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

Padraig saw pain flash in his expression before he hid it.


“Kaos, no. This…. How about we talk about it tonight? We’ll both be late otherwise.” This wasn’t a conversation to be had literally on the way out the door.


Kaos thought for a few seconds, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll…. Okay.” Then he all but fled the house.


It was Thursday, so the clinic was open and Athena was in, helping with everything she could. Padraig liked that about her. It sometimes seemed people weren’t willing to do whatever it took to keep a small business running, but she didn’t hesitate to make sure it ran smoothly. If something needed to be cleaned, she would do that if she had time, even though there was a local cleaning crew that came in to do the weekly bigger cleaning on Sundays when the clinic was closed.


“Morning, boss!” Athena said brightly when Padraig entered through the side door.


Chapter 30