Christian Rivers has been single for a year and a half. Emotionally disconnected, he focuses on writing his next best seller. Unfortunately, his neighbor’s teenage son, Bret Hicks, causes trouble next door with his bad friends hanging out, smoking marijuana, drinking, and abusing Christian's dog, Darth Vader. Incensed, Christian phones Milestone County’s Sheriff Philip Erickson to lay an animal cruelty charge. When Sheriff Erickson arrives, the two men have coffee, and a spark of attraction that has been developing between them since they met, flickers to life. But Philip is on duty and has to leave. Later that night Christian wakes up from the sounds of breaking glass as someone forces entry into his house. He calls Philip but before the sheriff arrives, Bret appears in the door of Christian’s bedroom, drunk and wearing a Halloween mask. In the aftermath of the drama the suppressed attraction between the two men comes to a boil, leading to new hope and mutual satisfaction for Christian and the sheriff.

A Light in the Dark

Against the mounting pains in my stomach, I toss together a tuna fish salad and sit down to the kitchen table to eat, alone.


My thoughts drift into the past, and I recall Russ’ face. An anesthesiologist. Around-the-clock workaholic. Two loving years of our lives tested against an ambitious career—the knife in our relationship, a year and a half ago.


I slowly close my eyes and see his aquarium-blues staring back at me over the miles separating us. Tears prick the corners of my eyes. I stare around the eerily quiet house. I stab a leaf of lettuce with my fork but I am no longer hungry.


The fork clatters against the side of the bowl. My body starts to shake, my shoulders slouch, and my head falls as I cry into my hands.


Chapter 2