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

By the time dessert rolled around, he’d convinced himself it was better this way. Sex was a complication neither one of them needed.


Amy encouraged Pastor to stay, coaxing him into the living room to watch her shows with her. Thomas practically ordered Andre to join them, and while he felt guilty leaving all the cleaning behind, Andre obeyed. It was easier to avoid a repeat of last night, not to mention took him out of the immediate vicinity of the smell of Thomas’s body.


Nobody but Andre seemed surprised when Thomas called it an early night. His gaze kept stealing away from his companions to the empty doorway leading to the kitchen and the guest room beyond. Perhaps he was a fool to wish for some peace, but he didn’t think it was necessarily unreasonable to want some resolution between him and Thomas. Thomas had another ten days before he had to go back to Philadelphia. That time would be much more comfortable if they could interact without this tension.


Chapter 14