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“Why?” Gray pressed his father, figuring that one word would cover a multitude of things.
His father sighed again. “Sadie Jo didn’t want anyone to know she’d had a child so it was a private adoption. She and your mom had known each other since high school, and Sadie Jo asked us not to tell a single soul. Then, as the years passed, your mom and I didn’t want to tell you because it didn’t matter to us. You were our son. Youareour son.”
Gray couldn’t tamp down the anger that stirred in him. “It might not have mattered to you, but it sure as hell matters to me,” he snapped.
And this was why he’d wanted to postpone this chat. His father was no doubt hurting, and everything Gray was saying would only add to that hurt. Still, there was one final thing he had to know, and once he had the facts, he could start dealing with it. Maybe.
“Who’s my bio father?” Gray asked.
His dad paused for a long time. “Sadie Jo didn’t want you to know that, either.”
Gray nearly cursed again, but since it would fix absolutely nothing, he said a quick goodbye and ended the call. He did curse after that. Cursed Sadie Jo. The ranch. The whole damn situation.
Alana didn’t attempt to cheer him up with the offer of a kissing game. She unhooked her seat belt, slid over and put her arms around him. For such a simple gesture, it packed a punch, and it yanked him back to the times she’d done this when he’d been grieving over the death of his mother.
Gray wanted to thank her, to tell her how important she was to him. How important she always had been. But that was a Pandora’s box that should probably stay shut. The lust was already a big enough pitfall without adding heartfelt feelings to the mix. Because telling all would lead to him admitting why he hadn’t been able to stay in Last Ride. Why he hadn’t been able to allow her to buck up against her parents, who would have made her life a living hell. Gray hadn’t wanted to put her through that year after year.
She eased back and looked him straight in the eyes. “You need the game,” she muttered.
And that was all the warning he got before she leaned in and tongue-kissed his earlobe.
CHAPTER THREE
ALANASTOPPEDOUTSIDEthe meeting room for her support group. She didn’t go in but kept mentally repeating to herself that she hadn’t actually kissed Gray so she hadn’t violated her vow.
All right, she’d put her mouth and perhaps the tip of her tongue on his earlobe so maybe in the strictest sense of the word, that was a kiss.
But she wasn’t applying that interpretation.
In her mind, there hadn’t been a kiss because there’d been no mouth-to-mouth contact. Just that little nibble to play the “name a place you’ve never been kissed” game. And to try to cheer him up. He’d looked so miserable that she hadn’t been able to help herself, and she was pretty sure it helped.
Temporarily, anyway.
It’d made him moan in that oh, so delicious way of his that was an invitation to continue. But Alana hadn’t tossed all common sense to the wind. She had eased back, savoring that hot look he got when he was, well, hot, and then she’d let him return to reality. Because old foreplay games and ear kisses couldn’t replace what he had to do. And that was to come to terms with the fact that his life had been turned upside down and inside out.
That was the reason she hadn’t gone to see him for the past two days, though she had gotten his number before he’d driven her back to the cemetery, and over the past forty-eight hours, she had sent him some brief texts to let him know she was thinking about him.
Which, of course, was a massive understatement.
She hadn’t been able to get her mind off him. Heck, Gray had even haunted her dreams where he’d appeared stark naked and ready—
“Are you just going to stand there?” someone asked, the question slicing right through the vivid image Alana was having of a naked Gray.
Alana groaned, not in a good sexual way, either, but an annoyed one. Because it was a member of the support group, Mildred Crowley, who for some reason thought it was her place to police the group and make sure they stayed on track. Alana suspected Mildred did that because with her crotchety personality, she wasn’t likely to end up in a relationship.
“Well?” Mildred prompted. “Are you going into the meeting?”
“Uh, I might skip it this week,” Alana muttered.
Mildred’s mouth pinched tight in disapproval. “Because of Gray? I heard he was back in town.”
It didn’t surprise Alana that folks knew that, but she waited to hear if Mildred was going to add anything about Sadie Jo being Gray’s bio mom. She didn’t.
“Not because of Gray,” Alana insisted, and that was partly true. Partly because even before Gray’s return, she’d started to wonder if being in the group was actually doing her any good. But, yes, that doubt had skyrocketed after she’d tongue-kissed Gray’s ear.
Mildred clucked her tongue. Actually clucked. “You should keep your mind on the goal,” the woman insisted. “According to my calculations, you have four more days to go on your vow not to have sex.” Mildred lowered her voice to a secretive whisper for that last word. “Then, you can approach things with a clear head.”
“I have three days left,” Alana corrected.
