Hold Me (Ribbon Ridge #7)

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

H ayden stood staring into the massive fireplace that dominated the center of the wall in the sitting area off the lobby of The Alex. A few members of Kyle’s staff had set up chafing dishes and asked if Hayden was ready to eat, but he was fine with just coffee. Which he probably shouldn’t be drinking since he hadn’t slept. But hell, his internal clock said it was cocktail hour, not breakfast time.

Tired and turned around as he was, he hadn’t been hallucinating last night after all. He had seen Bex.

She looked as beautiful as he remembered, even without makeup this morning and her dark hair scooped into a messy ponytail. No, she was even more stunning. Her pale jade green eyes were the same, but her legs seemed somehow longer, shapelier, her curves more pronounced. But he could just blame the fact that she’d been wearing summer pajamas, which hadn’t left much to his imagination. And given their three-year relationship, he had plenty of memories , which were a step better than imagination anyway.

Damn, he’d hoped to be immune to her.

He didn’t want to go back to missing her, to feeling like there was a hole in his heart. That hole had finally healed, and he wasn’t going to let his body’s reaction to his former lover open any old wounds.

But he sure as hell wished he’d been prepared for it.

“Hayden?”

He turned at the sound of his sister’s voice and saw that Tori wasn’t alone—Sara was beside her. They wore matching expressions of contrition. Good.

Sara launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you so much.”

He hugged her back. “I missed you, too.”

She stepped aside and let Tori have her turn. “Wow, how much do grapes weigh?” Tori grinned as she looked up at him. “You’ve put on some serious muscle.”

“It’s a lot of grunt work.” And it had felt good after years toiling behind a desk.

He thought about whether to ask about Bex now or save it for later when his brothers were around. But the decision was made for him when Liam and Kyle walked in. Okay, it wasn’t everyone, but it was close enough. Evan would hate the confrontation anyway.

Ultimately, Hayden didn’t have to say anything.

“Hay, can we talk to you for a second?” Liam asked, running his hand through his dark hair, which was standing completely on end. In fact, both he and Kyle looked as though they’d just rolled out of bed. Literally.

Hayden casually sipped his coffee, but on the inside his emotions had begun to seethe. The shock he’d felt at seeing Bex and hearing about her job had transitioned to anger and hurt.

He gestured toward his sisters. “Let me guess, you two ran into Bex. Then you texted these two”—he pointed toward his brothers—“to meet you down here. That sound about right?”

“Nailed it,” Kyle said. His blond hair was just as tousled as Liam’s. More so, since it was a bit longer. “Look, we’re really sorry we didn’t tell you. We’d planned to when you got home. You know, on Tuesday .”

Hayden’s anger got the better of him. “I’m terribly sorry my surprise fucked up your plans. Guess that’ll teach me to try to be the fun one.” He sent a pointed look at Kyle since he seemed to have the market on fun. But that’s how it was in their family. Everyone had a place, a role, an identity. And forget trying to break out of that.

“We deserve that,” Tori said softly. “And you are the fun one. So much more fun than these losers.” She rolled her eyes at Liam and Kyle.

Hayden appreciated her saying that, but knew it wasn’t true. Kyle was the life of every party. And while Liam wasn’t fun, he was exciting, what with his daredevil adventures and playboy attitude.

Meanwhile, Hayden was dependable. Friendly. Boring.

Geez, he was seriously jet-lagged. He shook his head and worked to gain control of his emotions. But it was hard. As the unplanned seventh kid with sextuplet siblings who’d had their own freaking reality show, he’d always felt like the odd kid out.

Liam threw an irritated glance at their brother. “Kyle didn’t mean to say it like that. He meant we wanted to tell you in person. We thought we owed it to you.”

Hayden wasn’t buying it. “I’d think you’d owe it to me to talk to me before you actually hired her. Tell me, Liam, how would you feel if we’d hired Whitney Parker?”

She was the woman Liam had hooked up with for a while and who had tried to extort him for sex a few months ago when her father had filed an appeal against their zoning change for the hotel. She’d offered to make the legal battle go away if Liam would sleep with her.

“You can’t compare her to Bex,” Liam said, frowning. “Please, for the love of God, don’t compare her to Bex. We like Bex. We always have.”

That was great, but Bex hadn’t dumped them. If she had, maybe then they wouldn’t like her. Hayden hadn’t, but at the same time, he hadn’t been able to stop loving her either. Not until Alex’s death had given him the wake-up call he’d needed to finally put his life in motion.

He didn’t want to be bothered by Bex working here. But was his anger about her, or was it about his siblings leaving him out of a decision and once again making him feel like the odd one out? He realized he didn’t want to address either one. It was too damn much effort.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m not here for the day-to-day anymore, so what you decide to do hiring-wise isn’t my business.”

“Of course it is,” Sara said, her blue eyes crinkled at the edges with concern, making her look so much like their mother. “You still own your equal part. We should’ve consulted you.”

She wasn’t really helping their cause, but he wouldn’t put it past the others to have talked her out of contacting him about this before hiring Bex.

“If you have a problem with her working here, just say the word,” Kyle said. “We completely screwed the pooch here, and we’ll make it right, bro.”

By rescinding their job offer? Whatever history he and Bex shared, she didn’t deserve that. Even if it was surprising that she’d accepted it in the first place—she’d been eager to leave Ribbon Ridge five years ago and had done so in a hurry. “Did she apply for the job or did you guys ask her?” The answer mattered to Hayden, and it shouldn’t have.

Liam answered. “We contacted her at Dad’s behest. He’s ready to lighten his load, especially with Archer splitting into separate entities.”

Liam was taking over the real estate arm and wrapping it into his Lion Properties, which he’d started in Denver with great success. His company would now be headquartered here, where he planned to live with Aubrey. The brewery side was going to be overseen by Derek, and they were expanding the operation from their chain of ten brewpubs to bottling, something Dad had been resistant to in the past.

“Dad wanted her?” It wasn’t the answer Hayden had expected, but it was probably the most palatable. And he shouldn’t be surprised. Bex had interned with Dad after college, and he would’ve offered her a permanent job if there’d been anything open at the time.

“Adamantly,” Kyle said. “This is a good step for him. With everything he’s gone through the past year and a half, we’ve been hoping he’ll at least semiretire. If we don’t keep Bex, we’ll have to find someone else he approves of.”

In other words, they needed Bex. And just like that, Hayden did what he always had: He rolled over and let his family rule. “It’ll be fine. You offered her the job, she’s here, Dad wants her, it’s all good.” Good? She’d be living here in Ribbon Ridge, working with his family, a constant reminder of the haze Hayden had lived in for four years as he’d struggled to get over her. The job in France was looking more attractive by the minute.

Oh fuck it anyway. They didn’t need him here. They were running things fine without him, and back in Burgundy he was needed.

“I wasn’t going to mention this until later, but it might relieve you to know that I won’t be here, so it doesn’t really matter that Bex will be working here.”

“What do you mean?” Sara asked.

“I’ve been offered the assistant winemaker position, and I’m going to take it.” He hadn’t decided until that moment, but yeah, it seemed the right choice. For someone who once thought he’d never leave Ribbon Ridge, he now wondered what it would take to lure him back.

Kyle shook his head. “Wow, that’s crazy.” He smiled and reached over to clap Hayden on the bicep. “Congrats, that’s awesome. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, but keep it quiet for now. I haven’t talked to Mom and Dad yet. I’m heading over there now.”

Tori flinched. “Uh, just so you know, Bex will be staying in the garage apartment for a few weeks until she finds a place. The rental market is pretty tight around here just now.”

Hayden had been well aware of the real estate market in Ribbon Ridge before he’d left, and it didn’t sound much different now. Real estate was a good portion of their family business—the one he’d actually worked for while they’d all been scattered to the four winds. He swallowed a snarky comeback and blamed his jet lag again. He needed some air.

“Thanks for letting me know.” He tried not to sound sarcastic, but acknowledged he hadn’t been completely successful.

Tori came toward him and touched his wrist briefly. “Hayden, I am so sorry. You have every right to be angry. I guess we were busy getting everything ready after the zoning was finally cleared. We were in a rush to fill all the positions, and we made a bad decision.”

Hayden wanted to shrug it off and be okay with it. And eventually he would. But right now he needed to get out of here. “Thanks, Tori. Really, I’ll be fine. You guys look like you need to go back to bed.” He summoned a smile and shook his head at his brothers, who had to be nursing brutal hangovers. Given that, he appreciated how quickly they’d come downstairs. At least pissing off Hayden was a fire they wanted to put out. Wouldn’t it be worse if they didn’t give a damn?

“Good call,” Kyle said. “See you later, sisters.” He clapped Hayden’s arm again, this time letting his palm linger a second. “Later, bro.”

He headed out, and Liam nodded toward Hayden. “You always were a good sport. About everything.”

Yep, that was Hayden. And he could live with that. Especially since it would be for only a few short weeks. Then he’d be on his way back to France.

After returning to her room to put on real clothes, Bex enjoyed a fun, if slightly nerve-racking, breakfast with the women from the bachelorette party and the men from the bachelor party—at least those who were able to rouse themselves. Now she was on her way to the Archers’ house, which she’d call home for a few weeks. It was also where Hayden was staying, and, as Sara had informed her, he was apparently already there.

As she drove up the long driveway toward the house, butterflies flitted in her belly, and anxiety nested in her spine. She hadn’t been here in so long, and yet it still gave her the sensation of home. She supposed that made sense because she’d lived in the garage apartment one summer in college while working at The Arch and Vine. Then, after college, she’d interned with Rob Archer while working shifts at the pub. She’d stayed in the apartment again until Hayden had bought a house after about six months. They’d moved in together, which had sparked all sorts of excitement as his family believed an engagement was forthcoming. And she supposed it would have if things hadn’t gone completely and horribly off the rails.

Was it any wonder she was nervous as hell to be back here?

She clutched the wheel as she drove into the turnaround in front of the house. The waterfall fountain in the center was on, and if her window was down she’d be able to hear the gentle sound of the water and smell the pine trees dotting the land. The Archers had two hundred or so acres, including an old homestead built by the founders of Ribbon Ridge. Or their kids. Something like that. The area was rich with Archer family history.

She drove through the porte cochere and parked outside the garage apartment, on a patch of pavement between the garage and the main house. She grabbed her purse and stepped out of the truck, closing the door.

Bex pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and stared at the back door that led to the mudroom. Presumably Emily Archer was just inside—in the kitchen probably. Bex’s anxiety kicked up a notch. She and the Archer matriarch had been close once, but Bex dumping her son had pretty much severed their relationship. Bex had fled Ribbon Ridge and hadn’t looked back, aside from keeping in moderate touch with Tori and Sara.

She shook the thoughts away from her brain. Revisiting that painful time just as she was about to step inside the Archer stronghold was not what she needed to be doing.

Taking a deep breath, she started toward the house. Back in the day, she would’ve let herself in, but that had been a long time ago. Instead, she knocked.

A moment later Emily opened the door. Petite and blonde, with bright blue eyes and the warmest smile Bex had ever known, she was everything Bex’s mother had never been—present.

Seeing Emily again stirred feelings of longing and love, and the tension that she couldn’t seem to shake since running into Hayden that morning.

“Bex!” Emily held her arms out and embraced her.

Bex held her tight for a long moment. “It’s so good to see you.”

Emily patted her back. “You too, dear. Come in!” She glanced at her purse. “Is that all you brought?”

“Oh no, I have more in the car.” She had a small load of clothing and toiletries and would bring another when she returned on Monday after cleaning out her apartment in Eugene. The rest of her belongings—furniture and household goods—were going into storage pods until she found a place to live. “I’ll take them up to the apartment in a bit.”

Emily winced. “About that . . . I’m so sorry, but it’s not habitable just now. I contracted some work, and it’s not finished. There’s no flooring anywhere, and the plumbing in the bathroom isn’t even working.” She shook her head. “That’ll teach me to hire someone other than my almost-son-in-law!”

Dylan, Sara’s fiancé, had his hands full as the contractor in charge of The Alex. “He is pretty busy right now.”

“Which is why I hired someone else.” Emily waved a hand. “It’s not their fault, really. They’re doing their best, but the materials haven’t come in yet. And anyway, between the house and the rooms that are ready at The Alex, we have plenty of space for out-of-town guests. I thought you could stay in Tori’s room.”

Right down the hall from Hayden’s room. Awesome.

“Thanks, that’ll be great. When do you expect the apartment to be ready?” Bex would be looking for a place immediately anyway, but she wanted to know how long she’d be bunking so close to her ex.

“I wish I knew,” Emily said with regret. “You’ll be the first to know! Now come into the kitchen and tell me what you’ve been doing.”

They walked down the short back hallway and as she rounded the corner, she was struck with her biggest dose of nostalgia yet. She’d spent so much time in this kitchen, with its cozy gathering room and view of the pool below with the backyard stretching out behind it to the forested area beyond.

Rob Archer popped up from behind the beer tap, which was situated in a second kitchen island. “Bex!”

He looked older than the last time she’d seen him—at Alex’s funeral. So did Emily. Rob’s hair was grayer, and they both had a few more lines. Bex couldn’t imagine what they’d gone through and was glad they seemed to be happy now.

How could they not be? One of their children was about to get married, one was having a baby, and the rest were already settled down or on their way.

Except Hayden. Why did he keep invading her thoughts?

Rob came around the island. “I’m just hooking up a new keg.” He had an incredible home-brewing facility downstairs where he conducted all sorts of mouthwatering experiments.

She hugged him, and the sense of home was nearly overwhelming. Home? Oh man, did that give her system a start. She hadn’t thought of Ribbon Ridge as a permanent home, and she hadn’t thought of this move as coming “home.” But she also hadn’t realized how much she’d missed these people. “What is it?”

“Loganberry with some honey. I made something fruity and smooth for Sara since it’s her wedding week.” He stepped back and glanced at the clock on the microwave. “Too early for a sample?”

It wasn’t noon, but that had never stopped Bex. When you made beer for a living, you tasted at all hours. “Never.”

With a chuckle, he went back to the keg and drew a small pour then handed her the glass. “Remember, this is for Sara.”

Sara didn’t particularly care for beer. The more bitter the brew, the more she hated it. Bex expected something light and flavorful, with an edge of sweetness. She sampled it and wasn’t disappointed. “She’ll love it,” she said.

Rob rubbed his hands together, his gray eyes sparkling. “I think so, too. I bet you can hardly wait to get started on your own.”

At her new state-of-the-art brewhouse. Rob had designed the facility, which was attached to the back of The Arch and Fox, the restaurant at The Alex. Bex was beyond excited to begin work. “Thanks for convincing me to come.”

He laughed. “Ha! Did it really take that much? You’ve wanted your own brewpub for as long as I’ve known you. And it was you who presented me with a well-researched and thought-out plan for expanding the operation into bottling.”

Yes, she had done that. And she’d been disappointed when he’d declined five years ago. That had been one of the many things that had contributed to her leaving Ribbon Ridge. Professionally, it had been a dead end for her at the time.

“I’m so excited you’re finally doing it. And I appreciate the opportunity to maybe bottle some of my own.” The Archer kids—Tori and Liam, specifically—had offered her the brewer position initially, but she’d waffled because of Hayden. Then Rob had called her personally and talked to her about bottling. He was finally ready to expand his production and mass-distribute his beer. And he’d said there was every chance he’d include her creations for special and seasonal lines.

He’d made it pretty much impossible for her to refuse. So here she was surprising and probably horrifying her ex. And sleeping about thirty feet from him.

“We have so much to do,” Rob said. “Derek’s already working on securing some space for us to use in Portland while we build our facility between here and McMinnville.”

“Sounds exciting,” Bex said.

Emily smiled and shook her head. “It’s all he talks about.”

Rob held up his hands, palms out. “Hey, I can barely compete with wedding mania.”

Emily gave him a playful punch in the arm. “It’s not that bad. Sara is about the farthest you can get from a Bridezilla.”

That made sense because she was a wedding planner. She knew firsthand what it was like to deal with a nightmare and wouldn’t want to be That Bride.

Emily walked to the fridge. “Can I get you something to drink besides the beer sample, Bex?”

“No, I’m good.” Bex finished off the small glass and set it back on the counter. “I should probably get settled. I wanted to drive into town this afternoon and poke around before making the thank-you baskets tonight.”

All of the girls were getting together for dinner at the house followed by assembling the baskets of goodies Sara and Dylan were giving to the guests. They were a whole new level of wedding favor, but Bex expected nothing less from an Archer who was also a wedding coordinator. The Archers did everything big, especially when it came to their generosity.

“I imagine you’re tired,” Emily said. “I’m sure last night’s party lasted into the wee hours.”

“Yes. It was a lot of fun. It’s great seeing everyone.”

Emily crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter, smiling. “Tell me what you’ve been up to in Eugene. You’re not breaking some poor guy’s heart by moving back here, are you?” She laughed softly, but Bex wondered if it was masking something else. Was she harboring a grudge about Bex leaving Hayden?

“I was seeing someone, but we broke up a few months ago.” She’d dated a guy over the winter, but it hadn’t lasted. He’d finished his graduate program at the University of Oregon in March, and they’d called it quits. Like every other relationship she’d had since Hayden, it hadn’t been serious.

Bex considered saying something about her and Hayden’s breakup, but maybe Emily’s question hadn’t been loaded. Maybe Bex should work harder to leave the past where it belonged.

Rob picked up Bex’s empty glass and took it to the sink. “We’re so glad you’re back. This job was meant for you. It seems like it was just the right time for you to be back in Ribbon Ridge.”

He was making it sound like some sort of fated occurrence, as if the stars had aligned or whatever. She wasn’t sure she believed that. Life was what you made it, which was one of the primary reasons she’d wanted to leave five years ago. She hadn’t been ready to settle down. But now . . . Hmm, it seemed she’d just proven his point about it being the right time. Except she wasn’t ready to say she was here forever. As much as she loved this family, and she did, they scared the hell out of her sometimes.

On the one hand, she envied their camaraderie and these two amazing, engaged parents. On the other, she had no idea what to do with those things. She’d had to rely on herself for so long—forever, really—and sometimes being with the Archers was a bit like wearing a pair of shoes that were a half-size too small.

And on that note, she was ready for some alone time. Emily was right about one thing—she was exhausted. “I’m just going to run out and get my bags.”

“I’ll help you,” Rob offered.

He helped her with a trip up to Tori’s room, and Bex was able to get the rest on her own on the second trip. She hefted the last two bags into her temporary digs and turned to close the door.

But she couldn’t move. Standing there, leaning against the doorframe, his sky blue eyes watching her, was the only man she’d ever loved.