Run to You (7 page)

They finished their ice cream, and he drove her home. He walked her to her front door and waited while she undid her deadbolt and opened the door. Then because he was the unlucky son of a bitch who had roped himself into a fake relationship, he drew her in and kissed her cheek.

He told her good night and went home. Alone.

Gabby walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, still feeling the heat of Ethan's lips on her cheek. Wishing they'd been on her mouth. He was probably a great kisser. Probably great in bed, too. It had been a long time since she'd yearned for the feel of a man's hands on her skin, to feel him inside her.

Sex with Brad had become an exercise in frustration. He'd been so focused on his own pleasure that he hadn't paid much attention to hers. Or that's what the therapist she'd seen a few times after she left him had said. Truly, she'd started to wonder if she just couldn't have an orgasm during sex. Or worse, maybe she was lousy in bed.

Because sometimes Brad would have trouble finishing, and he'd start swearing and ask her to try different positions until he found something that worked. It was a race to the finish line, to
his
finish line at least. It had been awkward and so
not
sexy. She'd gotten used to taking care of her own needs with the vibrator she kept tucked away in the back of her bedside table.

All the more reason she was taking a break from men right now. All the more reason this pretend relationship with Ethan might turn out to be just what she needed. There could be no awkward sex, because there would be no sex. And just looking at him provided all the inspiration she needed for her late-night fantasies.

Pushing thoughts of Ethan out of her mind, she fetched Lance from his crate, took him outside, and headed for bed.

She didn't talk to Ethan the next day. Instead, she kept her nose buried deeply in her work, and when she'd finished, she took Lance for a short walk through the woods then baked a pan of strawberry lemon bars.

Actually, she was kind of excited about going to book club tonight at Dixie's house. She'd read and enjoyed the book, and she finally felt ready to meet some more people in town.

That confidence wavered slightly as she raised her hand to knock on Dixie's front door.

“Oh, you can just go right in,” a voice said from behind her.

Gabby turned around and found a woman about her age standing behind her, her blond hair in a loose ponytail, a bottle of wine in each hand.

“I'm Emma,” she said.

“Gabby. I'm new in town.”

Emma nodded with a warm smile. “I know. And we can't wait to hear all about you and Ethan. Do you mind?” She nodded toward the door.

Gabby opened it for them, even as her heart lurched in her chest. “Me and Ethan?”

“Oh, come on. When you start dating one of the hottest, most eligible guys in town, everyone's going to talk about it. We're so glad you came tonight because we've all been wanting to meet you.”

Gabby must have looked as horrified as she felt because Emma laughed.

“We want to meet you because you're new in town and we don't know you yet, not just because of Ethan. Come on.” She nudged Gabby ahead of her into the house.

A handful of women were seated in the living room while the sounds of laughter and more conversation came from the direction of what Gabby assumed was the kitchen.

“Gabby!” Dixie waved from the far end of the living room. “I'm so glad you could make it. Come on in, and I'll introduce you around.”

Emma lifted the bottles in her hands and whispered, “Red or white?”

Gabby smiled. She liked Emma already. “White. Thanks.”

The women here ranged from Dixie's age to Gabby's. She smiled and made polite conversation as Dixie made introductions. Everyone seemed nice enough, and it was probably just paranoia that their friendliness might be motivated by nosiness about how the shy newcomer had landed charming, outgoing Ethan.

The table in the kitchen was overflowing with all kinds of finger foods and desserts. Gabby filled a plate and found a seat in the corner. Some of the women were already discussing the book, and she jumped into the conversation, grateful for a topic that didn't involve her dating life.

“Who made these?” a brunette about her mother's age asked, holding up one of the pink squares Gabby had brought.

“I did,” she said, hoping she hadn't somehow screwed up the recipe. These were her specialty back home, one of her favorite things to bake.

“They're delicious,” the other woman said with a smile. “What are they? I taste lemons, but I'm not sure what's making them pink.”

“They're strawberry lemon bars,” Gabby told her.

“They're fantastic,” said the blonde sitting next to Emma.

“That's high praise considering she owns the bakery,” Dixie whispered loudly.

The other woman smiled. “That's right. I'm Carly Taylor.”

“You own A Piece of Cake?” Gabby had seen the bakery downtown but hadn't been inside yet.

“Yep.” Carly took another big bite of her strawberry lemon bar with a smile.

Emma leaned toward Gabby. “
And
she's dating Sam Weiss.”

“The rock star?” Gabby's eyebrows raised.

Carly nodded, her cheeks flushed. “Yes, that Sam Weiss.”

“How are things going with you guys?” Emma asked her.

“Great. Really great.” Carly was still blushing. “I flew out to visit him in L.A. again last week, and he'll be back in Haven later this month to stay for the rest of the summer.”

“That's so awesome.” Emma looked dreamy. Then she turned toward Gabby. “Speaking of hot guys, I want to hear all about you and Ethan…”

All eyes in the room turned to Gabby. Everyone wanted to know where she was from and what she did for a living. They oohed and aahed about her helping to develop video games.

Dixie sat there beaming with pride, which only made guilt twist in Gabby's stomach. It still didn't feel right lying to her, no matter the reasoning behind it. But that was Ethan's decision, and she'd agreed to go along with it.

“So tell us how you and Ethan met,” Emma said.

Gabby grimaced. “I was out hiking, and I accidentally trampled a wasps' nest. He helped me out and took me to the clinic.”

“Oh my God,” Carly said. “That is like my worst nightmare.”

“Were you stung badly?” someone else asked.

And before she knew it, the conversation had turned back to Ethan. It seemed everyone in town had either dated or wanted to date him at one time or another. Gabby got the impression he was quite the ladies' man. And they were all beyond proud of his Olympic success. She wanted to ask more about his past—surely these women knew the full story—but it seemed distasteful to ask in front of Dixie, knowing that her daughter, Ethan's mother, had died.

And besides, if she really wanted to know, she ought to just ask him herself.

The truth was, she did want to know. She wanted to know everything about him. Which probably meant she should try to learn as little about him as possible. Because already things felt a little too real between them, and she absolutely couldn't afford to make that mistake.

“I met someone new, too,” a brunette about Gabby's age said. She thought the woman's name was Tabitha.

A collective murmur of excitement went around the room, and Gabby breathed a sigh of relief to have the attention turned to someone else.

“He's also new in town,” Tabitha said. “He's a carpenter. His name is Brad. Brad Mobley.”

E
than sank back in his seat with a mug of cold beer in his hand and a shit-eating grin on his face. “I told you not to friend a chick you're dating on Facebook.”

“I am not even going there.” Ryan shook his head with a scowl.

Mark eyed them from dark, unreadable eyes. “My first night back in town, and this is what you two losers decide to bicker about?”

“It's just like old times, man.” Ryan clapped him on the back.

They were seated at their usual table at Rowdy's, a pitcher of beer between them, a platter of wings half demolished on the table beside it. Mark's right cheek was creased in a scar that had now faded into a shiny brown line a shade darker than his skin. There were other scars, Ethan knew. Scars that weren't visible, both physical and emotional.

He was so goddamn glad to have these guys back home. They'd met in foster care, lived together for a while in a group home here in Haven, and stayed tight even after Dixie had adopted him. In fact, the bond between them was a big part of the reason why his grandmother had settled here in Haven to raise him instead of bringing him to Wilmington, where she used to live.

Ryan and Mark had caused more than their fair share of trouble here in Haven, but Gram had done her best to keep Ethan on the right side of the law. She'd pushed him to pursue his talent at swimming, then kept him so busy with practice he'd had little time for anything else.

After graduation, life had sent Ethan, Ryan, and Mark in different directions. But now, ten years later, Off-the-Grid had brought them back together.

“Damn shame about Gram,” Mark said.

Ethan sobered. “Yeah. It is.”

“Anything you need, man, you just say the word.”

“Thanks.” Ethan swallowed past the tightness in this throat with another gulp of beer. Thank God he could walk home from Rowdy's. For one more night anyway. “She's hosting her book club tonight, so I stayed clear, but tomorrow I'm moving in with her.”

“That's smart,” Ryan said. “I'm taking her to lunch on Saturday. I know she can't drive anymore, so if you ever need backup to get her to an appointment or even just to pick up groceries, just say the word.”

“Anything,” Mark added, his expression deadly serious, which was usual for him, but Ethan knew he was true to his word. “Anything at all. You know how much we all love Gram.”

Dammit, his throat was tight again. “I really appreciate that.”

“Now fill me in on the girl.” Mark cracked a rare grin.

“It's ‘complicated.'” Ryan threw up air quotes and laughed until his eyes watered.

“Fucked up is what it is.” Ethan drained his glass and reached for the pitcher to refill it.

Mark raised an eyebrow. “You—the stud of the Smoky Mountains—are dating a girl who won't sleep with you?”

“The stud of the Smoky Mountains?” Ryan laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair. Ethan was tempted to lend an elbow to the process.

“We're not dating. We're just letting Gram think we're dating.”

“But you took her to the Skyline Grille last night,” Ryan said. “And I heard you guys shared ice cream in the park afterward.”

“Aw,” Mark said. “That's sweet. Are we back in high school?”

“Yo, I didn't take girls to the Skyline Grille back in high school,” Ryan said.

“You've never taken a girl to the Skyline Grille,” Ethan pointed out.

“This is true.” Ryan nodded. “I have much better luck getting laid by taking girls for a ride on my bike.”

“The situation with Gabby is messed up. I'll give you that,” Ethan said. “But you guys have got to keep it on the down-low. Not a word around Gram.”

“You're walking a fine line trying to pull this off,” Mark said. “Nothing gets past Gram.”

Wasn't that the damn truth.

“The way you and Gabby look at each other, there's not a chance in hell it won't turn real before the gig is up,” Ryan said.

Ethan lifted one shoulder noncommittally. “She's pretty serious about not dating. Sure I'd love to get in her pants, but I respect her wishes.”

“Of course you do,” Mark said. “You're not a total asshole.”

“But we will remind you of this conversation in a few weeks when you're still not getting any and you're frustrated as hell.” Ryan tipped his mug in Ethan's direction.

Ethan was already frustrated as hell, but he'd deal. He might not be getting laid, but he enjoyed being with Gabby. There was something refreshingly different about her, and it wasn't just her funky style with the long skirts and boots. She really seemed to care about Gram and had gone out of her way to spend time with her. There was a wholesomeness to Gabby, but at the same time, she'd surprised him with her sexy fantasies.

And he couldn't fucking wait to see her again.

The next morning, he, Ryan, and Mark spent several hours at Off-the-Grid, walking the property and going over things that still needed to be completed before they opened for business. After what had happened last week, they had a whole checklist of new safety precautions to secure the place at night.

They'd already made it so far through the rezoning process. Notices had been mailed to adjacent property owners, giving them the chance to speak at a public hearing about the rezoning. When that hadn't yielded any complaints, Ethan thought they were home free. Now they had to persuade the Town Council they weren't out to corrupt the town.

A car pulled up out front just as they finished their meeting. Three elderly woman piled out and started walking around the house, peering off into the woods.

“Uh, what the hell?” Ryan asked.

Ethan recognized them from around town: Marlene Goodall, Helen Arkin, and Betsy Something-or-other. Marlene was Carly's grandmother and Gram's good friend. All three were active at the senior center. “I'll go see.”

He walked outside.

“Oh, hi, Ethan,” Marlene said. “We came by to see the place.”

A lightbulb blazed in Ethan's head as he realized Marlene also sat on the Town Council. In fact, he had a sudden inkling that they all did. “That's great. Would you like a tour?”

Betsy nodded. “We would like that. We're concerned, you know, about safety.”

Yeah, he'd figured that out. He almost went back inside to get Ryan since he was so much better at this shit, but surely even Ethan could handle showing these ladies around without blowing it. “It's all very safe, I promise. Follow me, and I'll show you the zip-line course.”

The three women walked behind him, murmuring among themselves. An irritating prickle started between his shoulder blades. Who were they to tell him he couldn't open Off-the-Grid here? They didn't know the first thing about his new business—what it meant to him and what it might do for the town.

He reached the platform that marked the start of the zip-line course. “Well, here we are.”

“Hmm, that doesn't look
so
bad,” Marlene said.

“So you just zip right down that cable?” Helen asked.

“Not in a million years.” Betsy shook her head.

“It's very safe,” Ethan told them. “You're wearing a safety harness and helmet. You zip from one end of the line to the other. It feels kind of like flying. Anyone want to try it?”

“Heavens, no,” Helen said.

“But I would like to see you demonstrate,” Marlene said. “I think it would give me a better feel for how the whole thing works.”

“My pleasure.” Ethan left them and climbed the ladder to the platform. He showed them the new combination lock on the gear box and talked them through the process as he harnessed up, then kicked off from the platform, and soared. And…felt all of his frustration fade away.

Only thing that topped this was sex. And since he couldn't have any of that, he'd need the adrenaline rush of the zip-line to keep him sane this summer. By the time he'd unclipped at the other end and walked back to the group, he found Ryan and Mark outside talking to the ladies.

“Do you use a safety net for the rock climbing?” Marlene was asking Ryan.

“No, ma'am. Amateur climbers will wear a safety harness. More advanced clients can free climb.”

Betsy covered her mouth in horror.

“So someone could theoretically fall to their death? Right here on your property?” Helen asked.

“In theory, yes,” Ryan answered, looking pained. “There is risk involved in most any sport, but I can assure you that all necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of our clientele. And we have all the necessary insurance to cover any injuries that may occur.”

“Including the one last week?” Helen asked.

Ryan nodded. “Yes.”

“I just can't imagine why anyone would want to climb up the side of a rock like that. Sounds like a death wish to me.” Betsy shook her head, lips pursed.

“I enjoy pushing my body to its limits,” Ryan said. “The adrenaline rush when you reach the top is worth every bit of pain and struggle to get there. There's really nothing else like it.”

Helen shuddered, then turned to Ethan. “I do appreciate you demonstrating the zip-line.”

“My pleasure.” He was going to have to take another run to rid himself of the negativity rolling off these three women.

“We'll be going now. I hear we'll see you boys next Friday at the Town Council meeting,” Marlene said.

“Yes, ma'am,” Ryan said. “We're looking forward to it.”

“See you there.”

With a wave, they headed in the direction of their car.

“The fuck was that all about?” Mark asked.

“You heard the ladies,” Ethan said. “We might start killing off locals left and right with our dangerous operations here.”

“It's because of what happened out here last week with those teenagers. It gave them the excuse they needed to come after us,” Ryan said. “They're worried we'll hurt Haven's reputation. But it'll all be fine once we get started and they see how we bring in new revenue for the town. You'll see.”

Ethan scowled. “If they let us open our doors at all.”

Gabby had spent the afternoon with Dixie. She'd taken her to nearby Silver Springs to do some shopping, then to Common Grounds for coffee, and now they were headed to Off-the-Grid to surprise Ethan. She really enjoyed spending time with Dixie, and they'd had a lot of fun today, but now Gabby was ready for a quiet evening home alone. These last few days, she'd been completely swept off her feet by Ethan and his family, and she was afraid she was starting to enjoy it a little too much.

They pulled into the driveway at Off-the-Grid, where a black SUV was parked alongside Ethan's Jeep and Ryan's Harley.

Dixie clapped her hands with delight. “Oh, Mark must be here.”

She hustled out of the car so fast Gabby had to rush to keep up with her. By the time she'd rounded the front of the car, Dixie was already walking around the side of the house, headed toward where Ethan, Ryan, and a third man stood in the side yard.

“Mark!” she exclaimed and threw her arms around him.

Mark was tall—very tall—with darkly tanned skin and a scar slashing his right cheek. His black hair was close-cropped, his demeanor rigid, until Dixie got to him. Then his face relaxed in a warm smile as he bent to kiss her cheek. It seemed like Dixie had been somewhat of a grandmother to all three of the guys. As Gabby watched them with her now, it felt a bit like seeing a family reunion.

Ethan's eyes found Gabby's, and he crossed the yard to pull her into his arms. “Hey,” he whispered against her lips.

“Hey.” Warmth flooded her at his touch and awakened a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Impulsively, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“I'm grilling burgers at Gram's house tonight. Join us?” His arms were still around her, his mouth tantalizingly close to hers.

She threaded her fingers into the front of his shirt, using their audience as an excuse to keep holding on to him. “I really shouldn't.”

“You really shouldn't sit home alone on a Friday night when your friends are grilling burgers.” His smile was infectious. “Come on.”

“Okay, I guess. Just for a little while.”

Ethan pulled her in for one more quick kiss, and then, with a wink, he looped an arm around her shoulders and turned to his friends. “Mark, I don't think you've met Gabby yet.”

Mark walked over to make introductions, then Ethan called out, “Burgers at Gram's. I'm cooking. Who's in?”

“Hell yeah,” Ryan said.

Mark nodded with a smile.

“All right then. We'll see you over there.” Ethan stepped back, although his hand lingered on hers and gave it a warm squeeze before he let go entirely.

And goodness, she wanted to drag him inside the house and kiss him until her knees melted and her toes curled and she'd completely forgotten all the reasons she'd insisted their relationship be only for show.

As much as she wished she wasn't so crazy-attracted to him, being around Ethan made her feel alive in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. Even if their relationship could never go beyond a few quick kisses in front of his grandmother, he reminded her what it was like to feel desirable.

And it felt good.

So good.

She turned to find Dixie watching, her face glowing like a kid on Christmas morning. That familiar guilt twisted Gabby's stomach. But was it so bad to let this sweet lady die thinking her grandson had a shot at true love?

Maybe if she had a grandma like Dixie, she'd have loved her enough to do the same. Gabby's grandparents were all gone now, but neither of her grandmothers had been as warm and fun and sweet as Dixie.

So she would swallow her guilt and do what she could to help this woman die in peace.