Beaten by the IT recession, Justin has come back to his hometown where he’s inherited a small house from his mother. Surely Barry, his old crush and sometime nemesis, is long gone. Jobs are scarce, so impulsively Justin seeks to buy into a pet grooming business. But when he has to visit the local bank for a loan, who sits behind the big desk but Barry?<br><br>Justin’s appearance jolts Barry out of his miserable rut of a life. What if they were to pick up where a brief boyhood attraction abruptly ended? Then his mother’s sudden stroke throws his whole life into a tumbled ruin.<br><br>Juggling business and pleasure can be a complex, risky endeavor. Will Justin resist Barry’s charms and flee again, or will fate give them a new leash on life?

A New Leash on Life

Barry walked out, not stomping or showing any real signs of anger. He closed the door very quietly behind him. Justin almost called him back, but held his tongue.


Really, they had not resolved anything. Deep down, he knew the whole muddle was going to remain and, in time, have to be confronted again. In many ways, he was glad. When he was completely honest, he knew he’d hoped in a hidden corner of his heart that they would reconnect when he came back. He hadn’t expected to, although he’d dreamed about it. Why was he fighting it so hard? That was a question he could not quite answer.


He knew Barry had problems and had probably never really been happy. He’d always known. Although they hadn’t spoken of it much long ago, he knew. Was that why he held off getting involved? Two messed-up fools, he though wryly. What a muck pit.


Chapter 12