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

I didn’t bother to tell him it wasn’t his fault. That wasn’t why he was apologizing. I let out a small sigh. “To know that she doesn’t approve of us hurts. I never anticipated this. In all my fantasies of what would happen if you actually saw me, it never happened like this.” The admission left me raw, and I figured I might as well go the full distance. “We’re just getting started. If you want to walk away—”


“Don’t you ever say that to me again.” Noah’s voice was fierce. “If I leave you, it would never be because of my mother.”


That was weirdly comforting to hear. The air from the vents was starting to get warm, and the majority of vehicles had left the lot, so I put the car in gear and started driving to his place. I hadn’t been there since I helped him move two or so years ago now. It was the second floor of a two-family home, and I remembered at the time I thought it felt like him.


Chapter 43