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

“Caught me,” Darren replied, grinning. “Not really, though. When it comes to a point where you might decide to look for a job, however, it won’t hurt that you’ve brushed up on your skills.”


“Yeah, I guess.” If I stick around…If he wants me to, then I guess I’ll haveto get a real job. What are the chances that’ll happen, though? Slim to none. He’s a do-gooder and I’m his latest project. Not an idea that made Rob happy, but the truth, he figured.


“If we want dessert, there’s ice cream in the freezer,” Darren said as he began clearing the table.


“I’ll pass, but go ahead,” Rob replied, getting up to help. He joked, “I wouldn’t want to destroy my boyish figure.”


“I suspect it will take a lot more than ice cream to do that,” Darren told him. “Now me…” He patted his stomach.


“You don’t have anything to worry about, but if you’re not going to have some, then go to bed. I can handle the dishes.”


Chapter 18