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

The old man knew that the ocean had heard him because the wave suddenly returned. The old man would not let it get away this time, and he would not let it take him. He turned, waiting for it to roll as it made its way to shore, and that’s when he jumped on it. He felt himself move into the giant wave, riding it to shore, and as he rode it, for just a moment, they were one.


The old man found himself back in the shallow water, just where he had been left that day, but today, the ocean had not slammed him on its sandy floor. He had held his ground, and he had won. He allowed himself a few minutes to enjoy the shallow water as it splashed on him while he sat there, and then he walked back to the dry sand, and in his walk, a sparkle caught his eye.


Chapter 65