Coming home is not something Kayle Grimes ever envisioned for himself. He left this town of bigots behind without regrets and made a good life elsewhere. Now he’s back again, hiding in his parents’ old house and licking his wounds.<br><br>Asher Knox, the reason Kayle disappeared in the first place, is the last thing he needs. But the boy who broke his heart is now the mayor, and won’t take no for an answer.<br><br>Asher Knox has to find a way to get Kayle to forgive him and see he’s no longer a coward hiding in the closet. He’s out and proud, and ready to publicly claim Kayle as his own. It doesn’t help that the Kayle who has returned home is stubborn and prickly, and Asher knows he’s going to make a fool of himself, but it’s worth it, all the same.

Nowhere But Home

“Here’s my card,” Agnes said as she handed it to me. “Email or call me whenever you need to. I’m almost always available.”


“I will.” I waved at her as she hopped into her car and drove off down the road, leaving me standing next to Asher.


I cleared my throat. “Your friend Hank blurted out to me in the middle of the grocery store that you would be at my house to talk about something.” I raised an eyebrow. “Of course, everyone within range heard it, and I’m sure people are thinking all kinds of things about why you would be coming to see me, you being single and all, according to gossip.”


He winced. “Sorry about that. Hank has no notion of subtlety.” Then he grinned. “He is pretty, though.”


“Very.” I walked around the house to the barn, and Asher followed me. “So I heard you’re one of the main reasons being gay in this town doesn’t get us beat up or jeered at like when I was a kid?” And didn’t that rose color on his cheeks make him also look pretty?


Chapter 8