Page 36 of Keep On Loving You

But if there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that life is so much richer when your work—no matter how much you love it—isn’t your only focus. I see you already going down the same path as I did,but only at a much younger age. And that’s why I’ve given you this particular challenge, Kat. I don’t want you to waste even one moment of your life by working it away.

I’ve given you a list of sorts. Some of these things might be familiar to you as something I wished I would have done, or made the time to do. Some might surprise you. But I promise you that each and every task I’ve given you has been thought out and they are all equally important, so don’t dismiss anything out of hand.

I know that everything you do, you do with one hundred percent effort and a full heart, and I know this will be the same, kiddo.

Have fun with it and try to think of me a little bit on the way because I wish I could be right there tackling each of these challenges alongside you. Well, most of them. But you’ll know which ones are for you and you alone.

Love always, Dad.

Kat took a moment to let her father’s words sink in before she slid the second piece of paper from the envelope. From the moment William announced that their father had given her a list of items to complete, she’d suspected that she might know what a few of the tasks were, based on someconversations she’d had with her dad over the years. After a quick scan of the list, her suspicions were confirmed.

— Learn to paint.

On more than one occasion, he’d told her how envious he’d always been of people who had true creative talent. That one didn’t surprise her. She smiled at the thought of her wielding a paintbrush. No doubt it would be an epic disaster, but it was doable.

— Skydive, bungee jump, or parachute.

Her smile twisted into a frown. That would be a lot harder. Kat hated heights. When her dad had first told her that he’d once had the opportunity to bungee jump when he was young on a trip to Australia and he’d always regretted not doing it, she’d shaken her head and told him at that time that it was something she’d never do.

Apparently, he’d had other plans. Kat kept reading.

— Sing karaoke in public.

Kat laughed out loud. She had the worst singing voice in the family, second only to maybe her father.

— Hike to the top of Pulpit Peak.

Her breath hitched in her throat. They’d talked about doing that hike together one day. It was one of the most infamous hikes in the area, and a badge of honor for many of the locals. Kat had never been a big hiker beyond some of the local trails, but on one of their monthly lunch dates,her father had mentioned how he’d always wanted to do it, and she’d agreed to do it with him.

Of course, something always got in the way; they’d both been too busy and he’d died before they got that chance.

And that was the point of the list. She blew out a breath and kept reading, skimming through a few more items.

— Learn another language.

That one might be a reach. How was she supposed to learn another language in such a short time?

Kat shook her head and kept reading.

— Learn how to salsa dance, and perform in front of an audience.

Her eyes got wide at that one. Dance? The only dancing Kat ever did was when she’d had a few drinks and there was live music at Brickhouse. And even then, it could hardly be considered actually dancing.

Still, the list mostly seemed manageable. Although a few of the items were going to be challenging, the final thing on her father’s list just served to prove that everything else leading up to it was just the warm-up to the main event.

— Go on a solo overnight backpacking trip and sleep under the stars.

She sucked in a breath. Her father knew exactly how she felt about being alone in bear country. In fact, he’d been the one who’d hammered home safety in the woods and how they should never go out alone.

She swallowed hard and shook her head, because it didn’t matter what crazy things he’d put on hisbucket list.Her father had known, just as she did: no matter what, she’d cross off every single thing.

Chapter Fourteen

It was onlya short drive from the big house where Andy left the Carlson family, back to the plaza and Kat’s apartment. But by the time he parked his car and picked up his phone, he had at least a dozen messages from Charli’s real estate agent friend, Jess, with listings for him to choose from.

He chuckled and was about to turn his phone off to ignore them altogether, when a call came in. He answered with a shake of his head and laughed out loud when the woman on the other end of the line introduced herself.

“I thought it might be easier to just give you a call,” Jess said. “I don’t mean to be so forward, but Charli?—”

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