Keenan Hunter, a na?ve farm boy, quickly falls for his college roommate, Tucker Reynolds, a more sophisticated city slicker. For a time, Keenan's feelings for Tucker appear to be reciprocated, although neither man openly expresses any feelings they may have for the other. For reasons Keenan can't understand, Tucker starts to date Jane Williams, a fellow student. Keenan deals with the pain of rejection by finding another man to love. But time and again, this proves unsuccessful. Tucker has captured Keenan's heart and no one else can match the forever love Keenan thought he had with Tucker. When Tucker marries Jane, he asks Keenan to be his best man. Keenan reluctantly agrees and performs his duties, all the while hiding the pain of his broken heart. The experience leaves Keenan with a life-long aversion to weddings. Years pass and the two men drift apart. Keenan becomes the head veterinarian at an animal rescue center. And because of a three-legged Yorkshire terrier, Tucker comes back into Keenan's life. Circumstances have changed for Tucker. Will these changes finally allow Keenan to regain his forever love? Maybe weddings aren't so bad after all.

Keenan's Forever Love

Keenan played his role as best man well, keeping his true feelings deeply hidden. He did all the things best men were required to do. He gave the bachelor party and made sure the groom was on time to the wedding—shoes on the right feet. He carried and produced the rings at the given time and gave a moving, yet entertaining, toast to the happy couple at both the rehearsal dinner and the reception.


It was all Keenan could do to keep from breaking down while standing beside Tucker during the ceremony as Jane and Tuck exchanged vows. He clenched his teeth so tightly, fighting back tears as he repressed the resentment that it wasn’t he who was pledging to share a life with Tuck, that he gave himself a headache. He promised himself if he ever attended another wedding, it would be too soon.


Chapter 17