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

Noah leaned forward and kissed me quickly. “Be right back.” He disappeared through the door.


I sat hard on the closed toilet lid, happy enough to hide in the bathroom. To have Sam’s blessing made my heart so much lighter. If he thought I was good for Noah, if he approved of our relationship, could I dare to hope Angela’s mind would change? I understood what Sam had been saying, that Angela had had a gut reaction and she hadn’t thought things through.


It was too much to process. I knew how stubborn that woman could be. I’d relied on it on several occasions while I’d been growing up. For now, I would do my best not to forget Sam’s words without letting hope take root. Hope could be dangerous in this kind of situation. I wanted Angela to approve of us, but I loved Noah completely, and if I had to endure cold cordialness from his mother for the rest of our lives, I would.


Chapter 48