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

The only question was—how do I make peace with the nowand not long for what was and for what might have been? And was I wrong to hope for a future that might include a reunion with a Jack who might no longer exist?


I suppose everyone asked questions like these at one time or another. It was the human condition, pretty much, in a nutshell. But the sad truth is—all we have is now.


I let out a shaky breath that I supposed I could label a laugh. I headed toward Jack’s room to see if he was finished. I didn’t knock this time but simply opened the door slowly, so he’d have a chance to object if he wanted or needed to.


Chapter 58