Calvin Hamilton reluctantly returns to his home town of Parrish Creek, Texas, to sell his parents' house. Finding the place in need of repair he hires John "Brock" Brockwell to renovate the house before putting it on the market. Brock bares a passing resemblance to Gary Cooper, especially as he often wears western clothing. Calvin has always had a weakness for cowboys.<br><br>Time has reversed the two men's fortunes. In high school Brock was the big man on campus, his popularity allowing him to hide his true nature. Calvin was a nerd, bullied by most of the jocks for being perceived as gay. Now Calvin is a successful New York advertising executive, and Brock is a divorced father with a teenage son who faces financial ruin, unable to pay his late father's hospital bills.<br><br>Can Calvin put past bitterness behind him and help the cowboy with whom he is rapidly falling in love? Will the deeply closeted Brock be able to admit he has feelings for Calvin? Or will pride, fear, distance, and the past prevent them from building a future together?

Calvin's Cowboy

Immediately Calvin fired back,“No,I thought you were an arrogant asshole.”


Brock’s face fell and Calvin felt as though he’d got one back from all thoseyears ago.“I just am still really sensitive about those days.They weren’texactly happy times for me.”


“No.”Brock shook his head then looked Calvin straight in the eyes.“Guessthey weren’t.Sorry.”


“Every day at school was a battle to remain hidden,to blend in,to stay below the radar,just so one of your jock buddies wouldn’t notice me,trip me,push me into a locker or use me as a punching bag.”


Brock looked embarrassed.“I kinda remember that.”


“And then they’d brag about beating up the school fag?”


Brock looked down at his half-empty bottle.His silence was answer enough.


“We lived in different worlds back in high school.Everybody knew you and how many home runs or whatever you had hit the previous season.Whereas no one,apart from my fellow‘drama geeks,’”he sketched quotation marks in the air,“knew about me.And that was just fine.”


Chapter 3