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

Brian scowled. “We hung out, remember?”


“I do. But it took some time before you showed up.”


Brian shrugged. “What’s this about, Cooper?”


“A concussion and three broken ribs. I can’t believe you beat him up, Brian!” Abe’s stomach threatened to turn. “How could you?” The tone of his voice was raw, but Abe didn’t care. He could hardly stand to look at Brian anymore.


“It was just to scare him off. I was trying to save you—”


“Save me? From what?” Shouting wouldn’t help, but Abe feared he’d hurl the phone at the wall if he didn’t unleash some of the fury boiling inside of him.


“I saw the way you were looking at each other. You couldn’t be gay then; it would’ve destroyed your career.”


“I wasgay then, it’s not something that changes! And what career?” Abe waved with his free hand. “We were teens, there was no fucking career.”


“I would gladly have given up football for him!” Abe took a shuddering breath. “How could you do that? How could you hurt someone like that?”


Chapter 17