in his skillful fingers.

Tori frowned at Derek. “Evan can do his tech stuff from home.”

Evan lived in Washington, about two hours from Ribbon Ridge, but he rarely left his apartment. Coming down here a couple of times a year was about all he could handle. He worked from home and was content to be alone most of the time. Typical Tori to give him a pass and no one else.

After a long, strained moment, Aubrey clasped her hands and looked expectantly around the table. “Who else is in?”

“Not me.” Liam's response was quick and definitive.

“Me neither.” Kyle's came on the heels of Liam's.

Mom's shoulders drooped. “I'm disappointed in both of you.”

Hayden looked down the table and shook his head at Liam and Kyle. “You're a couple of tools. You've spent the past five years doing whatever you damn well please while I've been here helping Dad with the business and helping Mom with Alex. You can't manage to get your asses back here for even six months to get this project off the ground?”

“You know it wouldn't be six months,” Liam said.

“It could be, just to get it started. My point is, you aren't willing to offer
anything
.”

Liam turned in his chair and leaned around Evan to look down at Hayden. “Listen, I'll do what I can from Denver. Maybe I can come back now and then if you guys need some direction.”

“I think we can handle it fine.” Derek's tone was frigid, and though Sara couldn't see his face, she imagined he looked as cold as he sounded. “Really. Don't trouble yourself.”

“So far that's Tori and Sara, plus Derek and Hayden who are already here?” Aubrey clarified.

“Sara didn't actually say,” Kyle interjected. His gaze was supportive and reminded her of years gone by when he'd been her chief advocate. She wanted to be happy about him sticking up for her, but she was too wound up.

She avoided looking at any of them, instead fixating on the refrigerator. “I'll come.”

She hadn't been completely sure she was going to say it until the words left her mouth. And now, as they echoed in her head, she felt a surge of panic. She'd built a successful event planning business and the momentum she could lose by stepping away . . . Rationality fought for traction in her brain—she had a great assistant who would watch over things while she helped out here. Six months maximum. It was a temporary thing. She could do it for Alex and for Mom.

Mom's head came up to find Sara near the windows. She mouthed, “Thank you.” Her appreciation and relief soothed Sara's turmoil. Mom had been such an integral part of her life—and still was—Sara felt a pull to be here for her.

Liam got up from the table. “I need to get back to Denver. Can I refuse my portion of the trust?”

“You can't, actually.” Aubrey's eyes narrowed slightly. “The trust is set up so that any of you can come back and claim your share at any time. Alex expected some of you might not jump on board immediately.”

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

D
YLAN 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 himself. 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.