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

That might have been why he didn’t immediately notice when McIntyre’s driving became erratic. He’d slow down, speed up, weave from one side of the road to the other, but abruptly, instead of avoiding the bodies, he began running over them, causing the Rolls to rock and bounce.


“McIntyre, what’s going on?” Father demanded.


McIntyre snarled but didn’t bother answering. He sideswiped one of the cars that had been abandoned and overcorrected, and Mother gave a muffled cry as they were all jostled in the backseat.


Wheat unbuckled his seat belt and lunged for their driver to keep him from aiming directly for another body.


The next thing Wheat knew, he was flung back against the passenger door, striking the handle with enough force to knock himself silly. He heard Mother screaming, “Is he dead? Is he dead?”


Chapter 16