Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is furious to discover someone -- probably a relative -- is embezzling from Behr Construction, a family-run business in the Sierra Nevada foothills outside Lake Tahoe. To confirm his suspicions, Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring a non-family accountant, handsome Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. As they talk to Behr relatives and visit construction sites, Abe and Jeff are drawn to each other, bringing out new, softer emotions in workaholic Abe. Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the construction business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they come face to face with homophobia in the small foothills community where generations of Behrs have called home. Abe had always thought Stone Acres was a live-and-let-live kind of town. As he and Jeff get closer, he finds out how wrong he is when he comes out to both family and a community who think he’s making a big mistake. Will being the head of a large, powerful family and a pillar of the community be enough to win Abe his happily ever after with Jeff?

Behr Facts

“Secondly,” I said to Gary as Jeff opened his mouth to speak, “if you want me to seriously think about rehiring you, it’s eight hours, five days a week. Very little overtime. No cost of living increases for a while since we’re so far above the valley average wage. We’ve got a big pool of applicants to choose from, and we’ll give no preference to family anymore.”


“I’ve brought Jeff on as company accountant, maybe turn him into CFO if Ben and I decide to go the fancy title route.” Jeff brightened and smiled with a nod. I didn’t return his smile, but frowned.


He was a good accountant and had e-mailed me ideas about ways we could streamline the company and make it more efficient while saving money. I was hurt, but I wasn’t stupid. I also wasn’t one to hold a grudge. I took people at face value. Gary said he wanted to change. Easy enough to see if he would. I could give him a trial period like lots of companies did with new hires.


Chapter 31