The start of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire means Wes can finally get back to his seasonal job and distract himself from his recent messy break-up. There’s plenty for him to think about at the Faire, such as his role as a wandering flower merchant, the overwhelming August heat, and Carlo, who plays a handsome knight.<br><br>Carlo is the exact opposite of Wes’s ex, Phillip, who won’t let their relationship die easily. The young knight is sweet and caring and chivalrous, but Wes has sworn to himself he’s not ready to jump back into dating yet.<br><br>When Carlo collapses off his horse during a joust, Wes has to confront his own feelings for his new friend, as well as Phillip’s constant attempts to win him back.

Heat Wave: Manheim

Wes checked the time stamp. The message was only forty-five minutes old. He was, in fact, at Best Buy, but it was his lunch break. Furthermore, he felt like he could use a distraction as well.


My mom used to be the same way after I came out. She was paranoid that I would get AIDS or some other STD. Even bought me condoms out of the blue one day and told me she expected it to be empty within a few months. It was almost worse than my dad’s stupid gay jokes. Ugh, and when I first told her I was gay, she gave me this look and said, “You know anal wears out your muscles down there, right? By the time you’re my age you’ll have to wear a diaper because you won’t be able to hold it in anymore.” Where do people even get these ideas?


Once again, Wes was overcome by a sense that he had overshared and immediately regretted responding at all. His throat tightened when the notification came up that Carlo had seen his message.


Chapter 19