“Frankly, Carter, I don’t give a damn, but for your father’s sake, I hope you can forgive him.”
33
GRAY
For the umpteenth time, I checked my phone. Ozzie would have reunited with Carter already. What were they talking about? Was he sticking to the plan of us facing the criticism together and loving each other anyway? Or did one look at my son remind him of feelings he might still have for Carter?
The nausea in my gut that made me light-headed had nothing to do with my concussion. I couldn’t do any work on the ranch, so I had way too much time to think. And to conjure up many scenarios, which all resulted in Ozzie going back to Carter. Despite the rational side of my brain reminding me we’d cheated and Carter wouldn’t forgive us for it, the part of me ruled by my feelings for Ozzie was still terrified of losing him.
For years, my life had revolved solely around the ranch. I’d never been celibate. I’d had hookups, but no one had come close to making me feel the way Ozzie did. He was the rainbow in a cloudy sky. For so long, I’d thought of the ranch as home. Until Ozzie showed me home wasn’t a physical location. It was where the heart was the most settled. It was where the heart was atpeace. It was where the heart was happiest. And that was with Ozzie.
I’d spent over four decades on this earth and finally understood what love was.
My phone vibrated, pulling me out of my thoughts. Pascal. Just who I needed to talk to.
“Hey, Pas.” I muted the television and rested the remote on my thigh. “What’s up?”
“Haven’t heard from you in a while. Thought I’d catch up. How are things at the ranch?”
“Good, good, good.”
Pascal chuckled. “That’s one too many ‘good,’ my good man. Something wrong?”
“I don’t know yet.” I spilled my guts about sleeping with Ozzie. When I was finally finished, the other end of the line was silent. I couldn’t even hear his breathing. “It’s bad, isn’t it, Pas?”
“Fucking hell, Gray. I-I don’t know what to say.”
I swiped a hand over my face and groaned. “I’m not pretending like it’s okay. I know it’s not. Carter’s fiancé should have been out of bounds, but…”
But nothing. Ozzie should have been off-limits, period.
“I know you had a thing for him when he came here that Christmas. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t over it?”
“I thought I had it under control. Physical attraction alone means nothing. I never counted on liking and understanding him this much.”
“Like? Sounds to me like you’re in love with him.”
What was the sense of hiding it? “I am.”
“And he feels the same?”
“Yeah. We’ve been spending so much time together, and the more I do, the more I’m convinced that I was right last year. He’s the one, Pas. Heisthe one.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m divorcing Emma.”
“Oh shit. This is serious.”
“It is. As soon as my divorce finalizes, I’m gonna ask Ozzie to marry me.”
“This is going to turn the town upside down.”
“The gossip will eventually die down.”
“You sure this is worth damaging your reputation? You’ve always been private.”
Ozzie’s sparkling eyes and bright smile flashed through my mind. “He is worth everything. I’m willing to be the bad guy this time for him.”
