Ben Haggerty is devastated when he returns home from work to discover his lover of eight years has gone off to complete his master's degree at another college -- and left no forwarding address. Not only has Ben chosen Rick over his beloved family, but he's supported his boyfriend both financially and emotionally the entire time. Unable to remain in their shared apartment, Ben moves and spends a miserable holiday season alone. With the New Year, however, he's determined to make a fresh start, so he manages to obtain Rick's address and sends him a card asking if Rick ever plans to return. Somehow, the card winds up in the wrong mailbox.<br><br>Jason Prescott is a genius, having obtained his first master's degree at twenty-one and now working on his second. When he receives a card in error, he returns both the card and a card of his own to be courteous, expressing his hopes Ben can get in touch with his boyfriend. This begins a correspondence that leads to friendship, and ... the start of something more? Jason introduces Ben to his family and reunites him with his own.<br><br>But will Jason, who's even smarter than Rick, be satisfied with someone as ordinary as blue-collar Ben feels himself to be? Or will Rick, realizing what he's let slip through his fingers, manage to persuade Ben to take him back?

Always, Ben

“What a fantastic idea!” Jason’s enthusiasm made Ben feel ten feet tall. “I could never come up with something as clever as that.”


“When it comes to math, maybe.” Jason shrugged. “But if I have to use my hands—”


Ben leaned close and whispered in his boyfriend’s ear, “I think you use them very well.”


It made him happy his words caused Jason to shiver, and even happier when Jason turned his head in time to brush his lips over Ben’s. “We’ll talk about this later.” His eyes promised amazing things, and Ben couldn’t help blushing. He’d been surprised the first time Jason had suggested Ben top him. He’d always wanted to try it, but Rick wouldn’t agree.


And Ben had better change the subject before he threw wood. “It’s just…My dad did the same for my room when I was little. I always missed that.” He leaned in again. “You won’t tell Jen and Fred, will you?”


“That you had clouds painted on your ceiling when you were a little boy?”


Chapter 43