In 1934, life in Brookburn, Indiana, is quiet, simple, and peaceful, but young dreamer Levi Beckerman yearns for more. When the carnival shows up for the Fourth of July, he’s entranced by its many temptations. None is more seductive than the charismatic barker, Sebastian Gustineau.<br><br>Seb’s been a part of the carnival for almost a decade. Once, it provided him the escape he needed from a life he thought he didn’t want, but now, he craves things it can never offer. Flitting from dusty town to dusty town, he loses himself in pretty dalliances. Levi seems like the perfect distraction, until a single conversation convinces him that preserving Levi’s innocence and way of life is more important than his momentary satisfaction.<br><br>However, his plan to discourage Levi goes horribly wrong. When Levi’s family is threatened, Levi fights to protect them, doing what he can to hide the secrets he’s sheltered his entire life. The only person he trusts is Seb. He just isn’t sure if the growing bond between them is enough to save them all.

A Simple Charm

But as fond as Seb sounded of her, Levi couldn’t be jealous. This was a different time, a different Seb, part of a past Levi couldn’t ever know. And when he fell silent after explaining how they’d packed up the next day, Levi only had one more question.


Seb exhaled, a soft, drawn-out sigh. “No. I might’ve, if we’d had more than one night together. But that was the first time I ever considered staying the next morning. Walking away was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”


“I don’t understand how it can be your favorite place if thinking about it makes you sad.”


The tight embrace returned, and Seb kissed the crook of Levi’s neck. “Because what was in Walton showed me I didn’t need the carnival to find peace.”


The flame finally ran out of wick and sputtered to a quiet death. Abruptly, Levi twisted in Seb’s arms, forcing him to shift back to accommodate their new position. “If I asked you to stay—”


Chapter 29