Free Finding Peace (Finding Series, Book 3) by Sloane Kennedy Page A

was wrapped around Gray’s chest. He didn’t need to look to know that the man in his arms was crying because a harsh sob tore from Gray’s lips a moment later.
    “It’s okay, Gray, I’ve got you,” Luke whispered against the back of Gray’s neck as he wrapped his other arm around Gray and held him as tightly as he could.
     
    ***
    “What kind is it?” Luke asked as he tightened his arm around Gray’s back. If Gray thought it was strange that Luke was still holding him so closely as they were sitting on the bathroom floor with their backs against the bathtub, he didn’t say anything or pull away. And Luke hadn’t given it much thought other than that he wasn’t ready to let go of Gray yet even though his heart wrenching sobs had finally eased.
    “Testicular,” Gray said quietly.
    “That’s…that’s highly curable, right?”
    Gray was quiet for so long that Luke felt heat flood his entire body even though they were sitting on the cold tile floor.
    “It’s spread to my liver.”
    Luke felt like he was going to be sick. Cancer. Gray had fucking cancer.
    “My doctor is hoping the chemo will get rid of the tumors.”
    Tumors? Plural?
    “So that’s why you went to Missoula this week? For chemo?”
    Gray nodded. “That was my second round. The first was on the day we met.”
    An unreasonable anger went through Luke. “God, Gray, did you stay at that motel just so I wouldn’t know you were sick again?”
    Gray stiffened against him and tried to pull away but Luke refused to release him. Luke took several deep breaths to try to stem his anger and then said, “Don’t hospitals require someone to be with you when you’re undergoing chemo?”
    “I convinced the staff I had someone waiting for me.”
    “What about your friends? Your family?”
    Gray just shook his head.
    “No one knows?”
    Gray struggled free from his grip and climbed to his feet. Luke stood and tried to grab Gray’s arm to steady him but Gray shook him off and leaned against the sink. Gray stared at himself in the mirror for another long moment before he yanked open a drawer. He pulled out a black box of some kind and Luke flinched when he saw what was inside. It took several seconds for Gray to work the clippers free of the foam housing they were encased in and then he was plugging the cord into the outlet. The sound of the clippers was harsh.
    “Gray,” Luke said softly as he reached for the clippers.
    But Gray sucked in a quick breath and then ran the clippers right down the middle of his head. His shorn hair fell away silently and Gray stopped to stare at the result. Tears began to flow down his cheeks as he tried to shave another strip of hair away but he was too overcome to hold the clippers without shaking so Luke took them away and unplugged them. He lowered his mouth to Gray’s ear and whispered, “Let me do it, okay?”
    Gray managed a nod and allowed Luke to lead him from the bathroom. He got Gray settled in a kitchen chair and found a nearby outlet. Gray flinched as soon as he turned the clippers on but he never once took his eyes off the grove of trees that he was staring at through the window. Luke draped a dish towel over Gray’s shoulders and made quick work of shaving the rest of Gray’s head before brushing the stray clumps of hair to the floor. He sat down in the chair next to Gray who finally turned to look at him.
    “How does it look?”
    Luke couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to run his hand over the small amount of stubble that remained. He wanted to tell Gray he still looked just as hot but figured that might just be too much for Gray to deal with right now so he settled for “really good” instead.
    Gray lifted his hand to run his fingers over his head and hesitated the instant he felt his scalp.
    “You’ll get used to it,” Luke said. “And think about how much money you’ll save on that expensive shampoo of yours,” he added.
    A smile flitted across Gray’s lips and Luke felt a spark of