Thomas Durling escaped his small-town upbringing for over ten years, until a single phone call drew him back. Told his mother has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, he returns to the small northern Michigan town he once called home to find a mute stranger taking care of her in his stead.<br><br>On the surface, Andre seems harmless enough, but Thomas has enough problems trying to deal with his mother’s illness. He doesn’t need a gorgeous young man to distract him, especially in a town that drove him away once already with its homophobia.<br><br>But Andre has nowhere else to go. A wolf without a pack, he’s been on the run since witnessing his father’s murder, always looking over his shoulder, never looking ahead. Taking care of Thomas’s mother has given him a welcome sanctuary, as well as a place he can call home for a couple months. He wants to stay, but more importantly, he wants to help, even if Thomas isn’t ready to accept that they could actually be friends ...

Moon-Touched

The reminder distracted her from her argument. She bounded up from the table and made a dash for the living room.


“Raymond?” Thomas asked with a frown.


Everybody Loves Raymond. She watches it every night at this time.


“Ah.” He reached for one of the cookies, but rather than eat it, turned it over and over in his hand. “Have you dealt with Alzheimer’s before? You don’t seem fazed by this at all.”


Andre shrugged.No Alzheimer’s. Guess I’m just patient.


He shook his head.You’re doing great.


Thomas didn’t seem to know what to do with the show of support, and, honestly, Andre wasn’t sure why he’d felt the need to bolster the other man’s confidence. He had more than enough to spare, if the way he exuded it was any indication. But this was still Thomas’s mother, and Andre understood it was never easy when the child became the parent.


Chapter 8