From Best Friend to Daddy

by Jules Bennett

  “If you say so,” he chuckled. “Anything else on the list?”

  “Well...”

  She was driving him crazy. “What? You want to jump out of a plane? See the Mayan ruins? Take an Alaskan cruise? Just spit it out.”

  “Jump out of a plane?” She jerked back. “First of all, I wouldn’t pick something so predictable, and second of all, hell no.”

  Gray laughed and curled his hands over her toes. “Tell me or I start cracking.”

  “I want to trace my heritage.”

  Intrigued at her statement, he relaxed his hands and stared over at her. “Seriously?”

  Kate nodded and tipped her head to the side, resting on the back of the couch. “With my parents gone, I just want to know where I came from, you know? I don’t have any other family and I was just a teen when they passed. It’s not something I ever thought of asking them about.”

  Gray had never thought of that before. His grandfather had died only two years ago, but his father was alive and well and more than willing to pass down the family stories that could trace all the way back to their roots in Ireland. Kate didn’t have anything like that.

  While Gray had lost his mother at a young age and always had that hole in his heart, he couldn’t imagine how Kate felt, essentially alone other than having friends. But that wasn’t the same as family. Nothing could ever replace parents.

  She’d lived with her grandmother for a while, but ultimately she passed, too. Thankfully Kate was older when that happened.

  “I want to know where I got the combination of black hair and blue eyes,” she went on with a slight smile. “It’s a little silly, I know, but I guess I just feel like I need those answers. Maybe I have family out there and a long-distance relative I can connect with.”

  Gray hated that lost tone. She’d never mentioned feeling alone before. She’d never talked like she was hurting. At least, she hadn’t said as much to him. Of course, she suffered from her parents’ absence. That was something she’d never get over. But he really had no idea she’d been longing to find out where she came from. Kate should have every opportunity to trace her family roots. He’d make damn sure of it.

  As she went through her list, he realized that he wanted to be the one to experience those things with her. They were best friends. Yes, she had Tara and Lucy, but Lucy was newly married and Tara was still struggling with Sam and their own sordid mess.

  Gray wasn’t going to let Kate feel alone any longer. Hell, he’d already helped her knock trying alcohol off her list. The rest would be a joy to share with her.

  “We’ll do this together,” he told her.

  Bright blue eyes snapped up, focusing on him. “Don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t hinting that I needed a partner. I wasn’t going to tell anyone about this list. It’s just something I’m doing for me.”

  “I don’t plan on telling anyone,” he replied. “Keep all the secrets about it you want, but I’m not going to let you do this alone.”

  Kate stared at him another minute before swinging her feet to the floor. She grabbed the remote and turned the television off, then put it back on the table.

  “I really should get to bed.” She stretched her arms above her head, giving him a glimpse of pale skin between her tank and her shorts. “I think I’m finally tired.”

  Yeah, well, he wasn’t. Well, he was tired in the sense that he needed sleep, but he didn’t want to leave. He could sit here all night and talk with her like they had when they were younger, with fewer responsibilities. Besides, she couldn’t brush him off that easily. She was running scared again. He’d offered to help and she flipped out, jumping off the couch to get away from his touch. How could she choose this over intimacy?

  If they just went with the sexual pull, the undeniable attraction, it would have to be less stressful than what was brewing between them now. How could she not see that? Was she simply too afraid to face the truth?

  An idea formed in his head, but he kept the piece of brilliance locked away as he came to his feet. He knew she was tired, so he’d go. But he was done letting her hide behind her fear of the unknown and what was happening here.

  “You look like you’re ready to drop.”

  Gray took in her sleepy eyes, her relaxed clothing, and there was nothing more he wanted to do than to pick her up and carry her to bed...and stay the rest of the night. Maybe he would one day. Maybe she’d realize that the one time wasn’t enough and she wanted more.

  He had every intention of respecting her wishes to stay in the friend zone—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep showing her how perfect they were together. There was nothing wrong with exploring what they’d started. Besides, he knew Kate better than she knew herself at times. She had analyzed that night from every different angle and their intimacy was never far from the front of her mind. He’d bet his bar on it.

  Said bar might not be his for much longer, though. But she wasn’t in the right mind-set to discuss the potential sale now, and honestly, neither was he. Tomorrow, he vowed. There was too much at stake no matter which way he decided to go. Both choices were life-altering and would change not only his entire world, but that of his father and the town.

  Gallagher’s had been the pride of three generations now. His grandfather had wanted to set down roots, to have something that brought people together, because he’d seen so much ugliness tearing them apart. Ewan Gallagher had started a tradition, one that the people in this tiny town had come to appreciate and rely upon.

  Gray didn’t want that niggle of doubt and guilt to sway his decision. He wanted to look at this from a business and personal standpoint, but it was so difficult when the two were so inherently connected.

  He dropped an innocent kiss on Kate’s forehead and let himself out the front door. Gray waited until he heard her click the lock back into place before he headed to his car.

  He knew he needed to grab sleep, but as soon as he got up, he was putting a few plans into motion. Kate was about to check off more items on her bucket list and he was personally going to see that she accomplished exactly what she set out to do.

  * * *

  Morning runs sucked. They sucked even more when little sleep was a factor and really all she’d wanted was to run to the bakery and buy a donut the size of her face. And by run, she meant drive.

  Kate took a hearty chug from her water bottle as she pulled her key from the tiny pouch on her running shorts. She’d ended up falling asleep on the couch after Gray left, then stumbled to her room at about six and climbed into bed. When she’d woken up for good at nine, Kate realized she’d slept later than usual, so she’d hopped out of bed and quickly headed out the door to get in her miles.

  She hated running. But that was the only way she could enjoy her donuts and still fit in her clothes. Besides, the exercise was a great stress reliever...so were pastries, but whatever.

  As Kate opened her front door, she heard a vehicle pulling into her drive. Kate glanced over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of Gray’s large black truck. The thing was as menacing as the man himself. He might look like the quintessential bad boy, but he’d listened to her drone on and on about her bucket list all while rubbing her feet.

  Damn it. Why did he have to be her best friend? He was the perfect catch for any woman...just not her. She couldn’t—no, she wouldn’t—risk losing him as a friend. If she’d jumped at her initial reaction after the great sex and ignored common sense altogether, she might have made a play for him. But he was the only stable man in her life. He’d filled that role for far too long for her to just throw it aside and take the risk for something more.

  Even if she went for more, what would it be? Gray wasn’t the type to settle down. In fact, she knew his father mentioned Gray’s bachelor status quite often and Gray brushed the notion aside. He seemed just fine keeping busy with his bar. The man rarely dated and even whe
n he did, he kept it all so private. He was definitely not someone looking for happily-ever-after.

  Kate took another drink as she waited on the porch for Gray to come up her flower-lined walk.

  “Didn’t you just leave here?” she joked.

  He glanced up, flashing that megawatt smile he didn’t always hand out freely. Mercy, the man was too sexy for his own good, and now that she’d had a sample of that sexiness, she was positive no other man would ever measure up.

  How did one encounter have such an epic impact? Kate had to push aside what happened. It couldn’t have been that great...could it? Surely she was just conjuring up more vivid details than actually happened.

  Or maybe not. Gray did in fact tear her panties off and climb up the bar to get to her.

  “I feel like I did,” he replied as he mounted the steps. “You’re sweating.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “That happens when I go for a run.”

  “Well, you have ten minutes to get a bag together.” He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. “And if you want to shower, you better squeeze it in that time frame.”

  Kate jerked back. “Excuse me? Pack a bag?”

  A mischievous smile spread across his face. “We’re going camping.”

  “What?” Shocked, she turned and let herself in her house, trying to wrap her mind around his announcement. “I can’t just go camping right now. I have things to do.”

  Her planner lay on the table just inside the door. She fingered through the colored tabs until she landed on the red. Flipping it over, she quickly glanced at her mounting list—color-coded with her favorite fine-point markers, of course.

  “You can see there’s no time,” she stated as Gray followed her in. She used the tip of her finger to tap on the upcoming days. “I have to finish outlining a bridal shower and start on a new client’s vacation schedule. Then I have to try to come up with some way to fit in my neighbor, who swears her closets are full but won’t get rid of anything. Same story with her kitchen, so at this point I’m afraid her entire house needs an overhaul. I also have eight online clients I’m working with who found me just last week through my social media sites and referrals.”

  “And do you plan on doing all of that today?” he asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall beside her.

  “Well, no, but—”

  “You’re down to eight minutes, Kate. If you hurry, I can even swing by and get a box of donuts on our way out of town so we can have breakfast in the morning.”

  “That’s a low blow,” she stated, narrowing her eyes.

  “You need a break.”

  She slapped her planner shut and faced him. “I can’t go camping last minute. I’d need sufficient time to strategize and make a detailed list of all the things I need to take. Hell, I need to research what to take. I’ve never been, so I have no clue.”

  That smile assaulted her once again. Damn cocky man.

  “You’re in luck,” he replied. “I have been multiple times so I have everything you need, minus your clothes and the donuts I’ll stop and get on the road. Look at it this way—you can check off two things on your list. Camping and spontaneity.”

  Kate shook her head and sighed. “I can’t mark off being spontaneous when it was your idea.”

  And she still hadn’t marked it in regards to the bar sex. That needed a whole other label of its own. How could something so life-altering be checked off so simply? No, that encounter deserved more respect than just a quick X by the words spontaneous quickie.

  Gray pushed off the wall and started for the steps. “You’ll want a pair of jeans for when we go hiking, plus shorts, maybe a swimsuit, comfortable shoes that can get wet. It gets cooler at night so grab a sweatshirt or something with sleeves.”

  Kate watched as he just headed up to her bedroom like she hadn’t just laid out several reasons she couldn’t go. Did the man ever take no for an answer?

  Her mind flashed back to the bar as her body trembled with the onslaught of memories.

  So no. No, he didn’t.

  And here she was, contemplating going camping? Being alone with him all night and not invoking how she felt when he’d touched her, kissed her. This was not smart. Not smart at all.

  Kate headed for the steps, rushing up to her bedroom.

  “You’re not getting out of this,” he told her before she could open her mouth.

  He opened her closet and jerked a sweatshirt off the top shelf. Two more shirts fell to the floor as a result and Kate cringed.

  “You’re messing up my system here, Gallagher.” She crossed over and instantly started sorting the mess back into neat piles. “You cannot just start packing my bag.”

  He shot her a wink. “Does that mean you’re cuddling up to me for warmth and skinny dipping? Hey, I’m game, but you might be more comfortable with clothes.”

  Kate blew out a breath and leaned back against her open closet door. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Nope.” He took a step closer to her, his eyes all serious now. Gone was the playful smile. “Listen, if I didn’t push you into this, I’m not sure you’d actually do it. Making a list is one thing, but following through is another.”

  “I would do it,” She felt the need to defend herself because, damn it, she would do it...at some point. “I don’t know when, but I would.”

  He tossed the sweatshirt behind him onto her four-poster bed, then took her by her shoulders. “My truck is packed. I literally have everything we need: a large tent, food, supplies, blankets. I got Jacob to cover at the bar for me tonight. We’ll be back late tomorrow evening.”

  Kate stared into those dark eyes and knew if anyone could help her check items off her list, it was this man. He’d clearly gone to great lengths to set this up for her and she’d be a terrible friend, not to mention flat-out rude, to turn him down.

  He’d literally thought of everything and he stood before her, having rearranged his entire life for two days just to make her happy.

  Kate’s heart flipped in her chest. Gray always did amazing things for her, but since the sex, his actions had taken on a deeper, more intimate meaning.

  “Fine,” she conceded. “But step away from my neatly organized closet and let me pack. I don’t trust you over there and I promise I won’t be long. You swear we’re stopping for donuts?”

  “I promise.” Gray leaned forward and wrinkled his nose. “I’ll give you an extra five minutes to shower. You smell.”

  Laughing, Kate smacked his arm. “Get out of my room. I’ll be down in twenty minutes.”

  Once he was gone, Kate closed her bedroom door and started stripping on her way to the shower. She dropped her clothes into the color-coded piles in her laundry sorter just inside her bathroom.

  Gray Gallagher was slowly making her reconsider that whole one-night rule. For a half second she thought about packing some pretty underwear, but then snorted.

  Seriously? Even if she was after an encore performance, they were camping. She’d never been, but she had a feeling lace and satin didn’t pair well with bug spray and campfire smoke.

  Kate stepped under the hot shower and mentally started packing. No matter how this trip went down, she had a feeling lasting memories would be made.

  Chapter Seven

  “I did it,” Kate exclaimed, jumping up and down.

  Gray glanced over to the tent she’d put together. He’d set everything out and given her instructions, and damn if she hadn’t erected their tent like a pro. He knew she wouldn’t give up, but she’d definitely gotten it done much quicker than he thought she would. He was proud of her.

  This was by far his favorite campground, but the spot he usually chose had already been taken and he’d had to choose another. He found one closest to a hiking trail near his favorite areas in the forest. He couldn’t wait to share al
l of these experiences with Kate.

  “Looks good.” Gray came to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants. “The fire is ready if you want to roast some hot dogs for lunch.”

  “I don’t recall the last time I had a roasted hot dog.”

  Gray rolled over another large log and stood it up on its end as a makeshift stool. He’d found several near the designated fire area, but set up only the two.

  “We had one at the bonfire last fall,” he said. “Remember the fundraiser for Drake?”

  Drake St. John had been a firefighter who had encountered several issues with the then mayor. Drake had decided to run for office himself and ultimately won. Drake and his brothers were pillars in the community and Gray had happily voted for him.

  “Oh, yeah.” Kate picked up one of the roasting sticks and held it out for him to put the hot dog on. “So I guess that was the last time I had one.”

  “Then you’re long overdue,” he replied, getting his own roasting stick ready.

  The crackling fire kept his focus on cooking his lunch....and away from the swell of her breasts peeking from the top of her fitted tank. He had no business going there. This was about Kate. He wanted this to be an easy trip, something where she could relax and just be herself, take a break from work and all those damn schedules. He was here to make sure she was taken care of, first and foremost.

  Silence settled easily between them, but so much swirled through Gray’s mind. Kate, their turning point, the bar, the possibilities...the unknowns came at him from every single angle.

  He still hadn’t spoken to his father about the proposal. There were pros and cons that Gray could easily see now, but there was no clear answer.

  “I jotted down some things for us to do,” Kate said after a minute. “I looked on my phone for area suggestions while you were driving and made a list—”

  “I saw you. You just had to bring your planner, didn’t you?”

  Kate gasped and stared at him as if he’d just asked if the sky was purple. “Of course I had to bring it. How else would I know what to do? I can’t keep all these places and a timeline of when to visit them straight without writing them down.”