When Michael Knapp brings his lover Dan Biggs home to meet his parents, he doesn't expect things to go smoothly. His mother's been trying to marry him off for years, and sometimes he isn't even sure his father knows he exists. He has always felt like the shadow son, competing with his terminally stupid older brother and smart-mouthed little sister for his parents' attention. Coming out to them over dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally get noticed.<br><br>But an unexpected phone call interrupts his announcement -- Aunt Evie, the family matriarch, is dead. With Dan in tow, Michael follows his family to Sugar Creek, where he spent his summers growing up, to prepare for the funeral.<br><br>Amid an overabundance of memories and relatives, Michael's world begins to slip. His dysfunctional family, Evie's death, and an old friend's confession all threaten to smother him. Worse, in his grief and confusion he seems determined to inadvertently push everyone away, including his lover. Can he and Dan move beyond his family and his past to a new life together, before Michael's insecurities tear them apart?

It's All Relative

If Stephen notices my not so subtle gesture, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he shoves his hands down deep into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. What is there to say? Maybe nothing anymore. I stare at his denim-clad legs and remember dark hair curled over pale skin, soft flesh that used to tremble beneath my touch. His hands fist in his pockets, pushing against the front of his pants like an exaggerated erection. I wonder what he’s trying to hide. I tell myself I don’t want to know. Where is Dan?


“An Army brat,” Stephen says, his voice quiet. He shakes his head. “I never pegged you as that type.” When I shrug, he asks, “How long has it been for you guys?”


“Ten months.” It feels like forever, though. I try for a smile, but Stephen just stares at me, his eyes twin facets of pain in his face. Why is this so damn hard? We weren’t ever serious. “How about you?” I ask, hoping to lighten the mood. “Anyone swept you off your feet yet?”


Chapter 75