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

“What happened? Did you find her when you got home?”


Barry exhaled sharply. “No, I left your place right after you did. She started in on me as soon as I stepped into the door. She was really chewing my ass, and then she just collapsed.” His shoulders dropped, his whole posture slumped. “It’s my fault. I’ve always been a disappointment to her. Maybe I never really tried. At least not enough. I just got so tired of her complaints and her put-downs and values I just could not share.”


Justin put a hand on Barry’s shoulder. “No, we’re all in charge of our own lives, our own destiny. You have a right to be the person you are, and from what I can see, that guy is no one to be ashamed of. I doubt frustration or even worry had much to do with your mother’s stroke. Blaming anger or other strong emotion is just an old myth.”


Chapter 15