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

“You had nothing to do with this, but thank you.”


A disturbed expression passed over her face, and Laurie was going to ask what was wrong, but then he looked into Wheat’s eyes, and it just about broke his heart to see the sadness there. He reached for Wheat’s other hand.


“Everything will turn out okay.” Of course Laurie wasn’t certain of that, but if he could give Wheat some hope for a little while…


Wheat leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” He shook himself and looked around. “Does everyone want coffee?”


As it turned out, Jo had stocked up on coffee. “For Althea.” She’d blushed when Laurie had teased her about it. His sister wasn’t a coffee fiend; she preferred getting her caffeine fix from Coke or Pepsi, which was a sorry state of affairs, since even if they could find a supply of the soda, it wouldn’t be long before it went flat. “At the station, I was always running out for coffee for her.”


Chapter 64