Thirty-three-year-old gay farmer Vladimir Wozniak IV lives for his crops and the hard work that makes them profitable every year. Five miles up the road, former rodeo bull rider and rancher Thomas Sullivan is just as committed to his corn-fed beef. Once best friends until VJ kissed Tommy during freshman year in college, they stopped speaking when Tommy rejected VJ. Ten years later, after the country doctor who helped bring them into the world dies and his will names them as co-owners of property, they decide to check out their inheritance together to see which one wants to buy out the other. As they travel down memory lane through the Doc’s correspondence and visit familiar sites on the land, can they work their way back to friendship ... and possibly beyond?

The Thaw

“No! Go back!” Pete yelled at him. “I’m going to plow that.”


Tommy had stopped, so I slogged through the snow to tell him what was going on. I was still surprised Pete thought Tommy and I were together. What in the world had given him that idea? What amazed me more was Pete didn’t seem bothered by it.


He was back on the plow and revving it up when I got to Tommy and gestured for him to back up so Pete could clear the area.


After he finished, Pete waved to us and moved on his way back down toward the road. The county road had been plowed both ways by something bigger than Pete’s tractor, so he’d evidently come down to Doc’s just to keep the driveway open.


Chapter 19