He spent years searching for something he thought was missing, only to find that life outside the small town wasn't everything he expected, and he realized his heart would always belong in Rocky Peaks and to the man he left behind. Coming home from several years in the Army, he can't wait to settle down, and he hopes life will be how it was before he left, especially with his best friend and lover, Travis, but he fears they might have grown apart through the years. When Austin surprises everyone by coming home early, emotions are high, and as the two friends are reunited, he hopes that leaving didn't change things between them, and he can somehow show Travis that after traveling the world, there’s no place like home. This is a standalone novella with a happy-ever-after and no cliff hangers.

    Will you be strong enough to make them, to see them through? Can you risk your friendship? Can you risk letting your friend know your true feelings? Are you willing to risk anything to keep him safe?Photo Description: Two young men embrace and kiss passionately in a green field, one with a leg kicked out behind him, like he has just run across the field to tackle his friend and kiss him. They look like they are laughing and smiling, happy just to be together.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    First love especially.Unfortunately for Noah Davis, it doesn’t get easier as he gets older.Noah lost Ian years ago, when life took them in different directions. Not knowing how to let go, he relied on the friends he made while living in the city. His friends helped pull him out of his despair, but it was at a club where he found himself. He threw himself into his new identity. Being a Dom gave him the control he desperately needed and helped him put the pieces of himself back together.But time changes things. Noah left the club scene behind years ago. He’s back home in Silver Springs and suddenly Ian Osborn, the one who got away, is there, too. Love isn’t easier the second time around. Noah and Ian must reconcile who they used to be with the men they are now, and it won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is.

    After being laid off and facing eviction, he’s eager to make a fresh start. When a friend mentions an opportunity in Sin City, he packs up and heads west. Unfortunately, plans run awry when his truck breaks down a little more than halfway there and he’s stranded in the cold with no money, nowhere to stay, and no way to get to Vegas. ‘Tis the season, but not for Merrick Holland, who loves being a part of the community in the small town of Rowley Bridge. Christmas has been a little tainted since his father died three years ago, and when people start to deck the halls, he withdraws. When Merrick finds a man asleep inside his bakery one morning, rather than call the police, Merrick makes him a cup of coffee, and after hearing his story offers him a job and a place to stay. The two men strike up an unlikely friendship, but with Christmas only three weeks away, could a little holiday magic bring them together?

    The fact that Ryan is gay has been kept secret, thanks to his hard-working agent, and Ryan reluctantly plays along with the ruse.One night, Dar Phillips misdials a telephone number, but the guy on the other end of the line sounds sexy and funny so Dar keeps the conversation flowing. The man claims to be working on the upcoming Ryan Pierce film and invites Dar to meet him face-to-face at the movie studio. Dar eagerly agrees, but he’s not interested in meeting the film’s star, only the “wrong-number guy” whose voice on the telephone so enthralled and excited him.When the men finally meet, and Dar discovers the true identity of the stranger on the phone, sparks instantly fly...until the paparazzi show up and claim that Dar sold Ryan’s secret to the tabloids...

    But Jolina has connections that would make James Buchanan more powerful than he already is. Unwilling to be a pawn in his father's game, Soren decides to stop seeing Jolina even if it means having to suffer through one of his father's vicious beatings. Beaten and bruised for his defiance, Soren flees to the FBI for help. Mason Ward, former US Army Ranger and security specialist, lives a quiet life on a house boat docked off the island of Guam. Despite his lack of companionship, Mason believes he is living the life he's always wanted. Then a job comes Mason's way, one that will turn his life upside down: hide Soren Buchanan. Hiding Soren Buchanan should be easy money, but not for Mason. Soren is young, seductive and lacking the type of discipline that doesn't leave bruises. It doesn't help that Soren's physical presence brings up desires Mason would rather not feel about a mobster's son. Now Mason has to keep his mind on his job while being chased by thugs sent to bring Soren Buchanan home...dead or alive.

    As far as Quin is concerned, Christmas is a giant waste of time. Quin's on the fast track to partnership, and the season of goodwill is just getting in the way of his next big project. But when Quin's boss, Marley, confiscates his phone and makes him take an unscheduled day off, Quin finds himself being forced to confront his regrets, past and present, and think about the sort of future he really wants…and who he wants it with.

    Estranged from his abusive mother, he's made a new life for himself as a successful lawyer in Los Angeles.When Cory's mother dies he grudgingly returns to his hometown to handle the estate. Rhys Tucker owns the construction company that is going to renovate Cory's childhood home. But Cory is unaware that Rhys has harbored a crush on him since they were in high school. When Cory comes home Rhys takes that opportunity to get close to Cory. Or at least try to.Their physical chemistry is undeniable, but will Cory ever be able to have a real relationship with Rhys after being so emotionally scarred by his past? Can a heart as damaged as Cory's every really come home?

    In reality, Joe's agent directs his public life. Those women he's supposedly intimate with? Prearranged dates ending at the red carpet. With his assistant and best friend Derek Simmons' help, Joe has lived safely in the closet since his divorce, choosing to let off steam with discreet male escorts rather than risk an actual boyfriend. At forty-four, he has no plans to change. Then, taking a role in a film without flashy explosions upends that.When Joe signs on to play an early 1990s-era AIDS-stricken gay man, his internalized homophobia threatens the production. His out costar Hunter Starling won't put up with Joe's behavior. As the animosity between Joe and Hunter grows, saving the film means Joe must face his deepest fear. Challenges pile up from all directions, from his father disowning him to the entertainment industry's backstabbing reaction. Amid the backlash, Joe ventures into his first gay romantic relationship, tries to help others worse off, and slowly learns how to live his life instead of just acting it.

    But an accident, amnesia and an unexplained wedding ring stop the burgeoning affair right in its tracks. When a snowstorm traps them in a cabin, their passion makes a thaw in winter. Publisher's Note: This book is a homoerotic love story and as such contains acts that may be offensive to some readers: male/male sex practices.

    With no babies born in nearly a generation, society is falling apart. Now, there's hope. An experimental medical procedure may allow males to carry a fetus to term. All Wyatt wants is to be a male mother, but entering the repopulation program requires that he give up everything: His home, his job, and possibly his life. Wyatt is sure he's prepared for anything, until he meets his handsome doctor who happens to be the genetic donor to his fetus. Wyatt's ready to put his own life on the line... but he never expected to fall in love with the father of his baby.

    Defending the innocent and vulnerable from monsters makes his day. So when he meets Paine “BB” Addison, Julio finds himself wanting to save the abused young man from the cruel world he’s also been forced to survive.Paine exists in an environment where the weak and innocent are exploited for entertainment. The men who use him for their perverted pleasure and fight the dogs don’t care about the physical or emotional damage they inflict upon their victims, both animal and human. Paine lives from day to day, doing what he can to heal the wounds suffered by others, but unable to help or heal himself.When Julio and Paine meet, it triggers a chain of events that rocks both their worlds to the foundations. But can they also bring justice for the silent victims?

    After losing love and fighting addiction, he becomes a successful substance abuse counselor and helps people regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. It isn't the dream life he had in San Francisco, but at least he has something to be proud of. Everything seems to be getting back on the right track until Angel, a heroin-addicted male prostitute, crosses his path. Erik not only sees a lot of himself in Angel, but a lot of potential as well. He quickly realizes he's willing to sacrifice a lot to get him on the right path--but is he willing to jeopardize his career?

    Why would Anthony Pappas, an adorable second grade teacher, be interested in him? Travis is willing to find out, if Anthony will give him a chance.Being descended from a goddess, Anthony Pappas possesses a unique gift—he can tell when people are lying. Sounds good, until your boyfriends all end up lying to you. Anthony's tired of it. It's easier not to get involved than to have your heart broken time and time again.When a little redheaded boy brings the men together, these two heroes will have to find the courage to take a leap of faith and follow their hearts...

    Six months later, in Seattle without a job or a place to live, he escapes to the woods of nearby Vashon Island to consider his options. When he’s found sleeping outdoors by a cheerful man who seems bent on irritating him to death, Grant’s plans to resuscitate his life take a peculiar turn.Oliver Rossi knows how to keep his fears at bay. He’s had years of practice. As a local eccentric and artist, he works from his funky home in the deep woods, where he thinks he has everything he needs. Then he rescues an angry man from a rainy ditch and discovers a present worth fighting the past for.Amid the buzz of high summer, unwelcome attraction blooms on a playing field of barbs, defenses, and secrets.Standalone romance. HEA.