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I shifted to my right and peeked behind him, staring at that delicious little ass of his. “Is that what you want, baby? You want me to take you over my knee and wear that ass out?” He swallowed, a bead of perspiration forming at his hairline. “Gray Collins, you absolute deviant. Well, we can certainly arrange that. Tonight, perhaps?”
He blushed, spinning around and adjusting his tie. “Yeah. Yeah, we can do that.” He cleared his throat. “I’d like that. But what I was saying—it’s just—”
“Oh, for God’s sake, just spit it out, babe.”
His eyes met mine in the mirror, and he smirked at me. “I may have voted blue in the last few elections.”
My jaw hit the floor.
“Well, in every election, actually,” he said.
“You’d better not be fucking with me right now.”
He winked at me. “I did it for you.”
“What?”
“Gay rights never mattered much to me. I mean, they mattered, but they didn’t touch my life after you left. I wouldn’t need to get married to a man. I knew I wouldn’t be adopting a kid or anything. I wanted you to be able to, though.” He turned around and kissed my forehead. “Even if I couldn’t have you, I wanted you to have everything. You deserve the world.” He checked his watch and frowned.
I had to swallow the lump in my throat. “So do you.” He tried to turn away, but I latched onto him, burying my face in his chest. “It breaks my heart to hear the way you were so resigned to everything.” I purred like a kitten when he scratched my scalp. “You sure we don’t have a few minutes before you have to leave? I feel like I ought to thank you for all of those beautiful words you just gave me.”
“I wish,” he said. “Service starts in twenty. Sure you don’t want to tag along?”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “We’ll just march in there arm in arm like a gay Jim and Tammy Faye.”
“I would,” he said, his voice quiet. “I’d walk in there with you. I wouldn’t hide you. Not there.” He looked up at the ceiling again, but that time, he smiled. “Not from God.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“I’ll never hide you. Not again. If you ever want to, I’ll be there. Right by your side.”
I snorted. “Could you even imagine? Your dad would probably storm the stage and start singingBorn This Way.”
He looked down at his feet, shoving his hands inside his pockets. “Daddy hasn’t gone back. Not since he found out about the lake. He won’t talk to Momma. Hasn’t spoken to Trevor since.”
“Oh,” was all I could say.
“I don’t think that they’ll get through this.” His lip wedged between his teeth and he sniffed. “It’s stupid. I’m a grown man, but it still hurts.”
I wrapped my arms around him and leaned against his chest. “I’m sorry you’re going through this. If you want to talk to her, it’s fine. She’s your mom. I’m not going to come between you.”
He shook his head and hugged me back. “It’s Daddy I feel sorry for. He’s no good on his own. I just want him to be okay.”
“Marty’s just about the strongest man I’ve ever known. He’ll get through it. And we’ll be right there if he needs us. And if they don’t make it, if he can’t forgive her, we can help him. We know this town, Gray. Every woman in it. Myrna’s been single for years. I wouldn’t inflict Elmyra on him, though.” The beginnings of an idea formed in my head, and Gray must have thought the same because he covered my mouth with his hand and shook his head.
“If you suggest your mother, I’m divorcing you, Kent.” I wanted to mumble that we weren’t married yet, but all I could do was pucker my lips and kiss his palm. “We would be brothers. I know you don’t take religion seriously, and your moral compass has been busted for decades, but I draw the line at pseudo-incest.”
I giggled and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my forehead against his. “We would be brother-fuckers,” I said, waggling my eyebrows. Then I cringed. “No. Scratch that. I’m right there with you. I move to strike this entire conversation from the record of our lives.”
He nodded. “Agreed.” He glanced up, our eyes meeting. “You sure I can’t talk you into coming with me?”
“God, you’re worse than those damn Jehovah’s Witnesses.” I pulled away and slapped his ass. “Go on. The sooner you’re gone, the sooner you come home. And I can’t wait for you to come.”
“Everything is sex for you, isn’t it?”
“Pretty much,” I said, thumping his nose. “Just another one of my charming quirks. Now go on. Get the hell out of here, and go get your praise on. I’ll be right here when you get home.” I turned and gazed at his closet, licking my lips. “There are about fifteen leather belts in that closet, and they’ve all got your name on them.” I arched an eyebrow, bringing my voice to a growl. “The longer you make me wait, the worse your punishment will be.”
His knees wobbled so hard, I had to wrap an arm around his waist to keep him from falling. There were two big, bright splotches of red heat settled on his cheeks. “You promise?”
