Tristan used to be top salesman at his firm, but when his friends suffered a tragedy, he stepped in to support them. Their ordeal over, Tristan turned to partying to ease his new solitude. Now his job is at risk and he stands to lose his home. Rain spent years putting up with his husband Milo's bad behavior before moving out. Single again and insecure, Rain dreams of creating a marionette show to celebrate kids on the autism spectrum in honor of his son. When Rain meets his neighbor Tristan, he's drawn to Tristan's sex-appeal and protective nature. But Milo keeps pulling on Rain's strings and messing with his head. Tristan loves everything about Rain, including the strange sandwiches, mismatched socks, crazy marionettes, glitter makeup, and messy apartment. And Rain wants to give Tristan everything, but can he cut lose from Milo's hold?

A Touch of Rain

Tristan stepped into the entrance, but couldn’t get the door open all the way because of the pile of sneakers and boots behind it.


Rain came walking up. “Hello there,” he said. His blond hair was wet and the scent of soap hung in the dusty air. He wore dark pink skinny jeans and a blue T-shirt with Cookie Monster’s face on it.


The sight of him made Tristan’s day. “Funny you should be wearing that T-shirt,” he said, pointing to the blue monster. “I spent the afternoon baking cookies. Two hundred of them, actually.”


Rain frowned. “You? You baked two-hundred cookies?”


Tristan slipped his fancy leather shoes off and walked in, stepping up to where Rain stood in the hall. “Yeah, it’s a thing we do every year. Bernie, Rachel, and I, we bake cookies and cakes and then donate them to the LGBT community center.”


“Okay, now, you’ve just scored somany points, I—I can’t even.” Rain grabbed his own chest. “Be still my beating heart. A man who bakes and donates.”


Chapter 25