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

“Want some?” he asks, bringing a piece of orange to my lips. “Open up.”


The taste of the fruit awakens another memory, and I have to blink the emotion away and focus on the road. Then, Alistair puts his hand over mine on the wheel. His fingers are wet with orange juice. Just like that morning.


The sound of dry pine needles and gravel under the van’s wheels makes me anxious.


Camping. I haven’t even looked at a picture of a tent in fifteen years.


I can’t go into a store if they sell camping gear. The very smell of mosquito repellent makes me sick. But I’m here. I’m here.


“Is this the one?” Alistair looks out his window. “Are you sure?”


“Yeah, number five. This is the one.” I carefully drive the minivan between two trees and turn the engine off. “You all right?”


He chews on his lip and shrugs. “So far, so good.” He opens his door and steps out.


Chapter 74