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

He sighed. “Sounds like a plan.” Then his face turned serious and he dropped my hand. “I’ve got to ask for my house key back. We need to have a talk after the first of the year.”


“No! Dan! Wait! It’s not what you think!”


“My Christmas present to Patty was my house. She and the kids need it more than I do. Plus her shithead ex is dragging her through the wringer on the divorce settlement. He’s arguing about every picture on the walls and every tool in the shed. We suspect he’s being egged on by our parents, who want her and the kids to move into their place and watch it while they ride around the country. They haven’t been able to keep a professional house sitter for more than a few days because of the demands they’ve been making.”


“So why didn’t you tell me all this?” My heart had calmed down. I wasn’t angry, just curious.


Chapter 30