Deputy Mark Forrest and Nurse Francis Archer can’t deny the chemistry that arises between them. A chance meeting awakens the idea of something greater than either had ever imagined.<br><br>Mark craves being able to let go, and Francis loves to take him out of his head. But Mark’s past bears a truckload of personal demons that have kept him in the closet and made him lash out at the LGBTQ community in the town he’s come to regard as home.<br><br>Despite finding love and a new purpose in Acker, Francis’s new job might end up being temporary, and he doesn't want to lose the life he's settled into. Can the two of them build a future together despite a bitter past, and diverging paths?

Thirteen

“We were making out and then suddenly it wasn’t enough, I guess. He forced me. Called me slurs and covered my mouth and didn’t let me call for help. It was… I was hurt pretty badly, physically, I mean. It took me months to fully recover and more than few years to try bottoming again.”


“First of all, no. You didn’t ‘bottom,’ Francis, you were assaulted. So drop the ‘again’ from your brain right now. Secondly, did you see anyone? For the physical or mental injuries?”


“No. I guess I thought I could use what I’d learned at that point and just take care of it myself. Which I did, and eventually I healed. I didn’t even think about going to therapy then, it was such a different time,” Francis mused.


“Yeah, that’s something we still have to work on to this day. What happened to the guy who assaulted you? Did you ever tell Padraig and Marcus?”


Chapter 52