Because of a deathbed promise to his father, Elijah Peck reluctantly left his friends and successful career in Bridgeport to return to Willowby, Connecticut, the small town of his upbringing, in order to run the antique shop that had been in his family for generations. Now, in just the span of two years, Eli has morphed into a social recluse, isolated in what he believes is a stuffy, suffocating nowheresville. With no thriving gay community at his disposal, and with his entire existence wrapped around the store he never really wanted, Eli's devoted little time to his personal needs. As a result, instead of acting like a man in his mid-thirties, living out his own dreams, maybe even finding love with the right guy, he often feels like just another item in his shop -- a dusty, moldy antique that has seen better days.<br><br>But all that starts to change when a stranger moves to Willowby.<br><br>One night outside his shop, Eli has a chance encounter with Neville "Gray" Grayson, a wickedly handsome musician who's purposely left the bustle of New York City in favor of quiet country living. Eli is instantly drawn to Gray, and the flirtatious jazzman stirs dormant feelings inside Eli, reinvigorating his hopes for a brighter future. Not only does Gray make Eli feel attractive for the first time in years, but also makes him appreciate small-town life in a way he never has before. And Eli can't help but wonder if Gray's presence also offers the promise of finding much-needed companionship, sexual fulfillment, and perhaps even love ...

When the Jazzman Sings

“You are an exasperatingbusybody. You know that?”


“Of course I know that. What else is there to do in Willowby? And I also know that I’m right, aren’t I? And before you try to deny it, Violet confirmed my hunch. I met her on the street last night as I was locking up the shop and she was heading to work.”


“Violet was all a-flutter, rambling on and on about a fetching newcomer who just happened to be in the company of the town’s most eligible bachelor the previous night. Well, I won’t bother repeating how she cursed up a storm that the two sexiest men in Willowby were unattainable. What you boys have done to the horny gals in this town just by being here, teasing them with your honed muscles and dazzling smiles yet having eyes only for each other…well, it’s downright criminal.”


Chapter 31