Laurie Parkinson, who’s lived in Laurel Hills all his life, is a gay sheet metal worker who’d rather be a gay hairdresser. Wheat Dupuis, who’s also gay, is the scion of one of Laurel Hill’s wealthiest families. He’d rather grow grapes than become CFO of Dupuis International. Laurie wakes one morning to discover his family gone and his town decimated by a bacteria that has lain dormant for millennia, incased in ice. With the melting of the ice caps, the bacteria is released, and mankind faces a pandemic that could surpass the Black Plague. Wheat and his family are on their way to safety when the unthinkable happens and he’s left behind. Laurie knows of a bunker in the woods outside Laurel Hill, where he intends to take refuge. On the way there, Laurie finds and rescues Wheat. Can two such dissimilar men work together through a pandemic to find their families ... and possibly find love, as well?

Pandemic

He was done for the day now, and he’d have to hustle if he didn’t want to be late. He was about to enter the work shanty to store his tools and hardhat in the gang box when Bill Cavey came up to him. “Hold on a minute, Parkinson.”


“Boss?” Oh, geez. What was he going to yell at Laurie about this time?


He handed Laurie an envelope. “Here’s your paycheck.”


“No, this is your last day. I’m sorry, but times are slow, and I’ve got orders to cut back.”


“But a lot of the guys are out sick.” Everyone seemed to be coming down with this spring cold or whatever it was. If Laurie could just hold onto his job for a few more days, just until he could get another job—


“Like I said, we just don’t have the work.”


Chapter 4