Woodrow “Woody” Anker is an 28 legend -- the boy who lived. Orphaned at the age of three due to a car accident that killed his parents, Woody is taken in by the Zumpano family. He becomes best friends with Serge, the youngest boy, and looks up to Rafe, the oldest. As the years go by, Woody’s feelings for Rafe change into something else entirely. Except, Rafe is straight. And in denial about his alcohol abuse.<br><br>Rafe Zumpano, now the town Sherriff and Lothario-extraordinaire has been a heavy drinker since his teens, and it’s getting worse. He’s got a secret that he drinks away every night, but when the truth finally comes out, it ruins everything.<br><br>It will take a lot for both men to move beyond alcohol-fueled vitriol, self-doubt, and internalized homophobia to get to the part where they stop throwing punches and have their happy ending.

Norwegian Woody

I held up a hand so Rafe would cease his drunken tirade for a minute. Miracle of miracles, he did. “What happened, Serge?”


Serge sighed. “My company laid-off people in droves yesterday. I’ve been with these jerks for seven years, and all they said was, ‘here’s your severance pay, have a nice life.’“ Man, that sucked. Naturally, Rafe wasn’t very helpful.


“Well, if you’d tried harder maybe it wouldn’t have happened. You’re a fuck-up, always have been. I’m the only one who’s ever upheld the family name.” Rafe belched. Yeah, he was doing such a good job of that.


Serge kind of folded into himself. Great, Rafe, rub salt in the wound. Moron.


I stood. “Rafe, shut up. You’re a lush and you say dumb things when you’re drunk.” I glared at him.


He got up and glared right back, his eyes watery. “That’s enough lip out of you, girly man.” He laughed like he’d said something funny. It wasn’t.


Chapter 5