When he sees entrepreneur Mitch O'Shea whirling around an empty building, contractor Ben Behr is enchanted. Even though his two brothers are gay, Ben always thought he was a ladies' man until he met Mitch. Despite his feelings, Ben knows San Francisco native Mitch is totally out of his league. What could Ben possibly do to get out-and-proud Mitch to notice him? Turns out Mitch is just as attracted to Ben. As they compete in car rallies, camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and tour the bars Mitch owns in the city, they realize how stifled they've been their entire lives. Maybe looking over the fence and jumping it to explore what's on the other side are good ideas. When these two seemingly opposites get together, will Ben and Mitch find out they have the world at their feet and might even have love in their hearts?

Waking the Behr

There. Now he’d be more comfortable and could get up and down easier.


I was acting as pathetic as a lovelorn suitor, but I couldn’t stop myself.


When I got him back to the living room, he eyed the mattress in the corner, then the couch.


He sat without comment, and I started to lift his hurt leg onto the stack of pillows I’d piled up on the couch.


“Uh, would it be okay if I sat up? Maybe put my foot on the coffee table?”


I nodded, moved the pillows to the table, and then helped him pull his leg up on them.


He was right. It was time we talked. I had to stop being such a wuss.


Judging from the past when friends went through shithole breakups, I knew I’d live through this. I wouldn’t like it, but I’d live. Better to rip the bandage off, suffer, and then get on with healing than go through the slow poison of not knowing but suspecting the hammer was about to strike.


“You know, Ben, you’re really too good for me.”


Chapter 30