From Best Friend to Daddy

by Jules Bennett

  Shaking his head, Gray rotated the stick. “You can relax for a day, damn it. I’ve got the trip planned and details covered. We’ll be fine. Chill.”

  “I’m relaxed,” she argued. “Look at me. Cooking a hot dog over a fire, sitting on a tree stump, completely relaxed.”

  “Where’s the planner?”

  She pursed her lips and shrugged.

  “It’s beside you, isn’t it?”

  Kate blinked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Gray pulled his charred hot dog from the fire and tested it with his fingers. Black and crispy on the outside, just the way he liked it.

  “What would you do if you didn’t have that colorful binder?”

  “I’d be lost. This is my personal one. But I need both personal and business or I’d never be able to function.”

  He threw her a sideways glance. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Kate came to her feet and pulled her hot dog from the fire. “Why is that so strange? I have too much to remember so I just keep it all nice and neat in my planner.”

  “But that’s just your personal one,” he stated. “You still have one for work.”

  Gray pulled the pack of buns out and set them on the old picnic table before grabbing bottles of water from the cooler.

  “This is supposed to be a nice, calm overnight trip,” he reminded her. “We don’t need an itinerary.”

  She took a seat on one of the benches and grabbed a bun. “I need a plan or I’m going to miss out on things. So, like I was saying—”

  “You’ve got me.” Gray threw a leg over the bench and took a seat. “I have plans for us so put your planner in my truck and forget about it until we start to head home.”

  Kate’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

  He stared across the table. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  “I don’t like camping already,” she muttered around a bite.

  Gray couldn’t help but smile. He was going to get her to relax if it was the last thing he did.

  “After we eat there’s a little place I want to show you.”

  “What do I need to wear?”

  “You’re fine the way you are.”

  She’d come down the stairs at her house freshly showered. Her hair had been pulled up on top of her head in some wet bun thing she sometimes wore. She’d thrown on a tank that fit her curvy body perfectly, and her shorts showed off those legs she kept toned and shapely by her constant running. Though she’d looked perfectly fine before she’d taken up that hobby. She’d started running after her jerk fiancé left. Gray never did figure out if she was using the exercise as a natural form of therapy or if she thought something was wrong with her body.

  Kate was pretty damn perfect no matter her look or her shape...at least in his eyes.

  They finished their lunch and cleaned up, making sure to burn what they could before putting the food back in a sealed cooler to keep the hungry animals away.

  “We’ve got things to do that do not involve spreadsheets or strict schedules,” he informed her. “I’ll wait while you put your planner and cell in my truck.”

  Kate hesitated, but he quirked his brow and crossed his arms. Groaning, she picked up her things and put them in the cab of his truck before coming back beside him.

  “Happy now?”

  Gray nodded and turned to head toward the marked trail. He wasn’t sure if this camping idea was the greatest or dumbest move he’d ever made. On one hand, at least he was getting her out of her scheduled shell and she was checking things off her list.

  On the other, though, they would be sharing a tent. Which wouldn’t be a big deal if they hadn’t already slept together. He’d warned her not to make things awkward between them, so he needed to take his own advice.

  Still, anticipation had settled in deep because he had no idea how the night would play out once they were alone lying mere inches from each other.

  “How far are we going?” she asked from behind him.

  “About a mile.”

  She came up beside him. “I could’ve skipped my run this morning.”

  “You could skip it every morning and be just fine,” he growled.

  He hadn’t meant to sound grouchy, but she worried about her body when her body was perfect. Why did women obsess about such things? Confidence was more of a turn-on to him than anything. Kate had to know how amazing she looked. Damn that ex of hers for ever making her doubt it.

  They walked on a bit more in silence before they came to the top of a hill. He reached for her arm to stop her. With careful movements, he shifted her to stand and turn exactly to the spot he’d been dying for her to see.

  “Oh my word,” she gasped. “That’s gorgeous.”

  Gray looked down into the valley at the natural waterfall spilling over the rocks. “This is one of my favorite places.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “How often do you come here?”

  “Not enough. Maybe once a year.”

  “And you’ve never brought me?”

  Gray shrugged. “I tend to come alone to recharge, plus I never knew you had an interest in camping.”

  Kate turned her attention back to the breathtaking view. “I didn’t know I had an interest, either, but I’m starting to love it. There’s not a worry in the world up here. How could anyone even think of their day-to-day lives when this is so...magical?”

  Something turned deep inside him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but as he stood behind her, seeing her take in this sight for the first time, Gray knew he’d be bringing her back.

  This one night out here with her wouldn’t be enough. Just like the one night of sex wouldn’t be enough. Kate was a huge part of his life. He couldn’t just ignore this continual pull between them.

  Gray had always loved being outside, there was a sense of freedom he didn’t have when he was behind the bar or doing office work. Knowing that Kate might share this...well, he was starting to wonder just how right they were together in areas he’d never fathomed.

  “Can we climb down there and get a closer look?” she asked.

  “We can, but you’ll want to change.”

  She turned back to face him. “Why?”

  “There’s a natural spring you can swim in.”

  Her face lit up and she smacked his chest. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it.”

  She circled around him and started heading back down the narrow, wooded trail. Gray watched her go and raked a hand down his face. First camping alone and now getting her in a bathing suit. Yeah, this whole adventurous weekend was a brilliant idea...for a masochist.

  * * *

  Kate smoothed her wet hair back from her face as she climbed back up the shoreline toward the grassy area with a large fallen tree serving as a makeshift bench. She grabbed her towel from the tree and patted her face.

  Pulling in a deep breath and starting to dry her legs, she threw a smile at Gray, who had yet to put his shirt back on.

  How long was he going to stand there? They’d splashed in the water, floated on their backs, then chatted a bit while just wading. Thankfully the conversation had stayed light, mostly about the beauty of the area and its peacefulness. There was something so calming and perfect about it. Kate was convinced no problems existed here.

  Gray had gotten out of the water several minutes ago but still wasn’t making any moves to get dressed. And that was pretty much the only reason she’d gotten out. They needed to get back to camp so he could put some damn clothes on and stop driving her out of her mind. Those water droplets glistening all over his well-defined shoulders, pecs and abs. The dark ink curving over his shoulder. There wasn’t a thing about her best friend that she didn’t find attractive.

  Yes. He was definitely driving her out of her mind.

  U
nfortunately, Kate had a feeling he wasn’t even trying.

  She pushed aside her lustful thoughts. Okay, she didn’t push them aside so much as kept them to herself as she turned her attention toward the brooding man. Something was up with him, but it could just be the sexual tension that continued to thicken between them with each passing day.

  “That was amazing,” she stated, blowing out a breath and glancing toward the crisp blue sky before looking back at Gray. He said nothing, didn’t even so much as crack a smile. “But I guess we can’t stay here forever.”

  Kate tightened the knot on her towel and when she lifted her eyes back up, those dark, mesmerizing eyes were directed right at her. She couldn’t quite decipher the look, but whatever it was had her clutching the knot she’d just tied.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Gray wrapped his towel around his neck, gripping the ends in one hand. “I’ve had something on my mind I want to discuss with you.”

  Instantly, Kate stilled. The only major thing between them was the new state of their relationship that they hadn’t fully fleshed out. They’d brushed it aside in an attempt to get back on safer ground.

  Was he about to open the memory bank and dig deeper? Fine. She needed to just remain calm and do this. They had to hash it out at some point, and better before they fell into bed together than later, so to speak.

  Gray sank down onto the large old tree stretched across the ground. Without waiting to see what he was about to say or do, she took a seat beside him.

  “What’s up?”

  Gray rested his forearms on his knees and leaned forward, staring out at the waterfall. The way stress settled over his face, Kate worried something else was wrong. If he wanted to discuss the other night, he’d be more confident. Right now, Gray appeared to be...torn.

  Kate honestly had no idea what he was going to say, but the silence certainly wasn’t helping her nerves. Was there something else wrong? Had he actually brought her out here to tell her he was sick or dying?

  “Gray, come on,” she said, smacking his leg. “You know my anxiety and overactive imagination can’t handle this.”

  “I had a visitor at the bar yesterday morning.”

  Okay, so he wasn’t dying. That was good. So what had him so upset and speechless?

  Kate shifted to block the sun from her eyes. She waited for him to go on, but at this rate it would be nightfall before he finished the story. Whoever this visitor was had Gray struggling for words. Either that or he was battling something major and trying to figure out how to tell her.

  “He offered me an insane amount of money to buy the bar.”

  His words settled heavily between them, rendering her speechless as well. Sell the bar? Is that something he actually wanted to do? She’d never heard him mention wanting away from something that she’d always thought held so much meaning. What would his dad say? Had he even talked to his dad?

  There were so many questions crammed into one space and she wanted all of the answers now.

  “Are you selling?” she finally asked when it was clear he wasn’t going to add more to his verbal bomb.

  Gray lifted one bare shoulder and glanced over. “I have no idea. I never wanted the bar, it was just assumed I’d take it over. When I came home from the army, it was there, so I stepped into role of owner.”

  “What would you do without it?”

  He raked a hand over his wet hair and blew out a sigh. “I have no idea, but I’ve always wondered. I mean, with the amount I was offered, I could do anything.”

  “You haven’t talked to your dad.”

  Gray shook his head, though she hadn’t actually been asking.

  “Is that why you brought me camping?” she asked. “So you could get my opinion?”

  Gray reached for her hand. “No. I mean, I knew I wanted to talk to you, but the second you mentioned that list and started naming things off, I knew I was going to bring you here as soon as I could get everything lined up. It just happened to be rather quickly.”

  Kate couldn’t help but smile as she glanced down to their joined hands. “Have you made a list of reasons to stay and reasons to go?”

  His lips twitched into a grin of their own as he shook his head. “No, ma’am. I leave the list-making to you.”

  Her mind started rolling on all the good things about owning a family business. There was just so much, but only Gray knew what he loved most about the place.

  On the downside, once you owned a business, you were married to it. Randomly he would take a day, like this, but the man was loyal and that bar was his wife, baby. Plus, he carried on the small-town tradition his grandfather had started.

  Family heritage meant everything to someone like Gray. Money could only go so far. She was surprised he even considered selling the bar, which meant he must really be looking for something else in his life.

  Kate’s heart ached for him, for this decision. If she were in his place she wouldn’t even have to think about it. She had no family and would kill to carry on this kind of legacy.

  “Your silence is making me nervous.”

  Kate smiled and patted his leg. “You should be nervous. The pros and cons are already lining up inside my head.”

  Gray led her back to camp and she was somewhat grateful for the distraction. Though she didn’t think anything could fully take her mind off the ripped torso covered with tats that he still hadn’t covered. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit her nerves had settled in at the thought of spending the night in that tent with him.

  But first, she’d help him figure out what to do about this business proposition. Surely that would crush any desires...wouldn’t it?

  Yes, if they just continued to focus on the bar and his proposal, then any desires they shared would be pushed aside and they could reconfigure their friendship.

  Kate would keep telling herself that until it became the truth.

  Chapter Eight

  The fire crackled, the stars were vibrant in the sky, and beside him, Kate continued to jot down notes. She’d mutter something, then mark out what she’d just written. Every now and then she’d ask him a question and scribble something else down.

  Her system was driving him insane. She fidgeted, pulling her hair up into a knot, then taking it down and raking her fingers through it. Then she’d start the process all over again. Watching her was killing him, mostly because her mind was working overtime, but just seeing her in her element was too damn sexy.

  Kate let out a groan. “I need my colored markers so I can see the overall picture clearer.”

  Gray had had enough. He reached over, jerked the planner from her lap and tossed it into the fire.

  “Gray!” Kate leaped to her feet and stared down as the pages curled, turned black, and drifted up in ashes. “That was my personal planner. You can’t just—”

  “Too late. I just did.”

  Okay, maybe he should feel bad, but she needed to relax because until she did, he couldn’t. She’d brought the damn thing camping when this whole night should be about taking a break from reality.

  Now she sat here working on his life like he was one of her damn clients. No more.

  “Not only does that have my whole life in it, I had the lists for you about the bar.”

  Kate spun around and propped her hands on her hips as she stared down at him. He picked up the long stick he’d had beside him and poked around at the fire, shoving the last bit of the planner further into the flames for good measure. It was better than seeing that snug little tank pulling across her chest or the creamy patch of skin between the hem of her shirt and the top of her pants.

  “You’re a jerk.”

  She stomped off into the darkness, heading toward his truck. Gray bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. She most likely had a backup planner at home and he knew she kept dupli
cate electronic files. He felt only a little guilty. She’d be fine. Knowing Kate, she had everything logged into her memory bank anyway. Someone who was so focused on details and schedules and color coding the hell out of every minute of life would definitely know her schedule by heart.

  The slam of his truck door had Gray glancing in that direction. Seconds later, Kate came stomping back with her cell in hand. She flopped back onto the fat stump she’d been using as her seat. The glow of her phone added a bit more light to their campfire area.

  “You can’t be serious,” he grumbled.

  Without looking up, she started typing like a mad woman. “Oh, when it comes to schedules, I’m dead serious. And even though you just ruined my life by burning my planner, I’m still going to help you work this out.”

  Gray tossed the stick back to the ground. “I’m not making a decision tonight, so relax.”

  “You keep telling me to relax, but if I don’t worry about it and try to come to a conclusion, who will?”

  Gray stood and took a step toward her. She jerked her phone behind her back and tipped her chin up in defiance.

  “You’re not throwing this in the fire,” she said, and he thought he saw a ghost of a smile on her lips.

  “No,” he laughed. “But I’m not worrying and neither are you. I’m tired and it’s late so I thought we could get our sleeping bags rolled out and get some rest. I want to get up early and hike to the top of the peak so you can see the sunrise.”

  “Sounds beautiful.”

  “Words can’t describe it.” Gray held out his hand to help her up. “So you may want to get some sleep or you’ll be grouchy when I wake you.”

  “I’m grouchy now,” she muttered, placing her hand in his. “You owe me a new planner, but I get to pick it out. I don’t trust you anymore.”

  He helped her up, but didn’t let go of her hand. “Now, where’s the fun in that? You may love the one I choose.”

  “Please,” she said, and snorted. “You have terrible taste. I’ve seen that painting over your sofa.”