English professor Gavin Dozier hasn’t had much luck when it comes to love. When his last boyfriend cheated on him, he was driven to experiment with women. Sex with Marian, though, had its own dangers, and before he knew it, he was a father. Now estranged, the only thing Gavin and Marian have in common is their daughter Evie, a precocious seven-year-old who stays with Gavin every other weekend. While out with her daddy, Evie meets the heavily-tattooed Brody Phelps, a sketch artist with serious talent who still dresses like a brooding punk rocker, even though he’s in his thirties. Brody is instantly attracted to the sexy college professor, but knows Gavin is out of his league -- the man has a kid, which probably means he isn’t gay, and besides, Brody never even graduated from high school. Guys like Gavin don’t go for guys like him. But when Evie leaves Gavin’s cell phone behind, Brody has the perfect excuse to meet up with them again. To his surprise they hit it off, and when he asks Gavin out, the professor accepts. Even though Evie brought them together, will her demanding personality pull them apart? Is Gavin ready to trust his heart to someone else again? Can Brody overcome his own fears of inadequacy and let Gavin in? And what will Marian have to say when the father of her child starts dating again?

Never Met a Stranger

He knocks on the door, then knocks again, louder, harder. No answer. Leaning against it, he hollers out, “Marian! You can’t do this! I’m her father!”


From somewhere inside the house, he hears Evie start crying. It sounds like an ambulance’s wail, building in intensity and volume, then winding down again as she draws in breath to scream again. “I want to go!” she says through her tears. “You promised! I wantto go with Daddy!”


He hammers on the door, not caring who might be watching from the neighboring homes. “Marian, goddamn it! Open this door!”


There’s a clatter inside, something falling off a table, or maybe swept off in anger. He hears Marian’s choked voice, then Evie drowns her out again. Heavy footsteps resound in the foyer, heading for the door, shaking the porch, angry steps heading his way. He takes a step back, not a moment too soon—the door flings open and Marian is there, red-faced and disheveled, eyes brimming with angry tears.


Chapter 32