Fourteen years ago, on the banks of Craving’s Creek, Ryde swore to his best friend Alistair he’d never be alone in the world. Though Alistair was destined for the priesthood, there was something beyond holy about the first kiss they shared. But a fun camping trip went horribly wrong when Alistair was involved in a horrific incident. Now, at age thirty-one, Ryde’s life is a mess of alcohol and the painful imprint of his last look into Alistair’s desperate eyes. Since the evil they encountered on that shore, his first love has been lost to him ... until he learns a friend’s wedding is to be officiated by a priest named Father Alistair Genet. Amid the rush of emotions, one thought crystallizes: Ryde’s love for Alistair has never died. It’s stronger than ever. But can it win over the repressed memories slowly tearing Alistair’s mind apart?

Craving's Creek

We lie on our backs and Alistair rests his head on my shoulder. I curl a strand of his white-blond hair around my finger and close my eyes, but my enormous pride keeps me from saying those three words back to him.


After a moment, he looks up at me. “What do you think your dad is making for supper?”


My heart leaps. “I love you too,” I blurt out, almost like a battle cry.


His eyes widen and he settles himself against me again.


“But you knew that already,” I say.


“Yes.” He giggles against my shoulder.


Soon, we’re both drifting off to sleep.


I open my eyes. Alistair looks panicked.


“What?” I rub my eyes. “What is it?” I follow his insistent stare to the woods.


A guy is standing there, ten, maybe fifteen feet away from us. He’s standing in the bushes. He’s very big, has a beard, and is wearing a baseball cap. He stands there like a tree.


Chapter 29