When unlikely attraction blossoms between a twentysomething genderqueer tattoo artist and an older, small-town veterinarian, both are forced to face their pasts for a chance at a loving future. Four years ago Padraig Donovan lost his husband, the only man he’d ever been with. Now his life consists of the work he loves, a big empty house, and the possibility of a lonely future. Kaos’s experiments with makeup landed him in the hospital at the hands of his disapproving ex. With nowhere else to turn, he flees to Acker, Wisconsin ... and runs into a sexy widower and the kindest man he’s ever met. Padraig and Kaos know there’s something worth exploring between them, and as they raise a puppy and deal with the ups and downs of their respective jobs, they fit into each other’s lives in ways they never expected. Being with Kaos -- who is so different than the guys he’s always been attracted to -- opens up an exciting new world for Padraig. But can he convince Kaos to trust another man with his body ... let alone his heart?

Four

“So here’s my portfolio.” Kaos lifted the hefty binder. “Did you want to go to a brunch somewhere or…?”


“We could go somewhere, but I also got some goodies from the bakery this morning, and we have coffee here up in the loft.”


“Oh, well, I don’t mind either way. Staying in might be nice?” He wanted to give her the option to do whatever was more comfortable for her.


“Sure, I have one of those Keurig machines, so once we want coffee, it’s gonna be fast, no prep needed.” She took the binder from him and gestured to the couches in the front of the studio. “Let’s sit there. Or I’ll sit, and you can look around the place while I take a look at these?”


“Yeah, that sounds good. Anywhere I shouldn’t go?” he asked, just in case.


“Oh no, go anywhere, look into drawers if you want. Mi casa, su casa and all that.” She grinned. “If you wanna work here, there’s even more reason not to have secrets, you know. Not that I have any, but… you know how that goes!”


Chapter 19