Patrick Holt is lonely. A bad breakup with his boyfriend has left the forty-year-old ophthalmologist reluctant to get involved with another man. When his neighbor sets him up with her brother-in-law Eric, Patrick prepares himself for disappointment. But Patrick quickly finds himself surprised and charmed by Eric, and Eric, who’s had relationship problems of his own in the past, falls hard and fast for Patrick.<br><br>On the outside, Eric seems like a great guy: young and attractive with a promising job as an assistant manager at a Chicago hotel. But Eric has a dark side he and his family are hiding from Patrick. When the truth is finally revealed and Eric’s secrets are exposed, will Patrick be willing to go the distance with Eric? Or will he run as fast as he can from the new man in his life?

Baggage

“You’ve got a lot of nerve telling me to work things out with Eric,” I told him. “As soon as he and I started seeing each other, you turned against me.”


Gary shook his head. “You don’t understand.”


“Then helpme understand. We never had a problem until I started seeing Eric. When Clay and I lived here together, you and your family were incredibly kind to us both and welcomed us into the neighborhood. Even after Clay moved out, you and your family never shunned me. But as soon as Eric started spending the night here, I became the leper next door. I guess you had no problem with me being gay with someone else or even by myself, but the minute I started fucking your brother, everything changed. Why is that, Gary? Have you still not come to terms with the fact that Eric’s gay?”


“Stop trying to turn this into some kind of homophobic thing. You know I don’t have anything against gay people.”


“Except the ones who are fucking your brother, right?”


Chapter 40