Abe Cooper is starting over. For fifteen years he's lived the life that was expected of him, but not anymore. He's packed up his things, bought himself a cabin in Northfield, and managed to secure a job at the local high school teaching gym and coaching the football team. But his new beginning didn't include running into Crazy Joe on his first trip to the grocery store.<br><br>Jonas Raghnall has everything he needs -- good friends and a job he loves. He's worked hard to get over what happened sixteen years ago, but one run-in with his past and all the memories come flooding back. Seeing Abe Cooper, The Abe Cooper, sets everything out of balance.<br><br>Abe had pictured a fresh start with no ties to his past, but now that Jonas is there, he wants nothing more than to be close to the man who had butterflies filling his belly when he was in high school. Jonas doesn't want to come face to face with his past, but if he sees Abe every day, it's not really meeting up with your past, is it? It's more like a date with your future.

Crazy Joe

“So it happened in an alley?” Abe’s voice was low and controlled, but Jonas could sense the fury buried in the words.


“Behind the burger place.” Jonas ran his hand up Abe’s back, feeling him relax against him.


“Who did the beating, yes. The others stood at the mouth of the alley, keeping guard. I don’t think they knew what would happen, and I remember someone shouting at Brian. I think William Owens was the one putting a stop to it, but I’m not sure.”


Abe was quiet for a long time. “William moved away shortly after we graduated.”


“He always was less of a bastard than the rest of you.” Jonas chuckled, though he didn’t think it was very funny. Abe silenced the chuckle by pressing his lips to Jonas’.


Jonas clung to Abe’s shoulders, looking into those greenish-blue eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”


The grimace told him Abe thought otherwise, but there was nothing that could be done about it now.


Chapter 16