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

I might go to an AA meeting tonight. Maybe I need a little help with staying the course. With all the tension I’ve been dealing with, I feel the need to drink more and more.


Pushing through the crowd on the sidewalk, I search for the bright-red neon sign of Marlowe’s Tavern.


And here I am, about to walk into a bar of all places.


I peer into the dark, wet window. Through the glass, I spot Masson right away. He’s sitting at the bar, looking into a pint. Have to remember to be strong. To stand my ground.


Inside the dingy bar, I quickly pick up the scent of old beer and humidity. A few men sit at tables, but none of them even look my way. The barman is a tall, slightly bent man with a gray comb-over and a sullen face. The place is darkly lit, except for the bar, which is loaded with Christmas lights, red and gold. At least they’ve spared the patrons the usual Christmas songs, and instead the jukebox, an old antique-looking thing, is playing “Mustang Sally.”


Chapter 57