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

To my right is a narrow wooden staircase leading up to where I suspect the bedrooms are, and to my left is the living room. There’s too much furniture in there, and the walls are loaded with shelves overfilled with books. A corner lamp casts a soft glow around the room, and I catch the scent of ginger coming from the kitchen. In front of me is a long hall, and at the end of it stands a broad-hipped woman with a mass of gray hair on her head.


She wipes her hands on her apron, eyeballing me.


Father Masson turns to her. “Good gracious, Frau Eberhart, you’re frightening the lad.” He leans in closer to my ear. “She’s a tough matron, but her cooking makes up for it.”


“Hello,” I call out to her. But she only frowns disapprovingly and returns to where she came from. Suddenly, I’m reminded of Matilda, Alistair’s mother. What happened to her?


Chapter 40