Even the nicest of guys can decide to cut loose at some point, especially if he's at college and a frat brother invites him to a party. Unfortunately, that can end quite badly. Luckily for Dante ap Owen, it doesn't -- until he keeps needing to piss every few minutes and he sees blood in his urine. Another stroke of luck for him is the substitute professor, also a medical doctor he’s been crushing on, who happens to be there when he passes out in class and pushes him to come to his clinic.<br><br>But Dante and his beloved, critically ill mother are under the control of his bitter uncle, who also provides health insurance. If his uncle finds out Dante is being treated for anything, let alone what Dante fears is an STD, he's ... Dante doesn't want to think about that. So he flees the clinic before he has to make a follow-up appointment.<br><br>The good doctor shows up at his uncle's farm when phone calls do nothing. And when Dante's uncle invites the doctor to dinner and serves a meal worthy of Medea, the doctor urges Dante and his mother to leave. But will they? And will Dante realize the doctor wants him as much as he wants the doctor?

So Let Us Rejoice

“And I assume Katherine knows something about Elvira she’s willing to tell the woman?”


“I wouldn’t doubt it in the least.”


“You can’t—I don’t—it’s not—” If Elvira was trying to maintain her composure, she wasn’t having much success. “Those are nothing but lies and insinuations.”


Mum folded her hands at her waist. She appeared to be the epitome of placidness, but I recognized the expression in her eyes—Da had told me about how she’d had to look after herself before she’d met him, and she wasn’t anyone to take lightly, in spite of how subdued she was on this farm and around her brother. Sure enough…“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Mum said, her voice clipped and sounding slightly British. “But gossip has a nasty way of not caring as to the veracity of the rumors it spreads. As I’m sure you of all people know.”


“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Elvira’s face was a pasty white now, making the palm print stand out even more.


Chapter 32