Jason has one rule when it comes to holidays -- work his shift behind the bar and then find a willing body to distract himself with. One night is long enough to satisfy his needs and still walk away with his heart intact. It has worked out fine for most of his adult life, but this Easter, he's trying something new. He's leaving the city to visit his friend Aiden, who recently moved in with his boyfriend in the middle of nowhere, but one unfortunate incident leaves Jason without a place to sleep.<br><br>Tom doesn't just not do relationships, he rarely does hook-ups, either, and never too close to home. Living on his own without attachments is easier than having the whole town knowing about him. As the holiday approaches, his lonely house grows even quieter than normal -- at least until his friend Tristan dumps an arrogant bartender in his lap.<br><br>As soon as Jason lays eyes on the gruff lumberjack whose home he'll be sharing, he knows who'll warm his bed for the weekend and help chase away any pending holiday gloom. Too bad Tom doesn't want to get with the program. As much as he wants to let Jason close, he won't risk outing himself for a weekend fling. Will Jason trust Tom not to break his heart if he stays longer than a couple of days? Will Tom value their relationship higher than the town gossip?

The Egg Hunt

“You…erm…you can go if you want.”


Tom watched him, his eyes sweeping over Jason’s face, making him want to hide. “No, I think I’ll stay. I don’t trust you not to run away.”


Jason wanted to say he wasn’t going to, but he wasn’t entirely sure it was true. Before he could come up with something to say, there was a knock on the door. His heart flipped over in his chest, and his stomach churned all over again.


In slow motion, the door opened. Jason was almost certain it wasn’t in slow motion, but in his mind, it played out like something out of a horror movie. A young man walked in. He didn’t look old enough to be a doctor, in spite of the name tag stating he was.


The doctor reached out to shake his hand but then stopped himself when he noticed Jason’s blood-soaked bandage. Shit! It had bled through again. He said something Jason didn’t hear over the buzz in his ears. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he tried to swallow down the dryness in his mouth.


Chapter 13