Keir Moreau, a middle school teacher living a solitary life, is excited to welcome a handsome new neighbor. But after their first meeting goes alarmingly wrong, Keir decides it's safer to keep his distance. Besides, he has to focus all his attention on finding help for a student who is being forced into conversion therapy.<br><br>Riley Quinn used to be an award-winning photojournalist, roaming the world and exposing corruption. An injury put an end to all that. Now he's frustrated with his new aimless life, wondering if he'll ever do anything again that really matters. When he first meets Keir, a case of mistaken identity leads him to mistreat his intriguing new neighbor. Riley tries again and again to redeem himself, but everything he does seems to push Keir farther away.<br><br>Keir, obsessing about his failure to help his student and fighting his stubborn attraction to Riley, takes a reckless gamble that goes dreadfully wrong. Or does it? Can an act of desperation open the door to romance?

The Chartreuse Door

Three hours later, they stood in the park across from the church. Other than a few broken branches and the damp grass, no sign of the storm remained. The air smelled fresh-washed, and the sun shone in a cloudless blue sky. All in all, a perfect day for a rally in the park.


Keir and Riley watched as two of Lucy’s volunteers finished attaching steps to a small modular stage, only about five feet square, but adequate for two people to stand on in comfort. A battery-powered PA system with a microphone lay at the top of the steps, waiting for the guest speakers to use. Everything was ready—all they needed was an audience.


Chapter 30