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

There was a certain delicate quality in Kaos that had never attracted Padraig before. Sure, he was a bit of a protector—Marcus had always teased him about that—but for the first time, it was actually something that drew him in. With Marcus, it had been his strength and wit and the way he was brave even after….


Padraig turned off the shower and absently rubbed the scar on his thigh.


He cleared his throat. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll be right downstairs!”


He got dressed in the most comfortable clothes he could find just to make himself feel as good as possible physically. Then he steeled himself. “Come on, Padraig. You’re forty-fucking-seven years old. You can do this,” he murmured under his breath, then went to face The Talk.


He found Kaos in the living room with a pot of tea and mugs on a tray on the coffee table.


Chapter 32