“Well, I’d almost forgotten the entire town thinks of me as the whore of Bristlecone,” I said drily, “but thanks for reminding me.”
“Fuck.” He slapped a hand over his mouth. “Lawson always warns me about my runaway mouth. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m getting used to it.”
“If it’s any consolation, I also caused quite a commotion when I came to town looking for Lawson.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s right. You don’t know how we met.” He stood behind the line and threw a dart, scoring another triple twenty. “We met on a dating app, and I knew right away I wanted him for my Daddy, but Lawson was having financial challenges caused by his last boy. He’s very proud, so although he came to meet me once, he never intended to see me again.”
“Oh?”
“So I blew off my job as a stripper and came looking for him, only to get into a fight with his ex the second I came to town.”
My mouth fell open. “A physical fight?”
“Yup. I ended up in jail, but Lawson bailed me out. He was upset at first, but coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made. I didn’t care about what people had to say about me or us. All that mattered was how much we loved each other.” His gaze drifted over to Lawson, who was bent over the pool table, giving us a perfect view of his tight behind clad in jeans. “And still love each other. I’d fight anyone a thousand times for Lawson. You have to fight for your man if you need to. You love Gray, don’t you?”
Lawson said something to Gray, who threw his head back and laughed. He caught me watching him and winked. I sucked in a breath, my heart fluttering wildly. “I do.”
Opie gave me a warm, understanding smile and patted my hand. “Then darling,” he said, suddenly serious, “that’s all that matters. Ignore the chatter, ignore the stares. As long as you and Gray have each other, nothing else should bother you. And I can tell by looking at Gray that the sex alone is worth the gossip. Ain’t it?”
I choked on a laugh, heat rushing to my cheeks. “Opie!”
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” He wagged his finger at me, a devilish grin on his face. “If Gray is half as good in the sack as Lawson, then, darling, you’ve hit the jackpot. I see the size of his hands.”
His blunt honesty was refreshing and somehow comforting. I needed this—a friend who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was, someone who understood what I was going through.
“It is so worth it,” I whispered.
“Ha! I knew it!” Opie crowed, pumping his fist in victory. He spun around and hurled the last dart at the board with more force than necessary. It thunked into the wall next to the board, but he didn’t seem to care.
“And you know what else?” He turned back to me, his tone growing serious again. “You’re amazing, and I love hanging out with you. Don’t let anyone else convince you otherwise because you chose to fight for love.”
My vision blurred as tears pricked at my eyes. Opie gave my hand another reassuring squeeze, then released it and stepped back.
“Thank you. I needed that.” No more hiding at the ranch and avoiding town. Loving Gray wasn’t wrong.
And even if it is, screw them! I’m in love with someone who loves me back and treats me well.
“Now come on.” Opie picked up another set of darts. “Let’s see if you can beat me this time, now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way.”
I wiped my eyes quickly and accepted the darts from him. Gray and my love for him was all that mattered. All the gossip directed toward me wasn’t important.
With newfound determination, I stood in position, focusing only on the triple twenty. My first dart hit its mark dead on.
While we played, Opie’s gaze moved back to Lawson with affection. I watched the two men playing pool too and loved the way Gray’s eyes lit up every time Lawson spoke, how his laughter filled the room like sunshine. How lucky I was to have him in my life. I’d almost settled for mediocre because I never thought I’d ever have this. A pang of defiance swelled in my chest.
What we had… it was ours, our love, our happiness, and no one had the right to make us feel terrible.
“Do you want a drink?” Opie asked. “I’m getting a beer.”
“Sure. I’ll have one as well. Thanks.”
I focused on the dartboard and improving my aim while Opie moved toward the bar.
“Hey, you’re new to town, aren’t you?”
