My eyes pop open. “Callie Pike? The one who’s been monopolizing Donny all night?”

“Yup. She had it bad for Dale for years. She used to come around all the time when we were younger.”

“She’s too young for Dale.”

“She’s a year older than you are, Ash.”

My cheeks warm.

“Hey, I’m not giving you shit. My parents are ten years apart. It’ll work.”

“I’m not worried about that. But Callie… She’s gorgeous.”

“She’s no prettier than you are.”

She is, but I don’t say this. It doesn’t matter, anyway.

“If Dale were interested in Callie, he’d have done something about it way before now.”

“Brendan told me people used to think Dale might be gay.”

“It crossed my own mind a few times, but never for more than a minute. He dated every now and then, and sometimes he’d disappear for a week here and there. Women would call here, looking for him. He’s just a loner. Until now.”

“Oh, he’s still very much a loner. It’s who he is.” I clear my throat. “Dee, how much do you know about Dale’s and Donny’s lives before they came to the ranch?”

“Not much. I don’t ever think about it, honestly. They were here before I was born, and they’re my brothers.”

“I know that. But how did your parents come to adopt them?”

“Their mother passed away.”

“I know that much.”

“They needed a home, and—”

“Dee,” I say, “your mom was only twenty-five, and she adopted a ten- and seven-year-old while she was pregnant. There has to be a reason.”

“When you put it that way…” Dee wrinkles her forehead.

“I’m not trying to pry.” I laugh. “Okay, I am. But I love your brother, and he never talks about his life before he came here.”

“This is going to sound ridiculous, but none of us ever think about it. Like I said, he was here when I got here. He’s always been my brother, and I love him.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

I do. Dee doesn’t worry about Dale’s life before he became a Steel, because to her, he’s always been a Steel.

Perhaps I shouldn’t concern myself with it either.

Except that Dale almost told me on our wedding night.

Almost…

And his birth father just turned up, only to die within weeks of meeting his sons.

Something’s up with all of that, and I wish I knew what it was.

Not because I’m curious—though I am—but because I want to help Dale through it.

He’s hiding something.

Something that I fear may take him from me.

I can’t let that happen. Ever.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Dale

“Your mother will have a fit if we stay in here too long,” Dad says to me, sitting behind the desk in his office.

“I know, but there’s some stuff I need to know.”

“About…?”

“I’m married now.” I shake my head. “Sometimes I can’t believe I did this.”

“Honestly, Dale, neither can I, but I’m glad you did.”

“I’ve known her for a month. Less than a month, even.”

“You know when you know,” he says. “That’s how it was for your mother and me.”

I nod. “I hope it wasn’t a mistake.”

“Why would you think that?”

“She doesn’t know about me, Dad. So I need to ask you…”

“Yeah?”

“Did Mom know about your…past? When you got married.”

He inhales swiftly, and for a moment, I’m not sure he’s going to answer.

Until, “She did, actually.”

My heart drops. Fuck. I should have told Ashley.

“How did you tell her?”

“You and I are two different people,” he says. “Don’t think it won’t work if she doesn’t know.”

“I don’t want her to know,” I say adamantly. “At the same time, I feel she has to know.”

Dad chuckles. “I understand exactly.”

“How did you tell Mom?”

“It wasn’t pretty.”

“Okay.” I’m determined to find out. “What did you tell Mom?”

He sighs. “You’re asking what I went through. Do you really want to go there?”

I look inside myself. Do I? “I never told you what I went through.”

“You didn’t. And I never asked.”

“Because you already knew.”

“I had a pretty good idea,” he says. “There’s one thing you suffered through that I didn’t, though. My little brother got away.”

“What?”

He nods. “Ryan was with me the day I got taken. He got away. For many years, I thought I saved him. That he got away because of me. I kicked the guy holding him. He let Ryan go, and I told him to run.”

“I didn’t have that chance. I’d have done anything to save Donny.”

“I know you would have. I would have done anything to save Ryan.”

“You did.”

He pauses a moment, stroking his chin. “Actually, I didn’t.”

“But you just said—”

He gestures me to stop talking. “After we adopted you and Donny, your mother and I sat down with the rest of the family. Your mother was pregnant with Diana, Aunt Mel had just given birth to Brad, and Aunt Ruby announced she was expecting. We wanted a better life for our children. We didn’t want any of you to suffer because of our past.”

“You couldn’t help your past.”

He pauses again, seeming to think. Is he regretting taking a step down this path? I don’t know.

“No, we couldn’t, but we could make sure yours was easier.”

“Mine? Did I hear you right?”

“I mean the plural you, Dale. All I could do for you and Donny was to give you love, a home, and the help I didn’t get until much later.”

I nod. “You told me. Your father didn’t get you the help you needed.”