Brandon Russo can't stand the sight of blood and the current heat wave makes doing almost anything outdoors unpleasant. So when an SUV sideswipes a bicycle right at the gate of the storage facility in Burlington, Vermont, where Brandon works for his aunt, he considers just locking himself in the office and calling 911. But he's rewarded for letting his good nature overcome his squeamishness when the man he rescues from the ditch turns out to be absolutely gorgeous.<br><br>Scott Seay is a photographer on the trail of a legend. A strong lead has brought him to Vermont for the auction of a storage unit whose owner had been obsessed with Champy, the creature rumored to live in the depths of Lake Champlain. When Scott winds up in a ditch outside that very same storage facility, being rescued by a hot, chivalrous man who literally sweeps Scott into his arms ... well, Scott's always believed in fate.

Heat Wave: Burlington

Brandon grumbled under his breath. “When did he die?”


Scott scratched his chin. “Six months ago, or so. It took a while for his estate to get out of the probate.”


“Then his unit is about seven months in arrears. That’s the best I can help you with.”


“This is my job, man,” Brandon said. “I like you. But…you didn’t grab any other information, while you were photographing the guy’s house and things? Or sneaking a look at his mail?”


Scott’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait a minute..”


There was no waiting, however. The crowd followed Ginny to the next seized unit. Scott cursed, muttered, dug frantically in his backpack for the other SIM card. He thumbed it into the camera’s drive and scrolled through hundreds of pictures of used furniture, ancient stacks of documents…there! He found the photo. Pinch and expand. He squinted. The letter was a collections piece, for…


Chapter 14