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

He pulls himself up to his knees and his gaze reminds me of the time when Russ lured me from across the dance club into his arms. And stayed for two years.


Philip pulls me back to him. “This may be too much to bear right now, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you the day you signed your book for me at the local bookshop.”


I recall the first year Russ and I moved to Milestone County from Dayton, Ohio, Russ’s home state. I had seen Sheriff Erickson in the crowd during my lecture on the uncertain future of books and the rapid rise of e-books. But at the time, I thought Philip was just a voracious reader.


His revelation floors me. My eyes fall to my trembling hands in my lap.


“Chris?” His voice is strangled with regret.


But before I have time to respond, movement from the living room rattles me out of the moment. I lift my head to see Bret Hicks staggering into view.


Philip turns his head to my night visitor.


Chapter 8