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

“And I love you, too,” Chris said, aware that he was breaking Scooter’s heart. “I’ll always love you. I’ll always remember what we had, but it’s over now, honey. Okay?”


“No,” Scooter said. He didn’t want the affair to be over, it couldn’t be over. It hadn’t been nearly enough.


Chris wiped the tear off Scooter’s cheek with his thumb and tasted it. He offered a smile; Scooter would have killed for that smile. “All right,” Chris said. “All right, Winston. I love you, you know I do, right? We can…I’ll get us a hotel. But we have to be careful, honey. And…”


Scooter agreed, he agreed to everything. Anything. Anything Chris wanted, if Chris just wouldn’t leave him, please.


Chris fucked him in the Motel Six and let Scooter drive home.


The next day, Chris brought his new boyfriend into Dockside and watched with the merciless eyes of a shark as Scooter fled back to his room to sob himself sick.


Chapter 36