Schoolteacher Julian Reynolds is disillusioned with the seedier side of gay life in New York City with its self-absorption, vanity, and preoccupation with sex. When his long-time relationship with his high school sweetheart ends, he returns to his hometown and vows to live a simple life free of the extremes of the gay lifestyle and romantic entanglements. With that end in mind, he rents the carriage house next door to a large Tudor-style home.<br><br>Tate Butler, a former student of Julian’s, lives in the big house with his mother. Tate is bitter and withdrawn after losing a leg while serving in the Marine Corps during the war in Afghanistan. Fearing rejection from his mother and blaming himself for his father’s death, Tate stays firmly in the closet and punishes himself by refusing to learn how to walk again.<br><br>Can Tate and Julian help heal each other’s pasts and forge a real and lasting future together? Or will the driveway that separates their houses prove too wide a gulf to cross?

The Marine Next Door

“I’ve been gone and avoided life for so long. I don’t know if this place still exists, but I always wondered about it when I was a kid. We all did. When I was older, I avoided it because I didn’t want my dad to find out I’d gone there, but I’d like to try going to Gilby’s.”


Julian was again taken aback. Gilby’s was a restaurant and gay bar. Tate must really be serious about accepting himself if he wanted to go there. This time, however, Julian tried to hide his reaction to Tate’s choice. Keeping his voice even, he said, “Gilby’s is still here.”


Sometime later they arrived at the restaurant. They were led to the same booth that Julian, Craig, and Stephen had occupied the day Craig had cornered him and demanded a full accounting of why Julian had returned from New York City.


Chapter 24