Six years ago, Evan Alexander played first base for Richmond's minor league baseball team, the Rebels. His best friend on the team was pitcher Charlie Madison, a sexy man Evan couldn't help falling in love with. When he finally admitted his feelings, Charlie seemed to feel the same. But the season ended and Charlie left, breaking Evan's heart. Now the divorced father of a little girl, Evan has just started putting his life back together again. Then Charlie shows up, looking for a second chance. Can Evan give their relationship one more try? Or will his broken heart keep him from letting Charlie back into his life?

One More Try

But he couldn’t do that. From the minute Kasey opened the door and he heard Charlie’s voice, Evan felt an abyss open within him. Now he stood on the edge, staring down into a darkness he had thought he’d managed to tame, a hollow space within threatening to engulf him completely. An emptiness that opened the night after the playoffs game when Charlie climbed onto his motorcycle without a backward glance and roared out of his life.


Evan couldn’t begin to imagine why—or rather, he wouldn’t let himself hope, not now, not after six long years spent waiting for a phone call or a letter or something,anything to let him know Charlie still thought of him. Some days? Some days he would have given the world to know his friend still cared.


He’s here now,he thought. Doesn’t that say something?


Evan wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to let himself believe it meant anything, not yet. 


Ask him. Go out there and ask him why he’s come back.


Chapter 5