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

Watching them file through the entrance, leaving him behind with his stage at his heels, was always the hardest part.


Seb rolled his neck, grimacing against the stink of his sweat that no amount of cheap cologne could mask. He’d been lax about laundry since arriving in Brookburn, courtesy of the appeal of a certain frustrating local, but tonight, he’d rectify that, skip supper and give everything he owned a thorough wash. First appearances were key. He’d believed that even before Bertie had drilled it into his head. He couldn’t promise the world if he looked like he was as trapped in it as they were.


A quick rinse and change now would do more wonders than lunch. Decision made, he slipped under the ropes cordoning off the rest of the midway and headed for his tent.


Chapter 41