Strong and Steady - Vanessa Vale Page 0,67

darted a glance at Christy, who was fortunately leaning forward and putting a top coat of polish on her right foot. I was sore in places I forgot even got sore. I wasn’t a virgin, but the way my body ached, I had probably reverted back to one. The way I felt with Gray was nothing, nothing, like it had been with Jack. If I’d known what I’d been missing, I’d have divorced Jack years earlier. But then I wouldn’t have met Gray. It seemed that he appeared just when I was ready for him. Was I ready for him? Was one ever ready for love?

“You must have been so scared,” Christy whispered. Paul could be heard talking about some kind of brief from the other room. I could talk medical emergencies and the science behind a specific drug, but torts and legalese were over my head.

I propped my feet on the coffee table. “Yeah. Very.” I didn’t want to go into details about what happened. I didn’t really want to think about it ever again, and perhaps Christy could sense it because she switched topics.

“Gray thinks his dad’s behind it?” She dipped her nail polish brush into the bottle. “He sounds like a complete ass.”

I didn’t want to tell her that the guy was well known in the business community, to have her impressed with him. It didn’t matter what his career was, how much power or money he had. A child beater was a child beater.

“Mmm,” I replied, trying to remain neutral. If Gray wasn’t telling people about his past, I wasn’t going to do so. It was something for him to share in his own way, in his own time. Or ever. The fact that he told me was… huge. His dad affected him so deeply, so painfully, I knew it had been hard to share. I wondered if he'd shared it with anyone. Thor, perhaps. The fact that he'd gifted me with the knowledge, that he'd made himself vulnerable to me, was telling. Overwhelming. My strong cowboy.

“I don’t know much, but it’s possible.”

Christy must have picked up my vague responses. “So, you and Gray?” She waggled her eyebrows as she grinned.

I flushed like a schoolgirl.

“Yeah,” I said on a sigh. “Me and Gray. I… I like him.” Perhaps more than that. A lot more.

She turned to look at me, eyed me carefully. “This isn’t some fling, is it?”

I shook my head, and she grinned. “Is he good?”

Oh yeah, he was good.

My cell rang in my bag, saving me from answering. I didn't want to kiss and tell. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that it was Gray, but I quickly squelched it. It was too soon. The drive to the casino was about three hours, so he was most likely driving, focused on dealing with his dad. He needed to work on that, not me, and I understood. I wanted him to be able to let go of the crap with his dad, to put it all behind him. If going to Wyoming could do that, I'd support him. Wait for him, just as he'd been waiting for me.

I didn’t recognize the number on the display. “Hello?”

“Emory, this is Quake Baker.”

I was a little surprised to hear from him. While I had his number on the matchbook Frankie’d given me, he didn’t have mine. Obviously, he did. “Hi, Mr. Baker. I've been meaning to call and thank you for the meal. It was excellent.”

“Quake, remember? I’m glad the meal was good.” He didn’t seem interested in lingering on small talk. “Heard your home was broken into last night. You okay?”

Concern laced his words. I had to wonder how he knew about the break in. It wasn't newsworthy.

“Yes, thank you for checking. It was scary, but it’s over.” I wasn't going to go into details with him either.

Christy eyed me as she continued to do her nails.

“I’d like you and your friend, Mr. Green, to come to the Double-B tonight. Have some dinner. On me. I have some things to discuss.”

“Oh.” I paused, wondering why he didn’t want to just talk now. Then I realized maybe it wasn’t something to share on the phone. “That’s very kind of you. Gray is in Wyoming today visiting his father but should be back by dinner.”

“You’re alone?” He sounded concerned. “Frankie will come and stay with you, wherever you are.”

I frowned. Why would he want Frankie to stay with me? Were all the new men I met overly