Personal chef Beau St. Clair, recently divorced from his cheating husband, returns to the small Ohio River town where he grew up to lick his wounds. Jack Rogers lives with his mother, Maisie, in that same small town, angry at and frightened by the world. Jack has a gap in his memory that hides something he dares not face, and he’s probably suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Maisie, seeking relief from her housebound and often surly son, hires Beau to cook for Jack, hoping the change might help bring Jack, once a handsome and vibrant attorney, back to his former self. But can a new face and comfort food compensate for the terror lurking in Jack’s past? Slowly the two men begin a dance of revelation and healing. Food and compassion build a bridge between Beau and Jack, a bridge that might lead to love. But will Jack’s demons allow it? His history could just as easily tear them apart as bring them together.

Dinner at Jack's

What are my options?I wondered, trudging doggedly through the rain, which was coming down harder now, the skies darkening even more to match my mood. I counted options off as Ruth and I neared the park and lakefront.


One, you could just leave him.At first blush, that option seemed impossible, if only for practical reasons. Ross and I had been together for more than half a dozen years, living together for more than four, and legally married for the last three. Gone were the days when two gay men could just say good-bye and head off in separate directions. Now I would have to contemplate actually getting a divorce—something I hadn’t thought about when they made same-sex marriage legal. I was too busy celebrating our equality. I would have to think about where I would go. Ross was the big breadwinner at our house. He was an anesthesiologist on staff at Swedish Medical Center. He made ten times what I did as a personal chef to a vegan gay couple on Mercer Island.


Chapter 4