Andy Howard dropped out of college to get away from his abusive father. When his longtime boyfriend reveals similar tendencies, Andy refuses to endure another moment of it, running away with nothing more than the cash in his pockets. He makes it to Virginia, where he's taken in by Scooter Stahl, a restaurant owner looking for an extra hand who's willing to be paid cash under the table.<br><br>Scooter's been struggling for years: to keep the beachside restaurant he inherited from his parents above water (both financially and literally); to live down the fact that he's gay in a small southern town; to get over the man who's owned his heart since he was fourteen. But he's never had to struggle as hard as he is now, to keep his hands off Andy.

Nights in Sandbridge

Harry-Rex shook his head. “Nah, we don’t get enough custom for’t.”


Scooter spoke up. “If you’re looking for work—Hey, get this, Harry-Rex, guess who showed up day before yesterday? Debbie flippin’ Clark!”


“Aw, so you’re short-handed again, I guess. Jeff never did have sense where that woman was concerned.”


“Would serve him right if I replaced his sorry ass,” Scooter said. He turned back to Andy. “I need a dishwasher, busboy, broom-pusher, basically, you know. It’s not much, but it is full-time. Two meals aday. I own Dockside, down in Sandbridge. Fried fish and burger joint.”


Chapter 5