Craig and Mitchell have been friends for years, but each of them reached a point where that camaraderie became ... more. Mitchell’s kept his feelings close to his chest. So has Craig, but now that they’ve graduated from UMKC, he knows it’s his last chance to show Mitchell they’re meant to be before their careers take them to opposite sides of the country.<br><br>He insists they can’t leave Missouri behind without one last adventure. Mitchell agrees to a road trip to visit all the touristy spots and say goodbye to their home state.<br><br>As they spend their days and nights together, buried feelings rise to the surface and hope blossoms. When their journey ends with a dance beneath the Branson stars, will they find love and a future together at the end of the road?

Gateway to Love

Mitch stood still for a moment, unsure what to do. Craig seemed to have something on his mind, and while Mitch was dealing with his own sadness about their moving away from each other, his friend needed him. He sat down on the pew directly across the aisle from Craig and waited for his best friend to speak.


Mitch could have been knocked over with a feather at that question. Not once in the years they’d known each other had they ever discussed religion that Mitch could remember. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I like to think there’s someone—or something—out there who holds the answers to all our questions, but I don’t know.”


“My dad did,” Craig told him. “He was a true believer. Knew he was going to heaven.”


Craig had rarely mentioned his dad over the years, so Mitch kept quiet, giving him the chance to talk.


Chapter 34