For Otho Newcomer, the small village of Snowmelt is a haven from his old life. If he isn’t exactly a changed man, he at least hopes to keep his distance from all those easy romances, and the inevitable heartache and disappointment that always follow. Mason Dager is an idiot. His ex has cleared out his bank account, sold his car, and got him thrown out of his apartment. And he has no one to blame but himself. But what better way to celebrate a new chapter in his life -- one that includes homelessness and the humiliation of telling his family they were right all along -- than to spend Christmas at a swanky winter resort like River Cove? It’s already paid for, after all. When a very drunk Mason makes yet another dumb decision, Otho comes to the rescue, throwing the men together during the most magical time of the year. What should be the wrong choice for both of them might be exactly what they need. They’ll just have to survive a nosy best friend, an asshole of an ex, and the scars of their pasts if they hope to find something together.

Turning Wood

“It’s not.” Otho grabbed three plates out of the cupboard and put them on the small kitchen island. “It’s Christmas, there should be a lot of food…and I enjoy cooking, okay? It’s not a crime, is it?”


The scents had Mason’s mouth watering. “You can cook for me any day.” He blushed as soon as the words were out of his mouth.


“Don’t say that!” Joslyn slapped his arm. “Now he’ll feed you to death.”


“There are worse ways to go.” Mason shivered, remembering the cold water, the sound of the ice breaking.


Otho grinned and handed Mason a platter of smoked salmon canapés. “Dig in.”


The next day, Mason woke to the sound of Otho humming along with the Christmas carols on the radio in the kitchen. He’d fallen asleep on the sofa after dinner and hadn’t stirred once during the night, not that he could remember at least.


He bit back a groan as he sat. His muscles were aching and, despite Otho having lit a fire, he was freezing.


Chapter 9