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

“Mom’s convinced you need stitches.” He regarded the bandage curiously. “But it looks like you’re going to live.”


Thomas sighed. “Yeah, I figured not. Well, if something comes up and we do have to take you in, I’ll cover it, okay? Consider it hazard pay for watching Mom.”


At that, he took Andre’s place at the sink, as if everything was now settled. Why wasn’t he upset? He had every right to be after the day he’d had. He’d found a stranger in the home he’d grown up in, usurping the role that should have been his. That same stranger acted like a kicked puppy at the slightest provocation, breaking dishes, freaking out over a simple helpful touch


So why was he washing dishes like nothing was wrong?


Pulling out his pad, Andre scrawled a quick message and shoved it in front of Thomas’s face.


Chapter 9