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

“I need to drive into Northfield to the grocery store. Do you want to come?” Otho looked at him over the rim of his coffee cup.


Mason tried to read the look. Was this his cue to leave? Probably. His heart began banging in his chest. He didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to be alone in his room at the resort. “I’ll come with you.” He didn’t dare look at Otho to see if it was okay. “I need some clothes, though.”


Otho’s face was set in a neutral expression. He should have said he’d go back to his room. Mason held his breath as he waited for Otho to give him another hint.


“You can borrow something…or we can go over to the resort or we can pick something up in Northfield. They don’t have many stores, but there are a few.”


Mason didn’t want to go back to the resort, what if Otho made him stay once they’d gone over there? But he had no money to buy new clothes. “Great.” He forced himself to smile.


Chapter 10