Travis Stone has been chatting with fellow Masonville police detective, Dustin Brooks, in a chatroom for months when Dustin suggests they finally meet in person in December.
Travis doesn’t trust easily and is still mourning the suicide of his best friend and partner Henry. He spends much of his personal time with Henry’s widow and children, but when Dustin shows an interest in him, Travis starts to take a chance.
But Dustin’s on his way out of Masonville. The ambitious young detective has his eye on law enforcement’s prestigious FBI. So his time to have a relationship with Travis appears to be very limited.
They begin a seemingly short-lived holiday romance anyway, but despite his bigger plans, Dustin doesn’t see Travis as a limited time lover. He’s soon thinking much longer term. If he can convince Travis they can survive an absence, just maybe, Travis can be his.
Chapter 1He looked like he was twelve. That was Travis Stone’s first thought when Dustin Brooks came to stand by the driver’s side of the vehicle to peer in at him. At least Travis thought he was peering. It was hard to tell behind the FBI-style aviator sunglasses Dustin wore. “You made detective?” Travis asked, admittedly rudely. “I’m twenty-eight.” Dustin straightened up from having bent down to look into the department-issued SUV. Travis realized then he was actually tall. A few inches taller than six feet and taller than Travis by a lot and very nicely filled out in the muscles. Not that Travis noticed or anything. Okay, he did. But he still looked very young. Brooks glanced around the parking lot and his gaze zeroed in on St. Nick’s Bar, the actual only establishment in this lot.