Loving Ruben Pacheco is easy. He's sweet, he's supportive, he keeps the bills paid and plenty of food on the table. Loving living with Ruben's parents presents more of a challenge. They're critical, overbearing, and openly rooting for Gabe to go home so Ruben might crawl back into the closet.<br><br>Gabe’s in love, but he’s getting annoyed -- Ruben's great and all, but is he worth all the hassle?<br><br>Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, <i>Love Is Proud</i>.

Five stories. Eleven men. The countless joys of coming together at Christmas. Whether they&#x2019;re spending treasured time with friends, showing up for forced family fun, or making good their escape from the shopping throngs, the men in these stories are all about to make the same discovery: love makes a terrific present.<br /><br />Contains the stories:<br /><br /><strong>The Gift of the Gay Guy</strong>: &#x2018;Tis the night before Christmas when Derrick Halvorson catches Lee, a hot one night stand, emptying his wallet. When he resurfaces in the morning, Derrick resolves to stay mad, even as he turns up at his mom&#x2019;s for Christmas with Lee in tow. When his cop brother recognizes Lee, Derrick fears the worst. Obviously Lee is a career criminal, but what if the next thing he steals is Derrick&#x2019;s heart?<br /><br /><strong>Isle Be Home for Christmas</strong>: When Justin jets off to the tropics for the winter, a fling with a middle-aged American gym jock isn&#x2019;t exactly on his itinerary. But when Cole comes to town on a cruise, it turns out there are worse ways to dance the night away. Good-bye doesn&#x2019;t come easy, and when the ship&#x2019;s still in port the next morning, Justin hurries down to the dock. Has he been naughty enough to deserve Cole for Christmas?<br /><br /><strong>It's Not Yule, It's Me</strong>: Shannon hates Christmas. Mostly because Christmas hates him. Which is why he&#x2019;s a whimpering mess when he meets Ben one Christmas morning. But Ben&#x2019;s such a bright spot that after a while Shannon wonders if maybe his Christmas Curse hasn&#x2019;t been lifted. And what better place to test this theory than at Ben&#x2019;s family festivities? It&#x2019;s not like Christmas is actually cursed. Is it?<br /><br /><strong>Santa's Secret</strong>: In a flash of drunken inspiration, Samir pens his very first letter to Santa Claus. In it, he asks to find his cutie-pie crush, Kerry, under his tree on Christmas morning. It&#x2019;s a wish that verges on coming true, even, until Kerry breaks their Christmas Eve date for the worst reason Samir has ever been called upon to pretend to believe. But Santa works in mysterious ways ...<br /><br /><strong>O Come, Let Us Adore Him</strong>: When Richard&#x2019;s invited to join Colin for Christmas in Cancun, he bolts for the airport -- Colin has finally chosen him over Joaquin! But life with Colin is full of surprises. He&#x2019;s invited Joaquin to Cancun, too, hoping to spice up his holiday by being fought over. When Richard and Joaquin hit it off, Colin must recalibrate his approach. Unless bringing everyone together was his plan all along.

When Drew Schilling wakes up with a world-class hangover, he isn’t especially proud of himself. He’s almost forty-five years old -- really, by now he should know better. He <i>certainly</i> knows better than to bring home a hook-up like Esau Wallenberg. His friendly face, his super-hero physique ... charming qualities that appeal to Drew, naturally, but in a guy old enough to rent a car. This kid’s barely eighteen. Once they’re out of bed, Drew just wants to send Esau home and forget the whole mortifying incident.<br><br>But Esau thinks he’s in love. He’s even talking marriage, but what the heck do we know when we’re eighteen? The kid’s got his whole life ahead of him. And Drew still has some life left ahead of him, too, thank you very much.<br><br>He just needs to figure out a way to undo a huge mistake so he doesn’t have to live it without Esau.

Shannon hates Christmas. Mostly because Christmas hates him. It sure seems like it, anyway: every crummy thing that’s happened to him since high school has befallen him at the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Every humiliating break-up, every high-rise hotel fire -- heck, a few years back, one guy he had the hots for up and died.<br><br>Which goes a long way toward explaining why he’s a whimpering mess when he meets Ben the barista one Christmas morning at his neighborhood coffee house. It doesn’t completely excuse his using Ben’s T-shirt as a handkerchief -- while Ben’s still in it -- but Ben’s nothing if not a good sport.<br><br>Ben’s such a bright spot that after a while Shannon wonders if maybe his Christmas Curse hasn’t been lifted. And what better place to test this theory than at Ben’s family festivities? It’s not like Christmas is <i>actually</i> cursed. Is it?

If Chad is reticent to drop in on Dr. Fortescue's big annual holiday bash without a date, imagine his horror when he arrives to discover the party revolves around a city-wide scavenger hunt with a two-to-a-team policy stricter than Noah’s. Worse, his efforts to pair up with his hunky doctor crush are thwarted, and he winds up being assigned the doofus with an elbow in the punch bowl as a partner. It turns out scavenger hunts are hard -- were they really supposed to dognap the doctor's neighbor's dachshund and carry it around the mall all night? But running around with Jarek is easy. And kinda fun. Even with help from an unsuspecting celebrity and Santa’s sexiest elf, it’s starting to look like a participation trophy might be the best they can hope for prize-wise, but Chad starts to wonder if losing alongside Jarek might not be its own kind of win.

"Samir is a lot closer to forty than he is to fourteen. For all the good it does him -- when he’s around cutie-pie Kerry, a waiter at his favorite happy hour hotspot, he feels more like a tween girl backstage with a boyband than any kind of upstanding professional. Especially when he’s drunkenly inspired to write a letter to Santa Claus, in which he asks to find Kerry under his tree on Christmas morning. A wish that verges on coming true, even, until Kerry breaks their Christmas Eve date for the worst reason Samir has ever been called upon to pretend to believe. But Santa works in mysterious ways ..."

"Hubert knows he brings shame on himself and on the Lord by being a queer -- his grandad and the pastor of his evangelical church tell him as much all the time. So when he dies in a freak accident, he's as delighted as he is surprised to waltz right through the Pearly Gates, no questions asked. He even gets a beautiful angel named Bartholomew as his very own guide to the Afterlife. But when the angel makes brazen overtures, Hubert realizes his soul may have taken a wrong turn. Hubert beseeches Bartholomew to keep his hands to himself and help him find his rightful place in the Heaven he's always heard about. As they set out to explore his options, Bartholomew hopes Hubert will learn a thing or two along the way about the deeply personal definitions of Paradise."

"Flight attendant Tanner Bradac and his occasional make-out buddy Clark Arnold find themselves on a layover in San Francisco on the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage. Tanner is as happy about the ruling as any of his Facebook friends rainbowing up their profile pictures, but it doesn’t affect him personally -- he doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Color him surprised, then, when he and Clark get caught up in the celebratory spirit of the day and return home as lawfully wedded husbands. The wedding may have been a last-minute light-hearted lark, but Tanner and Clark are willing to give marriage a go. Tanner loves Clark -- at least, he really wants to love Clark -- and he figures the rest should just fall into place. How hard can being married to a guy you barely know really be?"

"Grover “Shep” Shepherd is the only thing Felix Medrano loves more than being the current darling of Hollywood. He throws a star-studded surprise engagement party to declare their love to the world, and it’s a smash, save for one detail: Shep is a no-show. Felix knows Shep missed his flight home from New Orleans, but that was hours ago. What’s the hold up? Shep’s still at the airport is what, watching flight after flight wing westward without him. Each time he sends Felix a progress report via text message, Felix replies with a romantic photo from their past, and Shep spends much of his airport odyssey Remembering When. It’s easy to see how these two fell in love, but can Shep possibly make it home in time to celebrate with Felix and their friends?"

"‘Tis the night before Christmas when Derrick Halvorson’s flight to Minneapolis is diverted to a tiny municipal airport out in the sticks. Grounded by a blizzard, he lucks into the last hotel room in town, which he offers to share with Lee, a tall, tempting twink from his flight with nowhere else to go. The sex is awesome, but when Derrick catches Lee stealing what little cash he has in his wallet, he tosses the guy out. When Lee resurfaces in the morning, Derrick resolves to stay mad, so no one is more surprised than he is when he turns up at the Halvorson Family Christmas with Lee in tow. When his cop brother recognizes Lee, Derrick fears the worst. Is Lee actually a career criminal? Or was taking the money a desperate one-off? Lee can always pay back the sixty dollars, but will the punishment fit the crime if he steals Derrick's heart?"

"Hansel is an aspiring photographer with a greater passion for the half-naked models he works with than for his art. Gretel is a Drag Superstar -- or will be, she’s convinced, the moment she’s discovered by ... anybody. One night, out in the tony gay-borhood The Woods, they stumble upon The Sugar Shack, a second-story nightclub they’re both delighted to discover, Gretel for the nightly drag shows of which she’d thrill to be a part, Hansel for the vast free buffet. They meet the club's owner, local drag legend Sugar Rush, who offers Gretel a spot on stage vacated by a last-minute no-show. When she wows the crowd, Sugar offers Gretel a trial spot on the Sugar Shack’s lineup, and invites Hansel to drop in anytime, and to bring his appetite with him. Gretel is a smash, and jumps at the eventual offer of a permanent gig. Hansel’s a hit, too, at Sugar’s private table upstairs in The Cage, where he lets Sugar flirt with him while he eats everything he can reach. He enjoys the attention almost as much as the free food, but he’s about as gay as they get, and can’t see himself falling for a dude who looks and smells like a chick, even if she is gorgeous. She’s also an inveterate chubby chaser, Gretel points out to him one day, and her apparent mission to fatten Hansel up seems to be proceeding apace. Spending time with Sugar, Hansel's horizons expand along with his hips, but will he ever see her as more than just his “Sugar Daddy?”"

"When Drew Schilling wakes up with a world-class hangover, he isn’t especially proud of himself. He’s almost forty-five years old -- really, by now he should know better. He certainly knows better than to bring home a hook-up like Esau Wallenberg. His friendly face, his super-hero physique ... charming qualities that appeal to Drew, naturally, but in a guy old enough to rent a car. This kid’s barely eighteen. Once they’re out of bed, Drew just wants to send Esau home and forget the whole mortifying incident. But Esau thinks he’s in love. He’s even talking marriage, but what the heck do we know when we’re eighteen? The kid’s got his whole life ahead of him. And Drew still has some life left ahead of him, too, thank you very much. He just needs to figure out a way to undo a huge mistake so he doesn’t have to live it without Esau."

"Jesse Cisneros and his best buddy Tanner fly for Mile High Airlines, which is every bit as classy as it sounds. When Dr. Willis rings his call light on a flight from New York to Denver, Jesse is so taken with the good doctor’s looks and charm, he forgets all about the inflight medical crisis that prompted him to call for a flight attendant in the first place. Willis is handsome. Willis is helpful. And wouldn’t you know it? Willis is someone else’s husband. Jesse can hardly believe his luck when their paths cross again on the patio of a popular gay bar. It’s been nine months, and Willis has been busy: now he’s single, he’s out, and he’s very interested in getting to know Jesse better. It all seems too good to be true! And you know what they say about that ..."

"When button-down biracial lawmaker Cassidy Uematsu meets hardscrabble fry cook Buford “Jax” Jackson, it’s lust at first sight. They’re only too happy to jump into the sack, and when Jax loses his condom mid-getting-to-know-you, Cassidy urges him forward, damn the consequences. What’s the worst that can happen? After a couple weeks of morning sickness and a few months gaining weight, Cassidy learns an unfathomable secret about the men in his family that he’s pretty sure he was happier not knowing. Jax is a fan of Cassidy’s rapidly rounding belly, and of the sexy “Dude Mama” roleplay it inspires. But the night he feels a kick inside Cassidy’s growing belly, Jax hightails it, certain at least one of them has lost his damn mind. A pregnant dude? That’s impossible. As the ninth month since the condom mishap approaches, Cassidy sure hopes he’s right."

"Fox McHardy leads a charmed life. Puget Sound penthouse, gorgeous boyfriend, jet-setting job -- everything he’s ever wanted, he’s gotten, including the heck out of the small Iowa town he grew up in. Even the trip he takes to Miami to surprise his boyfriend Jeremy is something of a long-shot wish fulfilled. Until he arrives in South Florida. Once things start to unravel, they do so with alarming speed, and he finds himself riding shotgun in a rented convertible with his new sworn enemy faster than he can say, “I want my old life back.” During an unscheduled stop on the cross-country road trip From Hell, Fox passes up a perfectly good opportunity to keep his mouth shut and finds himself planning the town’s first legal gay wedding -- his own, to a man he’s pretty sure he should hate. But someone needs to set a positive example for the queer and questioning youth in this corner of Middle America and, after creatively arranging certain of the facts of his life more attractively, he is proud to offer himself up as a role model. Small Town, USA, steps up; the grooms are widely celebrated, and generous offers of food, flowers, and picture-perfect venues pour in. The only real challenge will be keeping the lies straight and the truth under wraps until they can get out of town."

"Henry Kavalauskas spends most of his time at YVR, Vancouver’s international airport. He works there, he hangs out there -- he knows the world is bigger than his fast-food job and his parents' living room, and he wishes he could find a guy to take him out into it. Someone to shepherd him through its teeming cities and sleep beside him in its fine hotels. Someone like Zack Hoffman, to be quite specific, although Henry's first encounter with the short, sexy business traveler seems destined to be his last, seeing as how it takes place in an airport men's room. But Zack's long-haul flight is canceled, and when their paths cross again quite by chance -- and Zack produces the key to a hotel room -- Henry seizes the moment. The room's gorgeous, Naked Zack is gorgeous, and being with him is a dream come true for Henry. Until reality barges in, chases Henry half-naked back into the airport, and raises some questions about Zack. Is he who he says he is? And, more importantly, will Henry ever see him again?"

"Santa Fe attorney Danny Hanrahan loves life in his adopted hometown. He’s got good friends, a great job, and a gorgeous home. The only thing he’s missing is someone with whom to share it all, but when his trusty assistant Monica sets him up with her sexy son Ashok, Danny quickly considers the “boyfriend” box checked, too. Ashok is fit, charming, and dynamite in the sack; falling in love with him is a piece of cake. Embracing Ashok’s alter ego, celebrated drag diva Raima Reason, proves to be more of a challenge. Danny divorced his wife for a reason, and it wasn't so he could go out and find someone who takes even longer than she did to put on makeup. When Raima's career looks set to take off, Danny has to decide if he's along for the ride, or if a boyfriend who's sometimes a girl is more than he can handle."

"Suhaib isn't a big believer in barriers. Whether he's skinny-dipping on the clock at his hotel job or spilling uncensored details of his life story just to make conversation, he is who he is and he doesn't care who knows it. Elijah plays his hand a little closer to the vest, and Suhaib can't get his head around Elijah's reckless plan to drive through the worst blizzard to hit Oklahoma since statehood just to meet his sister's new baby. When the storm that brought them together picks up and keeps them together, key elements of Elijah's life story are forced to the fore, and Suhaib learns a good man is more than the sum of his parts ... and there are more roads to uncle-hood than he ever considered."

"When Bridger Bradford chases the wrong guy to South Korea, he falls in love ... with his fantasies about Kai, a model whose handsome mug is splashed across every subway station and bus shelter in the country. Kai has a big career and big money, but what he really wants is a shot at big, blond Bridger, who can't believe his luck when the man of his dreams seemingly walks out of the stack of souvenir magazines and right up to him in his favorite San Francisco bar."

"When seventeen-year-old Mark Potts fell from a balcony, he lost both the use of his legs and any faith in heroes. Now twenty-nine, he’s long-since come to terms with his injury. His job provides more opportunities for eye-rolling than for riding to anybody’s rescue, but with two kids to bring up, he barely has time for his husband, much less for heroics. Besides, Starr Bradford is a policeman -- how many heroes does one family need? Mark and Starr love each other madly, but stress management is a load-bearing pillar of their happiness. When Mark’s coping skills fail him at exactly the wrong moment, he’s left hanging by a thread of words he should’ve kept in his mouth. He has the power to repair their relationship, but when Starr’s workday suddenly goes south, will he get to wield it? Keeping it together long enough to find out is a job worthy of any superhero!"

"Loving Ruben Pacheco is easy. He's sweet, he's supportive, he keeps the bills paid and plenty of food on the table. Loving living with Ruben's parents presents more of a challenge. They're critical, overbearing, and openly rooting for Gabe to go home so Ruben might crawl back into the closet. Gabe’s in love, but he’s getting annoyed -- Ruben's great and all, but is he worth all the hassle? Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud."

"When Richard is invited to join Colin for Christmas in Cancun, he’s on the next flight out of Winnipeg faster than you can say Feliz Navidad . He’ll take sun and sand over shoveling snow any day, but more importantly, he believes the invitation as an obvious sign Colin has at last chosen him over his rival Joaquin. Now they can get on with the business of being a couple. But life with Colin is full of surprises. Not only has he also invited Joaquin to Cancun, but he’s hatched a Bachelorette -inspired plan to pit “Dickie” and “Quinoa” against each other in a fight for the Ultimate Prize -- which, naturally, is Colin himself. When his cockamamie scheme turns Richard and Joaquin into allies instead of enemies, Colin may have to recalibrate his approach. Unless bringing everyone together has been his plan all along ..."

"Shannon hates Christmas. Mostly because Christmas hates him. It sure seems like it, anyway: every crummy thing that’s happened to him since high school has befallen him at the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Every humiliating break-up, every high-rise hotel fire -- heck, a few years back, one guy he had the hots for up and died. Which goes a long way toward explaining why he’s a whimpering mess when he meets Ben the barista one Christmas morning at his neighborhood coffee house. It doesn’t completely excuse his using Ben’s T-shirt as a handkerchief -- while Ben’s still in it -- but Ben’s nothing if not a good sport. Ben’s such a bright spot that after a while Shannon wonders if maybe his Christmas Curse hasn’t been lifted. And what better place to test this theory than at Ben’s family festivities? It’s not like Christmas is actually cursed. Is it?"

"Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney -- these exciting cities are standard fare in the life of flight attendant Todd Eisenbraun, and he chases a romance with sexy-but-straight Josh through them all. Closer to home, a new neighbor in his San Francisco apartment building has a huge crush on Todd. His friends -- Katie, a flight attendant-turned-small appliance repairwoman, and Marzipan Q. Thespian, a man-dangling local philanthropist -- think Todd should at least give Chris a shot. Sure, he’s overweight, but he’s also handsome, a hilarious playwright, and a great cook ... what’s not to love? Todd and Chris become quick friends, but Todd’s idea of the perfect man is skinny and straight, and Chris is decidedly neither. Josh may have a fiancée and a teenaged son, but Todd just knows he’s “the One.” But if Josh is straight, the road to love is not; Todd is jostled by internalized homophobia, body image issues, exotic locales, the glamorous world of sewing machine repair, and a community theater musical salute to the life of Judy Garland before he arrives at the realization that he’s been looking way too hard for something he may have already found."

"With no job and no boyfriend, Justin sees no reason to make a big deal out of Christmas this year, so he plunks down his severance pay on a cottage in the Caribbean and jets away for some Me Time. Not that he'd mind a little Us Time, you understand, but the handsome young islanders of his acquaintance are all friendly, fun, and straight as they come. He sure didn't leave San Diego looking for any middle-aged American gym jock, but when one washes up at his favorite local watering hole, Justin discovers there are worse ways to dance the night away. Too bad the sexy stranger is on a cruise and the next port is calling. When he spies the ship still in port while he tends to his Christmas Eve hangover, Justin knows he must manage his expectations. Just because the ship's still here doesn't mean the guy will come ashore, and so what if they do cross paths again? Did they really connect as Justin thinks he remembers, or is that just the beer filling in the blanks? He invents an errand, throws on some clothes, and heads for the dock, figuring there's one way to find out."

"Five stories. Eleven men. The countless joys of coming together at Christmas. Whether they&#x2019;re spending treasured time with friends, showing up for forced family fun, or making good their escape from the shopping throngs, the men in these stories are all about to make the same discovery: love makes a terrific present.Contains the stories:The Gift of the Gay Guy: &#x2018;Tis the night before Christmas when Derrick Halvorson catches Lee, a hot one night stand, emptying his wallet. When he resurfaces in the morning, Derrick resolves to stay mad, even as he turns up at his mom&#x2019;s for Christmas with Lee in tow. When his cop brother recognizes Lee, Derrick fears the worst. Obviously Lee is a career criminal, but what if the next thing he steals is Derrick&#x2019;s heart?Isle Be Home for Christmas: When Justin jets off to the tropics for the winter, a fling with a middle-aged American gym jock isn&#x2019;t exactly on his itinerary. But when Cole comes to town on a cruise, it turns out there are worse ways to dance the night away. Good-bye doesn&#x2019;t come easy, and when the ship&#x2019;s still in port the next morning, Justin hurries down to the dock. Has he been naughty enough to deserve Cole for Christmas?It's Not Yule, It's Me: Shannon hates Christmas. Mostly because Christmas hates him. Which is why he&#x2019;s a whimpering mess when he meets Ben one Christmas morning. But Ben&#x2019;s such a bright spot that after a while Shannon wonders if maybe his Christmas Curse hasn&#x2019;t been lifted. And what better place to test this theory than at Ben&#x2019;s family festivities? It&#x2019;s not like Christmas is actually cursed. Is it?Santa's Secret: In a flash of drunken inspiration, Samir pens his very first letter to Santa Claus. In it, he asks to find his cutie-pie crush, Kerry, under his tree on Christmas morning. It&#x2019;s a wish that verges on coming true, even, until Kerry breaks their Christmas Eve date for the worst reason Samir has ever been called upon to pretend to believe. But Santa works in mysterious ways ...O Come, Let Us Adore Him: When Richard&#x2019;s invited to join Colin for Christmas in Cancun, he bolts for the airport -- Colin has finally chosen him over Joaquin! But life with Colin is full of surprises. He&#x2019;s invited Joaquin to Cancun, too, hoping to spice up his holiday by being fought over. When Richard and Joaquin hit it off, Colin must recalibrate his approach. Unless bringing everyone together was his plan all along."

"Since he first laid eyes on Michael Phelps as a teenager, young Beau has longed to be an Olympian; the better to sleep with as many other Olympians as possible. Too bad he's a flop at every sport he tries. An offhand reference by his European mother reveals a family connection to the world of competitive shooting, and a quick -- if not wholly truthful -- email nets Beau an invitation to Luxembourg to train with Marcel, a dashing rifle champion. He jumps at the chance, and, when he learns they aren't actually related, at the champ. Sparks fly, but Beau’s never exactly been what you’d call a one-man man. Will Beau’s smoldering desire for Marcel burn hot enough to keep the torch of his Olympic dreams aflame?"

"Unassuming music major Brent Callahan has the crush of a lifetime on frat boy George Cortner. When the opportunity to offer George a ride home for the holidays crops up, Brent has to dig deep for the nerve to seize it. He’d been planning on hanging around campus for Christmas, but George doesn’t need to know that. They’re on the road before Brent’s even sure he’ll be able to keep his hands to himself with George in such close quarters. Not that George has asked him to ..."

"Just when barbecue boss Spencer Worthington is convinced nothing in the world could be hotter than Colorado Springs this summer, along comes Ethan, sizzling ribs with his dad at a rival booth. Just looking at him makes Spencer sweat, and when Ethan’s dad reveals himself to be a homophobic heckler, Spencer’s temper flares. Conflict erupts, and a passerby proposes a civilized solution: a reality TV cook-off -- such as the one she happens to produce -- to settle the score. May the best meat win. Seeing an opportunity to win a cash prize and Ethan, Spencer signs on. But when his secret sauce goes missing at the height of the competition, all signs point to sabotage, and he neglects to look before he leaps to conclusions. Now the money and Ethan are both on the line, but how can Spencer keep his cool in this heat?"