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

Taking a deep breath, Gavin forces himself to calm down. She’s right, he knows. She doesn’t have anyone but Evie in her life—no lover, no other adult to share her days with, to unburden her worries and fears and troubles to, no one but a little seven year old girl who relies on her for everything in life. That sort of pressure can be daunting; Gavin feels it when he has Evie on the weekends, and sometimes it terrifies him to know how much his daughter blindly assumes he’ll protect and look after her. By the end of the weekend, he’s ready for a break.


“You’re lonely,” Gavin says softly. He reaches out for her, taking her hands in his and holding them like a buffer between their bodies. She starts to cry harder and tries to pull away, but he holds on tight. “Marian, listen. It isn’t me you want. You’re a wonderful mother, and an amazing woman, and you deserve to be happy. Don’t shake your head—you do. You do.”


Chapter 51