Everyone hopes his road to happily ever after will be carefree and smooth, but too often hair-pin turns and detours seem to get in the way. Having thought he was on the road to forever before, former Silicon Valley programmer Dan Lassiter is leery about pedaling down it again. His elderly companion Charlie urges him to get to know Rick Reardon whose bakery is across the street from Dan’s bicycle shop. Under the watchful eye of Charlie, Dan and Rick take tentative steps toward each other, all the while trying to avoid potholes such as exes, homophobes, and family problems. As summer turns to fall and then winter, they hope that the road will be smooth going from their first date and first kiss to having what Rick’s sister euphemistically calls their “sleepovers.” At each step, though, they are tripped up and wonder why there seem to be so many bumps in their road. Maybe Dan and Rick should heed some of Charlie’s sage advice, or maybe they should listen to their hearts instead of the ghosts from their pasts.

Heart of the Holidays

For one thing, the guys were standing so close if we looked at them, they were at crotch level. Not so bad if we were at a strip club or an orgy. But out to eat at a fancy restaurant?


I mean, really, where was I supposed to look? Was I supposed to be staring longingly into Rick’s eyes with my fingers sticky because of the juice from clam and shrimp shells all over them? Or was I supposed to stare out the window? Or at the fiddle player’s appealing bulge in his skin tight pants?


A glance at Rick told me he was embarrassed and nonplussed as I was. I shot him a tiny grin. His eyes lit in a wicked twinkle. Oh, shit, now I had to stop myself from laughing.


I peeked up at the guitar player on my right. He was glaring back down at me. Yup, these were real musicians and I wasn’t being very nice. I looked at each of the guys, who were staring at me.


Chapter 14