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

She was also right that Andy had the air of someone who was in trouble. Running. But weren’t all his friends? Jason had been running from the pain of his mother’s death and all it meant, Kat from her war-torn country, Jeff from the circus, D’ante from the war. Everyone ran, and they all came to Scooter in the end. He didn’t need another one. But he’d never been able to turn anyone in need away, and Andy’s body language screamed need.


Trick all but dragged Andy to the door, because he was well-trained but knew a sucker when he saw one. Andy laughed the whole way, obviously delighted.


“Okay, just—hold up a second, would you? Geez.” Andy grinned at Scooter. “This is great,” he said.“Really. I’ll just take Trick out for a bit and then I’ll come help you hang that door, okay?”


Scooter nodded. “Lunch first,” he said. “I don’t have what you’d call good employee health coverage, and you don’t need to faint on top of that shiner.”


Chapter 8