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

It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.


After we cleaned up in the bathroom, I lay on my side next to Rafe as we faced each other in bed. “Is this strange for you?” I asked as I played with the hairs on his chest. There was a little gray there, which I thought was hot.


“No. It feels right, somehow. Like this was meant to be. It sounds cheesy, doesn’t it?” He looked away, embarrassed.


“Hey, look at me,” I said and waited until he faced me again. “If it’s what you feel, then it’s real and it’s true. Don’t diminish it. What we’re working on is unique to us.”


He heaved a sigh. “Okay.” Rafe played with a strand of my hair. “I did not envision this, what’s happening between us, in any way, shape or form. I’m still in shock, frankly. I keep thinking I’m dreaming.”


“You and me, both.” But if he could change and take a chance on something new, maybe I could, too. I pushed Rafe onto his back. “I want to explore.”


Chapter 16