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

“You’re talking about maybe putting him in a home somewhere nearby where she lives?” Henrietta was more upset now.


“Not like that. But if he is getting worse, he needs an around-the-clock doctor nearby. I know Moira said she’d prepared for a situation like this by checking out places in Ann Arbor. Just in case.”


Henrietta shook her head. “I don’t….”


“Think about it this way, too,” Francis said in a kind, patient tone. “If he gets worse and you then change your mind, he might be too ill to travel.”


“He’s right.” Mark tried to not show his discomfort over the whole deal, but he had to back Francis up. “He can’t fly with COPD, I know I discussed that with him some time ago. That means ten hours in a car.”


Francis nodded. “Honestly, it might already be too late, for that kind of a drive, but we need to get him to the hospital today.”


Chapter 73