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Gregg’s face. “I know how hard this must be on you. I want to make things easier for you. After everything you’ve gone through, it’s the least I can do.”
    “I have to admit you have made things easier on me.”
    Gregg looked up in shock. “I have?”
    That had been the last thing he’d been expecting to hear. He was so used to hearing what a burden he always was. How much of a loser he was, and that he would never amount to anything. The last thing he expected was a compliment. Especially, since all he’d been doing was being nice to another person.
    “Yeah, I don’t think I could have made it through today without you,” John said.
    Gregg made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “You would have done fine. You’re a tough guy.”
    “Maybe so, but even tough guys have trouble when they have their whole world ripped out from underneath them. You helped me back on my feet again.”
    Then John did the most amazing thing of all. He stepped forward and gave Gregg the softest kiss. It was over before it even really began. But it still left Gregg’s body buzzing and his head spinning.
    Well, guess that answered the question on whether John was gay or not because no straight man would have done that. Gregg brought a hand up to his tingling lips.
    “Why did you just do that?” he asked.
    “Because I’ve been dying to do it since I first saw you.”
    Wow, that came as a shocker because all day long Gregg hadn’t picked up on any vibes that John had been attracted to him at all. But then Gregg had always been crappy at that kind of thing. Which is why his dating life sucked.
    “Thank you. I’ve wanted you to do it to me since I first saw you, too,” Gregg said.
    As soon as he said that, he cringed. He knew how much of a loser he’d just sounded. Now he’d be lucky if he got a second glance, much less a second kiss. Luckily, the comment didn’t seem to bother John at all. He let out a chuckle before running the back of his fingers down Gregg’s cheek.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
    “I can’t wait,” Gregg said, meaning every word of it.
    Gregg walked out and made his way to the cafeteria. It was getting close to dinnertime, and he needed to get a tray for Tiffy. He decided he would eat with her that day rather than with the guys. All they would do was pepper him with questions, and he wasn’t ready to answer them. Not when he himself didn’t know half the answers yet.
    He loaded up the tray, then took it back to their living quarters. Entering cautiously, he was pleased to see the living room was empty. Gregg let out a sigh of relief. That must mean his father was at one of the many shifter dive bars. If he and Tiffy were lucky, their dad would pass out there, and then they would be free of the asshole’s presence for the entire night.
    Tiffy was still in school, so Gregg sat the tray down, then went to the kitchen to grab some condiments and napkins. He was about to go back to Tiffy’s room when the door swung open.
    Gregg froze. It was still too early for Tiffy to be home, so that could only mean one thing. His father was back, and they were about to have a confrontation. There was no doubt about it in Gregg’s mind. Whenever the man was awake and in Gregg’s presence, that’s what always happened. It was the way things had always been since his mother had left, and they would never change.
    Gregg came out of the kitchen as his father slammed the front door. Gregg cringed, wondering how many Hawks had heard that. The last thing Gregg wanted was more whispering about what was going on in their family. It was already bad enough his father was known as the cast drunk. To add the fact he was a mean, abusive drunk would only make things all the more humiliating. Not that Gregg’s dad seemed to care about that kind of thing anymore. It would seem keeping up his reputation was the last thing on his list of worries.
    Gregg’s dad stumbled forward. He was dressed in a pair of jeans that