Recent graduate Dr. Fenton Miller takes December off to decide which job offer to accept. Then he meets his landlord, sous chef John Barton. Suddenly, thinking about his career becomes his last priority. A better option might be a month-long roll between the sheets with John. While John is attracted to Fen and might even agree to his plan, John has got more pressing matters to worry about. His past has arrived in tiny Stone Acres from San Francisco and is intent on sucking him back into a life he hated. Promising to help John and shelter him if necessary, Fen finds he's also being threatened by a homophobic father who doesn't find Fen as entertaining as his kids do. As they wade through their problems during the happiest time of the year, Fen and John rely more and more on each other for happiness.

Short Order

“So many strikes against me. I couldn’t play football, his favorite sport. I didn’t live up to his family’s legacy of tall, dark, and handsome men. Then the coup de grace. I told him I was gay, and he kicked me out. Fuck. You would’ve thought I’d told him I was a notorious mass murderer,” he said.


I pulled him closer. I knew I couldn’t hug away his anger and disappointment, but I could show support and recognition of his pain. My dad had been the same. After he and my mom divorced, he’d remarried and got the huge, overgrown son of his dreams in his new family, even if he hadn’t sired the kid himself.


At one time I’d missed my dad like crazy. But not for at least a decade. He didn’t appreciate me, and I felt the same about him. Fortunately, I’d had a supermom who made up for him.


“What about your mother?” I asked quietly as Ricky gave us a tired wave. We watched him put on his coat and hat to go downstairs.


Chapter 16