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

He jumped at Sara’s words. “Nothing, just…It looked so empty.”


She shook her head. “You’re insane.”


He shrugged. It was a possibility. Did insane people know if they were insane? He’d have to Google. “Did you give me chocolate?”


“Do I look like the chocolate fairy?”


Jonas grimaced jokingly. “I don’t know if I should answer that.”


Jonas’ heart did a backflip. “Abe? He was here?”


“Don’t go all school-girl on me now, Jonas.” She gave him a stern look.


“I wasn’t, I’m not.” He wasn’t, but that was so sweet.


“Okay, maybe you were right. He might not be a complete ass.”


With a mock gasp, Jonas touched his fingers to his lips. “You like him.”


“Not a complete ass…” Jonas shook his head. “That’s frighteningly close to approval.”


“It’s not. I’m just saying, maybe I jumped to the wrong conclusions. He does seem to care for you.”


Chapter 15