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

Tomorrow, he’d go by the grooming shop and try to talk to Justin. Yes, he really did need help, a whole lot of help to finally start living life for himself. He hoped the other man had not been too hurt, too angered by Barry’s sudden withdrawal.


The timing had been terrible with his mother’s health crisis happening so soon after they finally came together, planting the seeds to grow this bond they both craved. He’d give anything to salvage them as partners if he could. He’d have to break that situation to Mom very slowly, gently, if ever. In time perhaps he could. He prayed he’d have that need. 7


Chapter 17