Darby Wright has fought for his independence ever since he lost his sight as a child. But even now that he has his own home and a good job, his overprotective mother doesn’t believe he can handle himself. Darby’s determined to prove her wrong, but there are some things—like finding his guide dog’s potty accident—where an extra set of eyes would come in handy.
Enter See For Me, an app that connects blind clients with sighted volunteers. See For Me is designed for just this sort of emergency, and it’s through this app that Darby meets Reynaldo. Lust at first voice turns to more when Darby and Reynaldo run into each other at a local sandwich shop, where Renaldo seems as nice in person as he was in app.
With Reynaldo, Darby can feel his world expanding. Reynaldo doesn’t just support him but understands him and sees Darby as more than his disability. But will being with Reynaldo mean giving up Darby’s hard-fought independence, or will it mean gaining something more than he ever dreamed?
Homeward
Second chances only happen in the movies… right?
For the past several years, Matthew’s life has been one challenge after another. Keeping his sister’s four orphaned kids fed, clothed, housed, and entertained has him run ragged. Now he’s losing the kids’ mentor and maybe his job, if the plant where he works as an electrician shuts down like the rumors say. When his car won’t start outside the hospital, it’s the last thing he needs. Matthew could use a hero… so of course that’s when Lucas Reardon shows up again.
A-list actor Lucas Reardon returned to his Michigan hometown to say goodbye to his father. The last person he expects to see is Matthew Wilson, the one who got away. Lucas helps Matthew out with the car, the kids, whatever he needs. But really, *he’s* the one who needs saving. Years of the fast-paced Hollywood life have worn him down to nothing, and a deranged stalker is making his life hell. Matthew becomes his refuge. But relationships need time to grow and bloom. With the paparazzi breathing down their necks and a deadline on Lucas’s return to LA, can they build a life worthy of the big screen?
Sauve-Moi
Tout le monde a besoin d’être secouru un jour ou l’autre.
Le vétérinaire Mitchell Brannigan connaît des débuts difficiles avec son nouveau voisin lorsque quelqu’un appelle la mairie pour se plaindre du bruit. Mitchell dirige un refuge pour animaux abandonnés, et les chiens aboient. Mais lorsqu’il va faire la paix, il rencontre Beau Pfister et sa petite fille, Jessica… et commence à tomber amoureux.
Beau a déménagé à la campagne pour s’éloigner de son ex-mari violent, mais élever un enfant seul, sans réseau de soutien, est solitaire et épuisant. La dernière chose à laquelle il s’attend est un coup de main de la part du voisin dont il se plaignait tant.
Mitchell comprend ce que c’est de vivre dans la peur de son ex, et il est déterminé à aider Beau à aller de l’avant. Mais lorsqu’une menace invisible pèse sur le refuge et sur Beau, il devient évident qu’il n’a pas réglé ses propres démons.
Mitchell, Beau et Jessica forment une famille parfaite, avec un chihuahua protecteur pour les soutenir. Mitchell ne laissera rien leur arriver.
Mais qui va le sauver ?
Feu et neige
Fisher Moreland a été chassé de sa famille, parce qu’elle ne pouvait plus faire face à ses problèmes. Fisher est bipolaire et vit au jour le jour en essayant de gérer son état, mais il n’a pas toujours le contrôle sur sa vie et s’est auto-médicamenté avec tout ce qu’il pouvait trouver.
JD Burnside a été coupé de sa famille à cause d’un scandale dans sa ville. Il s’est installé à Carlisle, mais a emporté avec lui le charme et la chaleur du Sud. Lorsqu’il aperçoit Fisher sur un banc public par une soirée d’hiver, il l’invite à se joindre à lui et à ses amis pour un repas nocturne.
Au début, Fisher ne sait pas quoi penser de JD, mais il sort peu à peu de sa coquille. Et lorsque son emploi est menacé à cause d’un incendie, le soutien et l’attention de JD dépassent tout ce qu’il aurait pu espérer. Mais lorsque des personnes de son passé réapparaissent en ville, au cœur d’une épidémie de drogue résurgente, Fisher sait qu’elles pourraient très bien saboter sa relation naissante avec JD.
The Duke's Cowboy
George Lester, the Duke of Northumberland, flees familial expectations in Britain for the promise of freedom of San Francisco, looking for the chance to be himself. But before he even gets close, a blizzard forces him off the road, and he finds himself freezing half to death in a small town with no motel… with a litter of puppies to look after.
Luckily for George, he also finds Alan.
As the heir to his family’s ranch, Alan Justice knows the burden of being the oldest son. He doesn’t have time to show George, the stranger his brother dragged home, what it takes to be a cowboy. But that very night, George surprises him by helping a mare in distress through a difficult birth. Maybe the duke is made of sterner stuff than Alan thought.
George and Alan keep surprising each other, and every day they grow a little closer. But when George’s responsibilities call him home, Alan finds he’s the one who has something to prove—that he can handle what it means to be the duke’s cowboy.
Feuer und Hagel
Als er seine erste Stelle als Polizist in Carlisle antrat, wusste Brock Ferguson nicht, dass sein erster Arbeitstag mit einer Reihe von Überraschungen enden würde:
Zuerst läuft ihm sein Ex-Freund Vincent Geraldini über den Weg. Dessen Verhalten bei einer routinemäßigen Verkehrskontrolle erinnert Brock schnell daran, weshalb ihre Beziehung nicht von Dauer gewesen war.
Dann findet Brock im Kofferraum einer Corvette zwei verängstigte Kinder: Es stellt sich heraus, dass Vincents Schwester die Mutter der Kinder ist.
Brocks Sorge gilt der Sicherheit der Kinder und so ist er überrascht, aber glücklich, als Vincent sofort anbietet, sich um die Kinder zu kümmern, als ihre Mutter in Gewahrsam genommen wird. Vincent ist schockiert darüber, was seine Schwester getan hat.
Um der Kinder willen begraben er und Brock das Kriegsbeil - und stellen bald fest, dass sie immer noch mehr gemeinsam haben als gedacht. Mit Hilfe der Kinder kommen sie sich näher, bis sie sich zu viert allmählich wie eine Familie fühlen. Doch Vincents Schwester und ihr Freund - ein wirklich mieser Typ - könnten alles zerstören, was sie sich aufgebaut haben.
Dillon Fitzgerald is a famous singer. He’s also exhausted. Too many shows in a too busy schedule have left too little time for him to write or relax. He feels like the music is being strangled out of him. Some time is just what the doctor ordered, so when his friend offers him a week on a cruise, Dillon gets right on board. All he has to do is grow a little beard and hope no one recognizes him.
Financial advisor Tio Smythe-Barrett has been friends with Dillon forever. When the latest in a long string of girlfriends turns out to be a cheater, Tio offers her spot on what would have been a romantic vacation to Dillon instead. After all, why wouldn’t he want to spend a week with his best friend?
As Tio and Dillon share close quarters, the boundaries in their friendship shift like the ocean currents. Spending time with Tio has Dillon’s creative muse singing, and he can no longer deny that his feelings for Tio go beyond friendship. His heart soars when Tio responds to his flirting—but is he willing to risk what they have for the chance at true love?
When cantankerous firefighter Dirk Krause gets injured on the job, no one at his firehouse cares enough to visit, so new guy Lee Stockton gets saddled with the task of bringing him a sympathy bouquet. Dirk figures it won’t take much to get Lee to hate him too, but Lee sees right through his attempt to push everyone away and picks his own battle—getting Dirk to stop being a jerk.
Good thing they’re firefighters, because the chemistry between them is explosive. Together they face burning buildings, budget cuts, professional failures, and family drama. If their relationship can survive that, it can survive anything. Right?
Bonus story: Traffic cop Justin Briggs keeps a cool head on the job, but put him in front of a hot guy and it all goes up in smoke. Firefighter Rock Sparks happens to be the hot guy in question. Teasing Justin for being tongue-tied is fun, but when Justin gets injured, everything turns serious. Can Rock get Justin to open up about his past so they can explore a future together?
This anthology contains the following previously published novellas: Redemption by Fire (published by Dreamspinner Press May 2012), Strengthened by Fire (published by Dreamspinner Press August 2012), Burnished by Fire (published by Dreamspinner Press October 2012), and Heat Under Fire (published by Dreamspinner Press March 2013).
Feuer und Schnee
Fisher Moreland wurde von seiner Familie verstoßen, nachdem sie nicht länger mit seinen Problemen umgehen konnte. Fisher ist bipolar, lebt von Tag zu Tag und versucht, mit seiner Erkrankung zurechtzukommen, doch er hatte nicht immer allzu viel Kontrolle über sein Leben und musste sich mit allem, was er finden konnte, so gut wie möglich selbst helfen.
JD Burnsides‘ Familie hat wegen eines Skandals an seinem Heimatort den Kontakt zu ihm abgebrochen. Er ist nach Carlisle gezogen, hat aber Charme und Wärme des Südens mitgebracht. Als er Fisher an einem Winterabend auf einer Parkbank entdeckt, lädt er ihn zu einem späten Abendessen mit sich und seinen Freunden ein.
Anfangs weiß Fisher nicht, was er von ihm halten soll, kommt jedoch allmählich aus sich heraus. Und als Fishers Arbeitsplatz wegen eines Brandes in Gefahr gerät, ist JDs Unterstützung und Sorge mehr, als er je erwartet hätte. Doch als Menschen aus Fishers Vergangenheit inmitten einer wiederauflebenden Drogenepidemie auftauchen, ist Fisher klar, dass sie seine aufkeimende Beziehung zu JD sabotieren könnten.
Secret Guncle
Veterinary student Dutton Glenroth isn’t on speaking terms with his sister, Mary, but he isn’t about to let his niece and nephew suffer because of it. He knows they have very little, so for the holidays, he makes up a basket of gifts for them and leaves it outside their door.
But the kids are getting older, and this year Dutton finds it difficult to pick out their gifts. When he asks for help at Foster’s Toys, he runs into Randy Grant, his high school crush, who even volunteers to wrap and deliver the gifts with Dutton. Suddenly Dutton’s normally lonely holiday has a spark of Christmas cheer. Will this be the year he gets the holiday he’s always longed for?
Emmett McElroy is the cowboy horses hate. When his heir apparent brother dies and his father has a heart attack, he does his duty and steps up as head of the family ranch, but he wishes things were different and his life choices were his own. Just when he begins to get his legs under him, he arrives home to find his high school crush has been hired as ranch foreman.
Ex-rodeo cowboy Nathaniel Zachary desperately needs work. When Mrs. McElroy offers him a job while her husband recovers, he jumps at it. The only issue is Emmett… because Nathaniel has never been able to get his best friend’s brother out of his mind.
Tensions only increase when, after drowning his sorrows, Emmett foolishly agrees to enter a bucking bronc contest at the local rodeo. The attraction that grows as Nathaniel helps prepare Emmett for the contest is something neither of them expected, but as Emmett's father's health improves, the happiness they've built may break faster than a cowboy thrown from the meanest bronc.
Fire and Ermine
When Prince Reynard escapes his gilded cage, he runs as fast as he can in search of a taste of freedom. Predictably, he gets pulled over.
State Trooper Fisher Bronson doesn’t know the handsome stranger in the rental car, but he does know the guy was driving way too fast. Still, Fisher takes to protect and serve seriously, so he helps Reynard find a hotel for the night.
Then the hotel catches fire.
Apparently Reynard hasn’t covered his tracks as well as he thought. But is it paparazzi on his tail, or someone much more deadly? Either way, when Fisher offers him a room for the night, he’s grateful for the refuge.
Reynard is generous and kind, but Fisher knows he’s hiding something. Finally Reynard confesses the truth: as prince of Veronia, his life is structured and ordered for him, but as Reynard, in Carlisle with Fisher, he has the freedom to become a person he actually likes. To Reynard's surprise, Fisher likes him back—not for his title, but for the man he is. But duty, family expectations, and whoever is after Reynard could spell the end of their relationship before they get past once upon a traffic stop.
Through the Flames
Kyle Wilson hasn’t had it easy. His insecurities and nasty home life made him lash out as a kid, and when he finally came out as gay, his family disowned him. Then, just when he’s pulled his life together and gotten his construction company running, he’s caught in a fire and forced to take costly time off.
When firefighter Hayden Walters rescues a man from a burning building, he’s just doing his job. He doesn’t expect it to turn his life upside-down, but the man is none other than Hayden’s high school bully.
He definitely doesn’t expect Kyle to come to the station to thank him in person.
With awkward apologies out of the way, Kyle and Hayden realize they have a lot in common. And when it turns out someone set the fire at Kyle’s construction site to target him, they find they can solve each other’s problems too: Hayden needs a place to stay while his apartment is renovated, and Kyle doesn’t want to be alone in case the firebug strikes again. Things between the two of them quickly heat up—but so does the arsonist’s agenda. Can they track down the would-be killer before it’s too late?
Feu et pluie
Depuis la mort de leur mère, Josten Applewhite fait ce qu’il faut pour s’occuper de son petit frère et préserver la cohésion de leur petite famille. Mais, en un instant, un coup de malchance détruit le petit foyer qu’il a réussi à construire, et Jos et Isaac se retrouvent à la rue.
C’est là que l’agent Kip Rogers les trouve et, même s’il sait qu’il doit laisser les autorités compétentes s’occuper de la situation, il n’arrive pas à trouver le courage de les repousser, allant même jusqu’à les inviter à rester chez lui jusqu’à ce qu’ils se remettent sur pied. Avec l’aide de Kip et de ses amis, Jos commence à reconstruire sa vie. Mais l’expérience lui a appris que rien n’est gratuit, et la générosité semble trop belle pour être vraie, comme tout ce qui concerne Kip.
Kip a le béguin pour Jos et il aime la façon dont Jos et Isaac font de sa grande maison un foyer. Mais leur arrangement ne peut pas être permanent, pas avec Jos qui veut tracer son propre chemin. C’est alors que surgit un parent éloigné, déterminé à détruire la famille de Jos. Kip sait que Jos a besoin de lui, même s’il n’est pas prêt à l’admettre.
The problem with being an actor on top of the world is that you have a long way to fall.
Logan Steele is miserable. Hollywood life is dragging him down. Drugs, men, and booze are all too easy. Pulling himself out of his self-destructive spiral, not so much.
Brit Stimple does whatever he can to pay the bills. Right now that means editing porn. But Brit knows he has the talent to make it big, and he gets his break one night when Logan sees him perform on stage.
When Logan arranges for an opportunity for Brit to prove his talent, Brit’s whole life turns around. Brit’s talent shines brightly for all to see, and he brings joy and love to Logan’s life and stability to his out-of-control lifestyle. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy for Logan, and as Brit’s star rises, Logan’s demons marshal forces to try to tear the new lovers apart.
Rescue Us
Everyone needs to be rescued sometimes.
As a vet tech, Daniel is usually first in line to come to animals’ aid. When he and his boss get a call about an animal hoarding situation, they expect the handful of badly treated dogs… but the tiger comes as a surprise.
Wes recently left his job to care for his sick mother. Now that she’s on the mend, he needs work, and he finds it at a bustling shelter. But the animals aren’t the only ones in need. His kind, chatty coworker Daniel is dealing with an abusive boyfriend—something Wes, whose father was an alcoholic, has experience handling. Wes steps up to help Daniel kick his boyfriend to the curb, but in the process, he finds himself falling for Daniel himself.
Navigating a new relationship when they both have traumatic pasts is one thing. But when a shady group starts targeting the tiger they are trying to find a zoo placement for, the stakes are raised even higher. Can Wes and Daniel come together to rescue the animals—and each other?
Rudolph the Rescue Jack Russell
Alex goes to a dog rescue with one mission: overcoming one of his fears. But he gets more than he bargained for when he unexpectedly bonds with a Jack Russell terrier named Rudolph and decides to take him home.
When shelter volunteer Luther offers to show Alex the ropes of dog ownership, their time together proves they have more in common than just Rudolph’s affection. But if they’re going to have a happy holiday, Alex needs to come to terms with his issues. Can Luther help him see that love really can be unconditional?
Ein neues Kapitel
Als Dex Grippons Mutter stirbt, betrachtet er das als Zeichen, die Schauspielerei an den Nagel zu hängen und in seine Heimatstadt zurückzukehren. Wenn es ihm gelingt, den Buchladen seiner Mutter zu retten, kann er dadurch diese letzte Verbindung zu seinen Eltern bewahren. Doch einen unabhängigen Buchladen am Laufen zu halten, erweist sich als schwieriger als erwartet, und Dex ist nicht der Einzige, der sich fragt, was seine Mutter möglicherweise zusätzlich verkauft hat.
Der frühere Polizist Les Gable befindet sich zwar nicht mehr im Dienst, muss aber unbedingt wissen, was in dem Buchladen vor sich gegangen ist. Er würde alles tun, um seine Neugierde zu befriedigen – einschließlich, sich mit dem neuen Besitzer anfreunden, indem er ihm Hilfe bei der Renovierung des Geschäfts anbietet. Irgendetwas an dem Buchladen kommt ihm nicht ganz koscher vor, und Les ist entschlossen, herauszufinden, was das ist.
Das Problem ist jedoch, dass seine Neugier auf Dex ziemlich schnell größer ist, als das Interesse an den Geschehnissen im Laden. Doch während aus Neugier Liebe wird, bedroht die Vergangenheit des Ladens ihre Zukunft. Wird es Les und Dex gelingen, das Geheimnis des Buchladens zu lüften und ihre Beziehung – und ihr Leben – zu retten, oder wird ihnen alles um die Ohren fliegen?