“I can’t help it when you’re this hot.” Rowan sighed. “But I should, since you’re already in love, Gray. Pity.” He clicked his tongue. “But from what I see, this town is full of hot, single ranch hands I wouldn’t mind getting under. And there goes one right now. Excuse me! Yoohoo!”
Rowan made a beeline for—Hudson.
“I guess I should have told him Hudson’s not single,” Gray said. “But he doesn’t give you a word in edgewise, does he?”
“He is chatty but nice. When did you talk to him?”
“Yesterday, when I drove into town. Figured I should straighten things out with him and Jessamine so I didn’t ruin your reputation.”
I snorted. “What reputation? Once this comes out, I’ll be the whore of Bristlecone Springs. I’ll have to leave town or forever be known as the one who slept with his fiancé’s father.”
“I knew it!”
We both jumped. Opie and Lawson were staring at us, Opie grinning while Lawson looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. I scrambled to my feet, blood rushing into my ears.
“Opie. What are you doing here?”
He rolled his eyes. “You mean at a public gathering where everyone in town is?”
Oh, right. He wasn’t out of place. I was the one who’d blurted out something that was meant to be said only in private.
“You and Gray actually—”
Lawson clamped a hand over Opie’s big mouth. “Sorry about that.” He nodded toward Gray. “I’ll ensure he says nothing. This is obviously something you two will have to work out.”
Opie protested against Lawson’s hand, but his husband led him away from us, whispering into his ear. I went to go after them, but Gray touched my shoulder. “They won’t say anything.”
“Are you sure? Because Opie’s not much better than Rowan.”
“He gets a little excited, but he can be trusted.”
“I don’t know, Gray.” I fiddled with my fingers. “Words have a way of spreading like wildfire.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“I do, but—”
“They won’t say anything.”
I let out a deep breath that eased the tension in my shoulders, but my stomach was still tied up in knots. “Okay. We should get going. At this rate, the whole town will know by tomorrow that we’re sleeping together.”
Gray groaned. “Not if you stop mentioning it every second.”
I covered my mouth with my hands and peered around. No one else had heard, right? Luckily, no one else was paying us any mind.
“We should go now before I say something else.”
“Never knew you would be the one to out us.” Gray grinned. “You’re so cute when you blush.”
Ducking my head, I walked ahead of him, my face burning even more when he whispered, “Someone’s still due a spanking.”
20
GRAY
Shit. I’d fallen asleep in Ozzie’s bed.
I jerked my head upright and let out a deep sigh of relief that it was still dark outside. Dropping my head back onto the pillow, I breathed in and out slowly to control my racing heartbeat.
