Synopsis

Trying to take a few brief moments away from a stressful situation, Reagan Murphy snags the last table at a bustling downtown lunch spot. When another woman walks into the crowded restaurant seeking a table, Reagan offers to share hers.

Jillian Jacobs just wanted a quick bite before she’d have to focus on a new and unreasonable deadline. Irritated by her empty stomach and by the prospect of waiting, Jillian resentfully accepts a seat at a stranger’s table.

Their shared lunch is filled with hostility, snide comments, and shades of derision from Jill and Reagan finds herself relieved at the end of the encounter.

But then the two are thrown back together when Jill becomes a catering client of Reagan’s. Soon navigating a professional relationship becomes complicated as their attraction begins to smolder. Will it get in the way and cause even bigger problems? Or will this be the start of something they’ve both been looking for all along?

When you shop at Bella, more of your dollars reach the women who write and produce the books you love. Thanks from all of the authors & staff at Bella!

Blog: Bella Media Channel

Facebook: BellaBooks

Twitter: @bellabooks

Instagram: TheBellaBooks

Praise for the work of Kate Gavin

Full of Promise

This was a sweet young adult romance. This is a solid debut for Gavin with a very readable story. One of the mains is a lesbian where the other main is coming to terms with her bisexuality. This is a classic coming of age, coming out story, but with much more good feels than bad. I enjoyed the pace and feel of this book. Gavin’s writing felt easy and smooth and didn’t really have any of that choppiness that you sometimes find with new authors. If you are looking for a YA book that is a feel good romance, this would be a perfect pick.

-LezReview Books

Full of Promise was a very sweet young adult romance novel about discovering one’s sexuality and the emotional turmoil involved…This was a very well written captivating read. I believe young adults will definitely embrace Cam’s journey and hopefully realize that there are others like themselves who are also finding their way to their own true self.

Highly recommended!

-R. Swier, NetGalley

I have to say… I’m not normally a huge fan or reader of YA/NA novels, but this one really worked for me! Even better yet, it seems to be a debut novel for Gavin, so my hat’s off to her!

This one was a very sweet YA read where our MCs Cam and Riley are both high school seniors. They meet when Riley moves to town and joins the soccer team that Cam and her best friend Claire are already a part of. Cam’s struggling with home life, taking on extra responsibility of caring for her younger brothers while her mom works more hours after a divorce. Riley is new to town, and she’s already an out lesbian, but she’s struggling to make friends and be accepted. When Cam befriends Riley, she begins to question her feelings for the new girl and realizes that she might not be as straight as she thought she was.

The relationship between Riley and her mom was beautiful, everyone deserves a mom like this, especially questioning LGBT teens. It was refreshing to see this POV. Best friend Claire’s reaction was a bit over the top, but provided a bit of needed angst to the novel.

All in all, I enjoyed this one and was never tempted to skim ahead, which is my norm in a YA novel. It’s a well written, low angst read, and I appreciated that Gavin didn’t make the younger characters quite so… young. They were intelligent and had level heads instead of being over the top dramatic.

I really enjoyed this one, and think that many others will also. Recommended! I’m looking forward to Gavin’s next novel! Solid 4 stars.

-Bethany K., NetGalley

We meet Cam at her summer job in the library, rolling her cart past the cute girl she’s been sneaking peeks at and who she’s been exchanging small smiles with. The hitch is that Cam has a boyfriend and is straight. Later, she meets this new girl, Riley, at school and gradually forms a friendship that has an underlying tension of something more, eventually building into an actual romance.

Full of Promise is a sweet story, smooth reading with all the heart tugs you’d expect from two young women falling in love. But rather than being a straight to gay tale, it was more about Cam recognizing and giving light to another part of herself. There were some emotional bumps but nothing harsh like other coming out books. Good, solid YA story.

-Jules P., NetGalley

Other Bella Books by Kate Gavin

Full of Promise

About the Author

Kate Gavin is a native Midwesterner, currently living in Ohio. When not staring at a computer screen for her day job or this writing gig, she spends her time retrieving items from her thieving dog, playing video games, and bingeing TV shows with her wife.

Acknowledgments

First, I need to thank all of the folks at Bella, especially Jessica and Linda, for all of your support. You have given me the opportunity to tell the stories that float around in my head and I am forever grateful.

Ann – you have made the editing process even easier this time and I thank you for your patience and kind words.

Tagan – you have been the biggest cheerleader for this story and I can’t thank you enough for that. You are truly one of a kind, my friend.

Em – I am thankful every day for your friendship and your guidance in all things writing. You challenged me with this one and it’s a better book because of it. Thank you.

Dad Jobs – you are the best writing group a girl could ask for and I’m so thankful I get to be a part of it.

Andy – I still remember the morning I woke up next to you and told you about a dream I had where two women were forced to share the last table in a restaurant. We immediately began plotting and you told me to write it. So here it is. I could never have done any of this without your love and support. I am so lucky I can now call you my wife. I love you.

Chapter One

Soft lips trailed down Reagan Murphy’s neck, and she tilted her head to give the other woman better access. Teeth scraped along her collarbone and the woman’s hair fell forward and covered her face. She moved down Reagan’s body, inch by agonizing inch. Reagan squirmed, desperate for her to pick up the pace and reach her obvious destination.

Her nails scratched underneath the waistband of Reagan’s boxers, teasing her for a moment before sliding the boxers off and tossing them to the floor. Goose bumps erupted on Reagan’s exposed skin. The woman’s warm breath met the wetness of Reagan’s center as she pushed her legs apart.

“Oh, f—”

A crash jerked her awake. Clutching her hand to her chest, she looked around for the sound that had pulled her from her dream. Her gaze landed on her father as he pushed the button on the remote to raise his bed, reaching out to clean up the glass of water he’d knocked over.

Reagan stood and rushed over to help. “Let me get that, Pops.” She grabbed a hand towel from the hall bathroom and wiped up the water.

“Fuck. Give it to me,” he said as held out his hand. “I’ll do it.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got it.”

“Reagan.”

“All done. Nothing to worry about.”

His drugs for pain management often made him clumsy, and accidents like these became more frequent with each passing day. Every incident reminded her that good days with him were numbered.

“Shit, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to do that.” His cheeks reddened and he avoided her gaze.

“It’s fine. No worries.” While he had wanted to live his last days at home, he’d struggled with accepting help from his only child. He had practically thrown a fit when she’d handed over most of her responsibilities at work to Gwen, her best friend and business partner, in order to move home and help her mom with his care.

Once she wiped up the last of the water, she tossed the towel on the bathroom counter, refilled his glass, and sat on the side of the bed, holding his hand. “How’d you sleep?”

“Meh. Better than the night before.”

“That’s good.”

He raised one eyebrow and asked, “What about you? I’ve been up for a few minutes and it looked like you were having a nightmare. You were squirming around and making little noises.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Oh, um, it was nothing. Just a dream.”

He chuckled. “By the look on your face, I’m guessing those little noises were from something a little more pleasurable than a nightmare.”

“Dad, please stop talking.” She covered her face with her hands.

“Never gonna happen.” He squeezed her knee and she looked up. “So, tell me. When is the last time you went on a date?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Recently.”

“How recent?”

“Um.”

“Please don’t tell me it was with that horrible Diane.”

“I plead the fifth.”

“Come on, sweetie. You two broke up, what, nine months ago?”

“Something like that,” she mumbled, knowing it’d been over a year.

His face softened, and he looked into her eyes for a beat. “I’m worried about you, Reagan. I just want to see you happy. You need to live your life and not get bogged down with…” He lifted his arms, gesturing to all the medical equipment surrounding them in the spare bedroom, “…this.”

The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer six months prior had come as a shock to the family, and while Reagan and her mom had fallen into worry, her dad had reacted the same as he had to any unexpected news in his life: with calm acceptance. He was her hero, and she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could—what little he had left anyway.

“I know. I will when—” She stopped and stared at him with wide eyes and the prick of tears forming.

“When I’m gone?”

“I’m so sorry, Dad. That’s not…I mean…”

He reached for her hand and squeezed. “You shouldn’t wait til I’m gone, kiddo. You gotta live your life every day. Look at me. I’m proof that we don’t always get as much time as we want.”

“Dad, I…I…” She looked down at her hands in his as words vanished and tears ran down her cheeks. She’d miss his perfect combination of strength and softness when he held her. She could still remember how it felt when he scooped her up into his arms when she had fallen off her skateboard at six years old. He had brought her inside to her mom so she could look at the scrapes covering her hands and knees. He stood next to her, cradling her head against his chest as she sat on the counter while her mom cleaned the wounds. His whispers of reassurance kept her calm and made her feel safe.

“It’s okay. I know.” He bumped her chin with his fingers and raised her head. “Hey. Why do you think I wanted to be here with my two favorite women instead of some damn hospital? You and your mom are the best things that ever happened to me. Even when she nags me about leaving socks everywhere.”

“I heard that!” her mom yelled as she walked down the hallway.

They chuckled and rolled their eyes.

“God. The ears on that woman,” he whispered. “Honey, I want the same for you. I want you to enjoy your life, love your work, and find a woman you look forward to waking up next to each morning. Okay?”

“Okay,” she replied as she wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks.

“Knock, knock.”

She turned to see one of her father’s nurses, Angela, standing in the doorway. Aside from the help Reagan and her mom provided, he also accepted a little help from two home nurses. Angela and Betty checked in a couple days a week, giving Reagan and her mom much-needed breaks.

“Time to get you moving a bit and then get you cleaned up, Conor,” Angela said cheerily.

“Oh, yay. Drill sergeant number two is here,” he said under his breath as he sat up a little straighter in bed.

Angela came into the room and dropped her bag of supplies on Reagan’s chair. “Excuse me. Why am I number two? What does Betty have that I don’t?”

“For one thing, age,” he said. “She’s probably thirty years older than you. And with age comes intimidation factor. She can look at me with those narrowed eyes and I’ll do whatever she says. No offense. This whole ‘hands on your hips and head cocked to the side’ routine needs a little work.”

Reagan swatted at his arm. “You’re such a dork, Dad.” She scooted off the bed and kissed his cheek. “Love you. I’ll see you later.”

“Love you too, kiddo.”

As Reagan passed Angela, she squeezed her arm and whispered, “Good luck.” Angela snorted in reply.

After a quick shower, Reagan found her mother packing up food to freeze. With the unpredictability of their current situation, her mom had taken to freezing meals they could easily pop in the oven. Reagan suspected it gave her mom a sense of control to have several months’ worth of homemade dinners ready to go.

“Morning, Mom.”

“Morning,” her mom said with a smile. “Fell asleep in there again, didn’t you?”

Reagan shrugged. “Guess so.”

“You don’t have to do that. He’ll be fine on his own. We each have a monitor to listen at night. You should sleep in your own bed.”

“Sure, Mom. You know you’d be in there if I wasn’t. You can’t say any different.”

“Well.”

“Uh-huh. Pot, kettle,” she said, pointing to herself then her mom.

Her mom chuckled. “Okay. You got me there. Do you have any plans for the day?”

“Probably check in at the office for a few minutes. What about you?”

“After I finish cleaning up, I’m going to take a walk and then come back for a nice long bath and a nap.”

“I can clean up. You shouldn’t have to do that.”

“It’s okay. I’m almost done.” Her mom took a deep breath before setting down the towel in her hand and leaning on her elbows on the counter as she looked at Reagan. “I heard what your father told you. He’s right, honey. Your life shouldn’t stop because of everything that’s going on.”

“But what if something happens when I’m not here? I need to be here for him. The doctor said he didn’t know the timetable. I couldn’t live with myself if I wasn’t here when, well, when it happens.”

“You are, and he knows that. Something could happen at any moment, and we can’t sit around holding our breath until it does. It’ll just wear us down, and we won’t be any good to him if that happens. Angela will be here until four. Take your time today. Go grab a bite to eat or take a walk. You deserve it.”

Reagan slid off the stool and gave her mom a hug. “I might just do that.”

Reagan unlocked the door to her apartment. She scrunched her nose at the staleness in the air. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, highlighting floating flecks of dust. Since she had moved back with her parents, she’d intended to stop by her apartment once a week, but after doing the math in her head, she realized she hadn’t been here for almost a month. She missed this place dearly, and everything that used to come with it—independence, freedom from the now constant fear of losing her dad. But when she thought about it like that, she felt selfish, a mixture of emotions she tried to never let herself fully feel because if she did, she knew they had the power to overwhelm her.

Her gaze traveled around the large, open floor plan. The tall windows, exposed brick walls, and gleaming hardwood floors were a comfort and a source of pride. Her loft apartment took up the top floors of the building she bought a year after she and Gwen opened up their first restaurant together. They had formed a restaurant group eight years ago, fulfilling the dream they’d had since high school. After major renovations and finding an artist to lease the first floor as a gallery, they had established their office on the second floor. While Gwen handled everything food related, Reagan controlled the money and logistics. Their partnership had worked so well they’d opened three restaurants, and counting.

She tossed a stack of mail on her kitchen counter and opened the curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows. The August sun warmed her face, and she took in a deep breath, only to remember how stuffy it felt. She propped open the door to her small balcony, stepping outside to stare down at the busy streets of downtown Indianapolis. She used to spend a lot of her evenings on this balcony with her feet up on the railing and a beer in her hand while listening to the sounds of the city. She closed her eyes at the memory she felt so far removed from now. Letting out a sigh, she went inside and upstairs to her loft bedroom and opened the windows. With any luck, the breeze would provide some freshness to the neglected space.

After about twenty minutes of organizing and cleaning, the mustiness disappeared, so she closed all the windows and locked the door behind her. She made her way down a flight of stairs and into the office through the back door. Past the conference room was a small open area with three chairs and a desk where her assistant answered a call.

“Taylor Murphy Group. This is Beth. How can I help you?”

She watched as Beth listened to the caller and made notes on a pad of paper, doodling along the edges as the call continued. “Okay, Rob. I have you down to meet with Gwen next Tuesday at three. Have a good day,” Beth said as she hung up the phone.

“What did our wonderful real estate agent want? How many times did he bring up his cats?”

Beth grabbed her chest as she let out a gasp. “Jesus, Reagan. Maybe announce yourself next time.”

She leaned against Beth’s desk. “Why should I do that? You totally wanted to scream, didn’t you?”

Beth slapped her thigh. “No. Well, okay, maybe. What are you doing here? No offense. I miss seeing you but I didn’t expect you in today. I would’ve made a fresh pot of coffee.”

“No worries. The nurse stopped by and my mom pushed me out of the house so I could have some time to myself.”

The joy in Beth’s eyes dimmed. “How’s he holding up?”

She shrugged. “Good days and bad. You know.”

“I do,” Beth whispered. Her mom had died when she was fifteen.

She provided a tremendous amount of support to Reagan, in addition to being an amazing employee. She often went above and beyond by dropping off cookies or movies she thought Reagan’s dad might like.

Reagan nodded toward the phone. “What did Rob want?”

“He has a new building to show Gwen. Just off Mass Ave. He said it’s a prime spot and won’t be on the market for long.”

She bit the corner of her lip and nodded. Once she had stepped away from work almost two months ago, she had promised Gwen her focus would be on her family and not the company. But when big decisions like space for a new restaurant came into play, it was hard to sit on the sidelines. She pulled out her phone and looked at her calendar. “You said Tuesday at three?” Beth nodded. “Shit. I’m looking after my dad that day. Mom has her monthly get together with her friends. I can’t ask her to skip it. I’ll, um, talk to Gwen about it later.” She clenched her phone and sighed before straightening up and putting it in her back pocket.

Beth squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. She understands. I’ll be going with her. We can handle it.”

“Oh, I know you can. I wasn’t implying that.” Reagan trusted her opinion, but she struggled with needing it. She wanted to be there to look at new properties, help Gwen with menus, or even check emails daily. It was tough not to have enough time or energy to help with her dad and contribute at work. Reagan sighed. “It’s just hard.”

“I get it.”

The Story Continues on BooksBarbecue!

Enjoyed this preview? ❤️ Do not stop here!

Read the complete book free online → 🔗

Continue reading now on BooksBarbecue and discover every page!

Love reading? Bookmark BooksBarbecue.com for more amazing books!

Happy Reading!