Page 37

GRAY

I poked my head into the bedroom, and my breath hitched. Ozzie wasn’t dressed for our date night like we’d planned. Had he changed his mind? I’d made it clear that if he wasn’t ready to face the public, I could wait, but I still was disappointed. I didn’t want to rush him, but the longer we acted as if we were ashamed of what we’d done, the brighter the gossip burned throughout the town.

With a forced smile on my lips, I entered the bedroom, schooling my expression to give nothing away. I didn’t blame him for not wanting to go out. The few times I’d gone to town, the whispers, stares, and outright questions had followed me like an unwanted shadow.

Most of the things the people repeated were distortions of the truth, the worst of which was that both Emma and I had been sleeping with Ozzie. As if the situation warranted any embellishments.

“Ozzie, did you change your mind about eating out?” I wouldn’t have minded so much, but we were meeting with Lawson and Opie. Thankfully, he still had Opie to talk to, and he was getting pretty close to Hudson. If he loved this town the way I did, he would be happy about staying and not regret choosing me.

“Is it time already?” Ozzie hopped off the bed, his laptop in his hand. “I got caught up talking to my moms. Why don’t you entertain them while I’m in the shower?”

“What?” He thrust his laptop into my hands. Dazed, I stared at Ozzie’s mothers. I had yet to meet them, which was partly my fault because I always left the room whenever they called, which they’d done every day to check up on him since he sent out the wedding cancellations.

“Guys, this is Gray, and we have a date, so I have to get dressed, but you can talk to him a bit.”

The introductions happened so fast Ozzie was already in the bathroom before I could process them. Shit. I was around the same age as his mothers. Would they approve of me? My family already hated our guts. We needed his family to support us.

“Howdy.” I walked over to the desk and sat. “I’m sorry, but Ozzie didn’t mention who’s who.”

“Of course he didn’t.” The brown-haired woman laughed. “Putting us together like this, then running off. How convenient. I’m April, and this is my wife, Dawn.”

So April was the brunette, and Dawn the one with the dimples. Perfect.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” I said.

“We certainly hope so. We were rather surprised when Ozzie told us about you. He’s never been a reckless boy, but he took a leap of faith this time.”

“And we hope it is worth it,” Dawn said. She seemed the more serious of the two. “We want our son to be safe and happy. We didn’t approve of Carter, and we can’t help but wonder how far the apple falls from the tree.”

“I assure you that I adore your son. You never have to worry about me treating him poorly. His happiness means the world to me.”

“Talk is cheap.”

“That’s true, but you’ll see how well I take care of him.”

“Then we leave our son in your capable hands.” April slipped her fingers through her wife’s. “Ozzie told us you own a ranch.”

“Yes, it’s been in my family for generations.”

We spoke about the ranch for a few minutes and what Bristlecone Springs was like. They told me a little about their vacation. Talking to them when they weren’t sizing me up for Ozzie was quite easy. They both seemed likable.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to meet in person sometime soon,” April said. “Too bad there won’t be a wedding, so there’s no reason to come there anymore.”

“Well, your son’s here, so feel free to visit anytime. We have plenty of room.”

“We just might. Take care of our son, Gray. He’s a good boy and deserves someone who cherishes him as much as we do.”

“I know and intend to do just that. I won’t let anyone hurt him.”

We said our good-byes, and conveniently Ozzie entered the bedroom, wearing his purple robe amid a cloud of steam, his hair damp and tousled and his skin a healthy pink.

“Are they gone?” he whispered.

“Just. You set me up.”

“Are you mad?” Ozzie walked over to me. When I pulled him down onto my lap, he shifted, but I didn’t budge.

“No, I get why you did it. Ripping off a bandage.”

“I wanted to get it over with. Were they kind to you?”

“Yes.” I planted a kiss on his bare shoulder. “They worry about you and wanted to know I’d take good care of you. They were surprisingly easy to talk to. Perhaps because we come from the same generation.”

“Are you saying I’m difficult to talk to?”

“Goodness, no.” I sucked a bright red spot on his neck. “Besides, we don’t need to talk, do we?”

Ozzie squirmed in my lap while I continued decorating his neck in love bites. “I thought we had a dinner date.”

“You keep moving your ass like that, and we’ll have no choice but to eat in.”

Ozzie wrapped an arm around my neck. “I don’t mind eating in.”

“Me either, but we promised Opie and Lawson. It would be rude of us not to show up.”

He sighed. “True. All right, then, I’ll meet you downstairs in twenty.”

“Downstairs? I’m sitting right here to enjoy you getting dressed.”

“Gray, that’s embarrassing.”

“Get used to it, sweetheart. I love watching you naked.”

Ozzie blushed prettily and slipped off my lap. “At least pick out something for me to wear while I blow-dry my hair.”

I rose and walked toward his open closet. He kept the bathroom door open, and soon the sound of the blow dryer filled the room. I thumbed through the array of shirts, smiling. I was actually enjoying the idea of choosing something for Ozzie to wear.

Minutes later, Ozzie emerged from the bathroom, his hair styled perfectly and his skin still glowing from whatever he’d applied to his face. He inspected the ensemble I had chosen for him: dark jeans and a light blue button-down shirt that would bring out his eyes.

“Where did you find this?” Ozzie picked up the black lace thong and clutched it to his chest.

“In the underwear drawer. I want you to wear it so all night I can think about removing it later when we climb into bed.”

“Okay.”

I watched him get dressed, which wasn’t a good idea after all. He dropped the towel, leaving him naked. When he stepped into the thong and settled the lace between the generous swell of his cheeks, I was rock hard. The light from the setting sun streaming through the window kissed his skin, casting a warm glow on him. My heart throbbed with longing and love as he finally pulled on the dark jeans. He added a brown leather jacket.

“What do you think?” He slowly turned in his socked feet. “Will the town approve of me stealing their most eligible bachelor?”

“The whole town could disapprove, and I wouldn’t give a damn. Their opinions don’t matter to me. Only yours does.” I pulled him into my arms and drank in his beauty. His scent was intoxicating, and I roamed my hands over his body, fingering the soft fabric of the shirt. “You’re beautiful. Let me help you with your shoes.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, and I kneeled before him, easing his feet into his boots one by one. “All done.” I rose, as did he.

“Thank you.” He pressed a light kiss to my lips, lingering for a few seconds, then pulling away. “I guess I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“Are you nervous?” I slipped my hand into his.

“Kind of.”

“That’s okay. I’ll be by your side all night.”

We drove to town in silence, soaking up the last rays of the setting sun and the tranquil sight of the countryside. The pub was bustling with regular patrons. Upon our entry, heads turned, and conversations halted, creating an almost tangible wall of awkwardness. Ozzie’s steps faltered, and I squeezed his hand in support.

“Hey, Ozzie! Gray!” A loud cry from our right broke through the tension. Opie, wearing a wide grin, waved us over to the booth he was occupying with Lawson.

We moved through the crowd, ignoring curious glances and hushed whispers. Ozzie seemed to draw strength from our friends, straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin slightly. He clutched the hem of my shirt.

“You’re finally here.” Opie slid over in the booth, patting the space beside him. “You sit right here next to me, Ozzie.”

“Glad you two could make it,” Lawson said.

Ozzie sat next to Opie, leaving me on the end with Lawson on the other side.

“Thanks for inviting us out,” Ozzie said. “We really appreciate it.”

“Lawson wasn’t sure you would come,” Opie said. “But I knew you were brave. Who cares what these people think? You look great together. Don’t they, Daddy?”

Lawson chuckled, shaking his head. “Y’all see what I have to put up with? You all saved me tonight by showing up.”

Opie pouted. “That’s a mean thing to say, Daddy.”

“Someone’s gonna be in the doghouse tonight,” I said, and Ozzie laughed. I smiled. Seeing him happy always made me smile.

“There’s truly no one else in this world like you, Opie,” he said.

“I can confirm that’s true,” Law said.

As the evening wore on, the banter continued, and if the waiter stared a little too long at Ozzie, he didn’t seem to realize it. Opie kept him entertained, just like I’d hoped. Lawson and I didn’t need to say much as they chatted like two best friends reunited after years apart.

The food was amazing, as usual. We ordered a bit of everything, and Opie did a great job of eating off everyone’s plate despite Law telling him to behave. Ozzie ate more than he had lately, which was a huge relief.

“Oh, Ozzie, you must try the apple crisp and ice cream cake,” Opie said.

“I don’t know, Opie.” Ozzie squirmed, his gaze flickering to me, then back at his friend. “Dinner was so good I cleaned my plate. I should probably avoid dessert, though that sounds really good.”

I nudged Ozzie. “You should get it if you want. Opie’s right. It’s delicious.”

“But…it’s so many calories.”

I grinned. “Don’t you know? Date night desserts don’t have calories.”

The waiter came over, and we ordered the apple crisp and vanilla ice cream while Lawson went for a slice of cheesecake.

Opie was the first to dig in, carving out a generous piece of apple crisp and ice cream. His moan was sinful as he savored the taste, and Lawson’s tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth. So intent was he on watching his husband that he forgot his cake in front of him.

“You’re deliberately trying to turn me on, aren’t you?”

Opie giggled. “Control yourself, Daddy. You’re in the doghouse tonight, remember?”

Ozzie stared at his dessert, fork poised, longing in his eyes. “Go ahead,” I encouraged softly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Only if you want to, of course. I’ll support whatever makes you happy, and if that’s enjoying the apple crisp, then so be it.”

“Okay.” He forked a small piece of the crisp and ice cream, eyed it skeptically, then took a small bite. His eyes widened, a soft hum escaping his lips. “Oh, my god. That’s pretty good.”

“I told ya!”

He went for another forkful, looking more at ease. Frowning, I took a bite of my dessert. The more time I spent with Ozzie, the more my heart ached for him. My son had treated him horribly. I knew he had turned down the dessert because he feared what I would say.

I reached over with a napkin and wiped a small smudge of ice cream off his lip. “Oops, thanks.”

Touching his lip had been a mistake. I couldn’t resist leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss there. At least it should have been a gentle kiss, but the taste of him, combined with the sweet dessert, made me lose my sanity. I cupped his chin and deepened the kiss, relishing the muted gasp that escaped him.

Slowly I pulled back. Opie and Lawson were looking at us, their eyes twinkling. “Well, don’t let the rest of us stop you,” Opie said. “We’ll be very quiet.”

“And now everyone knows my husband is a pervert.”

Ozzie pressed his face to my chest as though embarrassed by our display. I threaded my fingers through his blond hair. One day, he wouldn’t be so self-conscious about kissing me in public.