Two years ago, Chris and his boyfriend left the city to settle in a small town at the US-Canada border. Eager to start a new life, Chris bought the Frontier Café, but a year later, his boyfriend dumped him, leaving Chris the only openly gay man in town. Nowadays he's resigned to a life of romantic solitude.<br><br>Hank spent the last years traveling through the country for his job as a water plant engineer. Deeply closeted, he's careful about the men he meets. Like the rivers he studies, he runs fast through the land.<br><br>In town only for a few weeks, Hank is intent on getting the job done and returning home out west to take care of his father. But Chris’s warm manner and decadent desserts are no match for Hank’s defense mechanisms. For the first time in his life, he finds himself wanting to go with the flow.

No River Wide Enough

Once more, I glanced up at the men Shirley had pointed out, and when the taller of the four looked in my direction, our eyes met for a few thrilling seconds. He was extremely handsome. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a striking face. And he’d actually seenme. To most men here, I was invisible, rarely worth a smile or a handshake.


“Oh, those guys are here for the new water plant in Forked River Creek,” Drika explained. “They’re thinking of building a new water treatment facility I hear. Those guys most be the first team on site.”


Forked River Creek was the next town over. It was a medium size city across Hawk’s bridge.


“Interesting.” Shirley stared at the foursome of men in blue jeans and casual shirts. They looked more like ranchers than water plant workers, whatever a water plant workerwas supposed to be. “That one in the blue shirt is giving me ideas. If you know what I mean.” Shirley glanced down at the cupcake in her hand and dropped it on our cluttered table.


Chapter 5