Two men with nothing in common except friendship. One man is Darren Cameron, a cop who patrols the streets nightly. After his divorce -- because he revealed to his wife he was gay -- he gained full custody of his son, Jesse. Jesse is now twenty-one, living with his girlfriend, and trying to play matchmaker between his landlord, Malcom, and Darren. The other is Rob, a homeless war veteran living on the streets, who has adamantly resists all Darren's efforts to help him start his life over. When Rob is attacked, Darren finally has what he needs to help his friend get off the streets. Despite Rob's wariness, he moves into Darren’s home under the guise of protective custody ... much to Jesse's dismay. Can Darren and Rob handle what comes next, including their growing attraction for each other? Or will Rob ultimately reject Darren's help and return to his former life?

Lonesome Men

“Thanks for dinner,” Rob said as they stood on the sidewalk. “You know I appreciate it.”


“Any time. You want me to drop you off somewhere?”


Rob shook his head, then obviously changed his mind. “Would you mind taking me to the Tenth Street Shelter? I need to shower and they have a couple of washing machines, if they’re working.”


Ten minutes later, Darren parked his car in front of the shelter. “I can wait, if you want, and take you back downtown.”


“Naw. I’m good.” Rob got out, saying before he closed the door, “Thanks, again, for everything. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”


“You’re welcome. Be careful, okay? No more run-ins with punks.”


“Trust me, I’ll do my damnedest to avoid it.” Rob hesitated then added, “My friend,” as if uncertain he should say that.


“We arefriends,” Darren told him. “Never doubt it.”


“Yeah, I guess we are.” Rob closed the car door and hurried to the front entrance of the shelter. When he got there, he turned to salute Darren.


Chapter 11