Business & Pleasure_A Dad's Best Friend Romance

by Tia Siren

  She pressed her lips together, then released them as her eyes held his, one of the things he had always admired about her; Riley Teeters was a brave girl who always looked everyone and everything straight in the eye, no matter how hard it was for her. “I bought a resort. Figured I oughtta come check it out.”

  His eyes widened, and he turned around to look at the building behind him. “Wait. You? You’re the new owner who bought the place out of the bankruptcy courts?”

  “The one and only,” she said, twisting her fingers together.

  “But I thought we—”

  She held her hand up to shush him. “I know now why the idea of that upset you so much when I suggested it back then. I also know how much you love this place. Your heart and soul are here and… Well, so are mine.”

  More hope blossomed, unfolding like the petals of a rose. “I don’t… Riley, I… Did you buy it just because of me?”

  Tears glittered in her eyes. “Of course I did. I want you to have this, and you don’t even have to take me on as part of a package deal. The resort is registered under an LLC. The one in Destin has been sold already, as it wasn’t worth the trouble. That project would have drained you dry, just like it drained your, um…”

  “Jon,” he said, with no rancor left in his voice. “You sold it, the Destin place?”

  “Yep, right after I acquired it. The price was lower than expected, of course, since the work that had been done was shoddy and collapsing. It needs to be torn down, entirely renovated from the ground up. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the LLC, this resort, is yours now. You can do whatever you want with it.”

  Just like that, his hope crashed and faded. “But not you?”

  Her lips quivered. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to be with me, hence why I registered the LLC in your name. All you have to do is sign the paperwork.”

  Gray looked at her in awe. She had worked out a way to give his home back to him, a way for him to make a good living in a place he loved. She had made his dream come true, and was handing his own resort over to him. Unfortunately, right behind the bewildered delight of that was a strong tide of pride. The first thing that came to his mind was to refuse, to tell her yet again that he could not and would not accept her pity or charity, that he would never take her money. Before he could voice that, though, she spoke again.

  “Of course, the LLC is carrying a loan.”

  Relief filled him, and his heart opened yet again, thumping painfully. “You really do get me, don’t you?”

  “I hope so,” she said, three little words that held a weight of different meanings, but the naked truth was dancing in her gorgeous eyes.

  “Riley, do you still love me at all, even just a little? Can you forgive me for…all of it?”

  “Yes, way more than just a little, and I imagine I did a few things you have to forgive me for too.”

  He stepped out from behind the bar and took a long breath of the salty sea air. “Hmm. In that case, are you willing to go on one more adventure with me?”

  Riley’s smile was as wide and bright as the sun above them as she moved into his arms, that comfortable place she’d missed for so long. Her entire body shook, and her face was a mingle of tears and laughter. “Yes, Gray. Absolutely.”

  “I’m sure the new owner would appreciate a tour of the place,” Gray suggested, beaming from ear to ear as he held her in his arms again, the stuff of so many of his dreams.

  “I would, as long as you don’t mind closing down the bar for a bit.”

  Gray whooped with laughter. “Oh shit! That’s right! I’m the boss now,” he said, utterly bemused by that. Happiness soared through him as he took her hand. “I can get someone here in two seconds to take over. Just hold on, okay?”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Good to know,” Gray said, then rushed off to fetch the poolside server.

  Chapter 43

  Riley’s heart sang with joy as she watched Gray practically skip to the pool. She had prayed he would accept her gift of the resort but even more so that he would still be in love with her. Now, both those prayers had come true. She hoped they’d both grown up enough to make their relationship work, because a forever with Gray was the one thing she wanted more than she’d wanted anything else in her life.

  Gray came bounding back and took her hand again, and they headed toward the walkway, moving slowly, their hips occasionally grazing one another in a teasing bump. “So…” he said as they walked, trying to strike up a conversation that felt a bit awkward after their long absence that never should have been.

  “I love you, Gray. I do, and I never stopped loving you. I knew you hated Lake Tahoe, and deep down, I knew why. It had nothing to do with Brent. I just… I said all that horrible stuff on that cliff because I guess I was just scared of losing you. Then again, I was also scared that if I stayed with you, I’d always be stuck living by your standards, in a life that really isn’t cut out for me.”

  “I started thinking about us on the first night in the Dominican, when we were talking about our endless summer. Even then, I was sure it was only a summer thing, what we had, and I knew it would not survive the winter if we didn’t learn to be with each other, but I couldn’t figure out how to be with you. I resented that we were doing what you wanted and none of what I wanted,” she admitted softly.

  His fingers locked down hers. “I get that, and I’m sorry. I just thought if you loved me, you’d be willing to… Well, I guess it never came to me until after you were gone that you were right. I wanted all the sacrifice to be on your side. I wanted to keep what I wanted. I wanted you, but I didn’t want to live in a place where I was not happy. Then it hit me that I was bitching about having to make a sacrifice you had already made. That just made me feel so much worse, and things just spiraled down from there. I was selfish as hell.”

  “So was I. I resented every single thing we did because I was so busy whining about my money.”

  “I think I was the one whining about your money.”

  “Okay, well, let’s just say we were both whining about my money,” she said, wearing an impish grin.

  “True that.”

  They stopped at a small doorway, and her eyes searched his face. “Can we do this? I have to warn you that I still love New York, and I have to be there sometimes for a week or more.”

  “Well, my brother’s a damn good manager, and I’ve got no qualms about him watching the place.”

  “Oh yeah?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with newfound hope.

  “Yeah. I’m so sorry, Riley. I went to Tahoe because I wanted to make you happy, but when we got there, I acted like a jackass. I didn’t want to go in the first place, and I felt put upon, which was really childish and stupid of me.”

  “I wish you had just said no. We coulda sat down and talked it out, figured out something better, something that might not have torn us apart.”

  “Me too.” He leaned against her, pinning her lightly against the wall. “I won’t ever do that again. That is all I can promise. I can’t change the past, and neither can you, but I swear I to do my damnedest to help us have a better future.”

  Tears formed in her eyes, but they were happy ones this time. “Sounds good to me. Now, show me this resort and tell me a few of your good ideas to get it back up and running. I should tell you, though, that your dad, er…John took off as soon as the check was in his hands. I doubt he even took the time to pack.”

  Gray nodded. “Yeah, another thing you were right about. I was pissed, not just because I got nothing from him but also because I loved him and needed him in my life. I always thought he felt the same toward me. He really showed his true colors, and I had to deal with that. It hurt a lot, and it didn’t make me very happy to come back here and have to flat out admit that. I had to in order to get past it though. Deep down, I had to accept that he never really cared at all, even though part of me was still clinging to the hope that he felt at least a little something for me.”<
br />
  “I’m so sorry about that.”

  “I’m not. He sucks, and it was a good riddance, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Her heart ached, and her belly fluttered. She had a big secret to tell him, and she hoped he would not freak out. Part of her was still afraid he would, even though she knew she had no choice but to tell him. Encouraged by the little voice in her head that kept telling her the time was right, she cleared her throat and asked, “Are you okay about that mess now?”

  Gray nodded. “I am. I mean, it was a lousy way to grow up, not having a real father or a mother. I mean, Jon was here, but he never exactly made it a secret that he didn’t want me around. I just loved and needed him, so I ignored it. At least I learned from it.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. For one thing, I know just how rare and precious real love is, because I sure as hell didn’t get any of it till you came along. Plus, being away from you made me realize even more how important and valuable second chances are. I won’t mess up this time, Riley.”

  She smiled sheepishly. “Let’s go in the office first, okay?”

  “Sounds good. Right this way, Miss Teeters.”

  They went through the door and into the foyer, then stepped into the lobby. Riley noticed a new sense of pride and assurance creeping over his face, and her smile was both wide and happy. He had grown into the man she had always known he could be; she felt that in her heart and in her gut.

  When they opened the door to the office, Gray froze. His mouth curled into a frown, and when he could move again, he cast a questioning glare at Riley as she stepped in behind him and softly closed the door.

  Riley just smiled and pointed to the desk, her heart beating a million miles a minute.

  “It is nice to see you again, Grayson,” Richard Teeters said.

  Riley sucked in her breath and held it. The greeting was as close to an olive branch as her father could possibly offer, and she hoped that Gray knew that.

  Gray thawed and said, “You too. I hear you did well in the polls.”

  Richard winced. “Not well enough, but one cannot win them all.”

  “You did fine, dear,” Clare said from behind him, patting him firmly on the shoulder. “We will do better next time.”

  Gray advanced toward the desk, then stopped when a small head peeked around the edge. He darted his eyes from the child to Riley and back to the crawling baby again. His hand went up to his mouth.

  Riley’s heart lurched in her chest, and her legs went liquid. What if he says no, even after all we just talked about? What if…

  Gray looked at Riley again, and tears filled the corners of his eyes. He stared at Clare and Richard, and while neither of them moved, Clare gave the baby a long, stern look that made her little face break out in a huge smile, a grin so like Gray’s that it broke Riley’s heart every time she saw it.

  “Uh…” he stuttered. “What’s her name?”

  What the hell? That’s the only question he has? Riley thought, almost giggling. She took a deep breath and answered, “Summer.”

  “Of course it is.” Gray reached down and scooped up the wiggling little girl. He gently examined her face, followed by her tiny hands and feet.

  Summer cooed and laughed wildly in his arms, peering up at him as if she already knew him.

  “I think my folks might like to rest for a little while. Can we get them some keys?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, uh…sure. Let me just… Uh…” He had no idea what he was saying, nor did he care. He just stared at Summer, unable to put her down.

  “Gray, a room? For my mom and dad?” Riley coaxed.

  Finally, he looked back over at her. “Sorry.” He carried Summer over to the desk with him and pulled out a set of keys. He handed them to Richard. “It’s the best room we’ve got,” he said, then sent them on their way.

  Once her parents were gone, Riley stared for a minute as Summer got to know her daddy. “I wanted to tell you when I first found out,” she finally confessed.

  “And why didn’t you?” Gray asked, holding up another set of keys for the baby to play with.

  At first, Riley had thought that creep Lewis had drugged her drink; she blamed that as the reason she felt so under the weather. It didn’t take too long for her to realize that it was something else entirely, and when she finally figured it out, she was afraid of how Gray would react to the news. “I-I didn’t know how. I didn’t know where we stood after I left you the way I did. I mean, I walked out on you when you were hurt, and—”

  “Hey, don’t,” he said, rubbing a thumb under her eye to wipe away the tear that had run down her cheek. “You didn’t walk out. I told you to leave. I did that, not you. Don’t ever blame yourself, Riley.”

  “I…” She paused, looking over at the man who had changed so much. She had changed, too, and that was evident in the calmness of their conversation; before, they were quick to throw stones, leaving each other hurt and silent and fuming. “I just could not contact you and say that, on top of everything else, my birth control had failed and that I was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby, our baby. I did not know if you would want her. I didn’t know what would happen between us. As Summer started to get older, though, I thought more and more about what happened to you as a kid, and I knew I was wrong. I wondered what you would have been like if you were raised by the man who fathered you instead of by Jon. I wondered if you might have been happier. Then, of course, there’s the fact that I’ve never wanted anyone else in my life but you.”

  Smiling, he walked toward her. He pulled her into his body with his free arm, and the three of them stood there for a moment, the perfect family portrait Riley had dreamt of for so long.

  “Oh, Gray,” she said, basking in the moment that felt so surreal, “how did I ever live without you?”

  “The same way I lived without you, not so great.”

  Her laughter filled the room, and she wiped the tears away. She lifted a bottle of water off the desk and handed Summer’s bottle to Gray. “Here’s to us and the resort and…all of it!”

  “To our grand adventure, Riley!” Gray said, gently bumping the baby bottle against Riley’s water in a gleeful toast. He gazed at Summer, who made a wild, playful grab at his nose. “To Summer and this resort and…whatever comes next!”

  Riley smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek, then Summer’s chubby one. “Now that’s an adventure I can’t wait to take.”

  “Me neither,” Gray said sincerely. “Me neither.”

  EPILOGUE

  Jeff walked into the office with a smile on his face. “Check it out. I got an email from Dad.”

  Gray didn’t bother to correct the title; in fact, he’d stopped doing so a long time ago. Jon was, unfortunately, the closest thing he’d ever known to a father anyway, and he was beyond the point of being bothered over trivial things.

  Jeff was still conflicted about working at the resort he had expected to inherit, and while he was good at his job, he and Gray both knew it would probably be just a matter of time before he’d move on to something else. There was a small, mostly faded hotel not far from the resort. Jeff had the credit and work history to get a loan, provided Gray would help him with the down payment. Gray had every intention of offering that loan if that ever became a possible reality for Jeff.

  “Yeah?” Gray stretched his shoulders. “Where is he?”

  Jeff grinned. “Working as a concierge in Hawaii. He hates it, but it is what it is.”

  Jon had indeed accumulated a healthy little nest egg by skimming off the top at the resort, and neither Jeff nor Gray would ever see a cent of it. Sadly for him, he was unable to hold on to the money he’d stashed away and, just three years later, he was struggling to get by. Gray had no doubt that when, not if, Jeff was able to purchase the nearby hotel, Jon would return to help run it. He only hoped Jeff would rein Jon in, and Gray had faith that his brother would do the right thing. It was a great relief that Jeff no longer suffered from blind hero-worship o
f his father, who was anything but a hero.

  “Hawaii, huh? That has to be fun.”

  Jeff’s lips trembled as he fought back a laugh. “You haven’t heard the rest of it. It’s a timeshare resort.”

  Gray burst into laughter. “The scourge of the industry? How…fitting.”

  Jeff grinned. “You did well in selling that block of rooms to that timeshare developer.”

  “I know.”

  There had been a lot of changes at the resort. The timeshare buy-in allowed Gray to pay off most of the LLC obligations to Riley, and that was an enormous weight off his shoulders, financially and otherwise. He had also implemented staff bonuses and issued day passes for the relatives of resort personnel to use the facilities a few days a month. The passes were a boon, but they did come with caveats: They couldn’t swarm the premises and overcrowd the guests, for one thing, but since most of the staff were too busy during the peak season, their families didn’t generally arrive to use the amenities until shoulder season anyway.

  The amenities had changed as well. There was now a large, thrilling waterslide that shot guests out of an upstairs walkway, into the deep end of the pool. The bar was less formal, and there were more family-oriented activities, with plenty of things to do for all ages. Because of all the changes, those brilliant ideas Jon had refused to listen to, business was booming, and the resort was booked solid all year long.

  “You ready for me to take over? I spotted Riley down at the beach a minute ago,” Jeff said.

  Gray stood. “That’d be great.”

  “See ya,” Jeff said as Gray walked out.

  Gray headed straight to the beach, still smiling. His grin only widened when he saw Riley.

  ***

  “Shell!”

  Riley laughed as she bent closer to inspect the broken bit of shell that so fascinated Summer. “Oh, how pretty. Do you know what it came from?”

  Summer stared at her, her face solemn and serious. She looked so much like her father, with jet-black hair and deep eyes. Riley couldn’t help being stricken all over again by a wave of deep and fierce love for her, every single time she looked at her. “No,” the sweet little girl finally said.