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

“I think I’ll find a sunny spot and draw. I need to exercise my brain and my hands a lot, keep them in touch with stuff despite not being able to tattoo.”


“Right, you don’t have your license yet.”


“Yeah, so since I haven’t gotten any specific instructions from my sort-of boss in Mercer, I’ll just sketch whatever comes to mind.” Kaos raised his hands over his head and stretched his body as much as he could while sitting down.


“Sounds like a plan. If you need anything, just holler. I’ll be puttering around.”


“Okay!” Kaos said, and decidedly didn’t look at Padraig’s ass in his sleep pants as he padded out of the kitchen.


Internally, Kaos groaned. He was so, so screwed. How had he thought even for a moment that he could stay detached from Padraig? Then again, denial was kind of his thing, he supposed, and maybe it was just his psyche latching on to the first gorgeous, kind, free male he encountered. Yeah, that must’ve been it. Right?


Chapter 29