When State Trooper Travis Kinslow is injured right before Thanksgiving, the only positive is that for once he won't be working during the holidays. Since he has no family, Travis was absorbed into his best friend Joe's, and he considers them as good as his own. Everyone except Joe's brother Noah. Travis has been in love with the younger man for much of his life, but he's always kept his distance.<br><br>As an ER nurse, Noah is a caretaker by nature. When his brother's best friend is hurt, he's happy to help Travis while he heals. He's only ever allowed himself to think of Travis as the next best thing to an older brother, but by the light of the Christmas tree, Noah finally sees Travis's true feelings. And in that moment, everything changes.<br><br>When faced with opposition and a Christmas nothing like they imagined, will their hopes for the future be enough to carry them through?

His Needs

We rode home in silence, save for the Christmas carols softly playing on the radio, and that combined with the heady scent of pine helped me to relax again. By the time we made it back to my apartment, I was feeling much more forgiving about having a tree in the back of my Tahoe.


“I’ll take her to get detailed,” Noah offered softly, pulling into the parking lot next to my building and finding a space close to the door.


“Nah, it’s fine,” I assured him. I opened the door and got out, then met him at the back of the truck. “Let’s get this inside and set up, okay?”


“Yeah,” he said, his face blooming with a grin. “Let’s.”


Chapter 19