T.J. Alton is shy and reticent, living alone with a rescue cat after his parents' death a year earlier. He rarely strays from his usual daily routine of work and home and back again.<br><br>Then he meets Devon Ryder, an outgoing, colorful, and ruggedly handsome man, with his own long list of emotional baggage. After a month of chatting online, the two men decide to meet in real life, and their first date is at a local Great Escape theme park in upstate New York.<br><br>As they discover more about each other through conversation and food, a connection is made. But will T.J.'s fears of large crowds and intimacy drive him back to isolation, away from the social circle of life, and the idea of starting a new relationship with someone special?

Love's Chances

Pete leaned in to Devon with puckered lips, pecking him on the cheek, his mouth wandering to Devon’s mouth—smooch, smooch—but Devon held him off with a hand to his chest.


The architecture of Pete’s bare muscular chest glinted with sweat and rain. His hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. He wrapped an arm over Devon’s shoulder, said something that made Devon laugh. The two of them headed to the main doors.


Devon turned and waved at me to join them.


I checked my half-assed parking in the rearview mirror, the back wheels sandwiched haphazardly between the two white lines. I turned the ignition, put the car in reverse, and made the best of my clumsy condition. Shrugging, I turned off the car, sighed, and swung the door open.


A warm rain fell from a churning, black sky. I ran thirty feet to the front door, covering my head with both hands.


Chapter 8