Mark Dauphin loves his nephews, Sam and Logan, and he'll do anything his brother-in-law Cole asks, but when Cole wants Mark to play nice with Stefano Magnussi, Mark isn't sure he can comply. Stefano is hotter than fire, but Mark can't see past the fact that Stefano is one of those guys, the type of men who date guys half their age, the type of guys who made Mark give up on dating.<br><br>Of course, a little wine and several cocktails later, Mark finds himself dropping more than his defenses with Stefano. But when Logan and the rest of Mark's family surprise them in the morning, Mark and Stefano are suddenly at odds.<br><br>When Logan's ego is wounded, not only does Mark find himself desperate to fix his relationship with his nephew, but he also questions whether his night with this beautiful man meant anything to either of them. Mark isn't given much time to reflect though, as the war that's been brewing between the shivers comes to a violent head, and he soon learns that sometimes you just have to trust in those around you.

Mark's Midlife

That Thanksgiving, Cole showed up at the barracks in which I lived. I was on leave, but had no plans other than finishing some reading for a class.


“I’m back on the mainland. I’m actually going to Florida in a few days. I’m stationed at a base down there. I’m in Boston for Thanksgiving with my folks. Join me?” he asked.


I jumped at the invitation. Just one evening around people who weren’t engaged in the study of languages seemed like Heaven.


It wasn’t. It was more like somewhere in the opposite direction. Most of the evening was spent with Cole’s father questioning Cole’s choices, primarily the one to join the Navy.


Afterward, when we were only a block or so away from his parents’ house, I turned to Cole.


“Christmas with my family?” I asked.


“Most definitely,” he replied. “I’ll be in Florida anyway.”


Chapter 31