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

Then it hits him, and he shakes his head. “Wait, are we still doing that?”


“She wants to meet you,” Gavin says, “and she called me an hour ago and asked if tonight would work. I didn’t see why not, so…”


“So why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Brody asks. Suddenly he feels self-conscious in his black shorts and torn T-shirt, as if Marian is waiting at the curb and might judge him on what he was wearing around the house.


Gavin ducks his head, sheepish. “I thought maybe you’d say no. I figured if I told you when I picked you up, you’d be more likely to go along with it, but I wanted to give you a chance to put on something a little more—I don’t know…”


Chapter 56