Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Standalone
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 12 2017
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
It could be the catch of a lifetime. William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.
William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.
Mike started his Apalachicola charter fishing service as a way to care for his daughter and mother, putting their safety and security ahead of the needs of his own heart. Denying his attraction becomes harder with each of William’s visits.
William and Mike’s latest fishing excursion starts with a beautiful day, but a hurricane’s erratic course changes everything, stranding William. As the wind and rain rage outside, the passion the two men have been trying to resist for years crashes over them. In the storm’s wake, it leaves both men yearning to prolong what they have found. But real life pulls William back to his obligations. Can they find a way to reduce the distance between them and discover a place where their souls can meet? The journey will require rough sailing, but the bright future at the end might be worth the choppy seas.
Dean got his bag and began slathering himself up. William
already had, and he smelled of coconut and the rich, almost sweet scent that
Mike would know anywhere. He kept his attention where it needed to be, but
William kept tugging at his senses.
Mike knew he was attracted to William. He’d figured that out
the first time William had showed up for a charter. Mike had taken one look at
his broad shoulders and small waist hugged inside a tight T-shirt that might
have been one size too small and his heart had raced. Mike still had fantasies
about that white shirt that showed off the ripples in William’s belly and the
way William’s nipples stuck out the perfect suckable amount. It had been hard
for Mike to keep his attention where it needed to be, and now, even after four
years, it wasn’t any easier. William was the kind of guy Mike could fall for.
But that wasn’t going to happen. The list of reasons was so long, it could
reach to the bottom of the Gulf.
William was a sophisticated man from the Northeast who
worked in the family business, making engine parts for tractors, cranes,
bulldozers, and all kinds of specialty engines. He lived outside Providence and
was highly educated. There wasn’t any way a guy like him would be interested in
someone like Mike. Besides, Mike saw him two times a year for the better part
of a day when William came fishing. Their lives and worlds couldn’t have been
more different, so whatever interest Mike might have in William was going to
remain that—interest. Not action, and certainly nothing more than friendship of
a sort. The fact that William got Mike’s motor running faster than the one on
the boat was immaterial. He lived in Apalachicola, a town of two thousand
people who made their living on the Gulf and where most people had family going
back generations. There weren’t gay people in town as far as he knew, and Mike
had no intention of being the one and only so folks could look at him
differently.
“Mike,” Gordon called, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Are
we getting close?”
“Yup.” Mike verified their position and turned on the fish
finder, slowing down and checking out what was underneath them. “Go ahead and
drop.” He slowed their speed even more, and Gordon released the anchor.
They came to a stop, the boat rocking on the waves as they
got the guys ready. Mike let Gordon do his thing, and soon both Dean and
William were reeling them in.
“I got a huge one!” William cried, his line whizzing out
from the reel.
“Mike!” Gordon cried. “It broke the reel.” He hurried over
as the line came to the end, nearly jerking the pole out of William’s hand.
Mike come up right behind him, taking hold of the rod as
well, pressing to William’s back. “Get the large line spool. We can roll it
onto that by hand.” He didn’t want to move but put space between them anyway,
grateful for the distraction. Whatever William had was strong and large. Gordon
passed him gloves, and he yanked them on, then pulled in more and more line.
Foot after foot the line was retrieved, and William’s catch got closer to the
surface.
“Shark,” Dean cried, pointing as a large yellow-gold body
appeared from under the water.
“It’s a nurse shark,” Gordon said. “Odd to catch one during
the day.”
Mike nodded his agreement. “I’d guess it’s about six feet.”
He pulled back as the shark broke the surface right near the boat. “Someone
snap a picture.” He held the line still, and Gordon got some pictures. So did
Dean. Then Mike cut the line, and the shark took off back down into the water.
“Do you think it will survive?” William asked.
Mike shrugged, watching the waves, and thankfully the shark
didn’t make an appearance as a floater.
Dean returned to his line, got a bite, and hauled in a
really nice-size grouper, which went into the box with more ice.
“Let’s move on.”
Gordon hauled in the anchor, and they went in search of
another location.
The morning passed with some nice catches. Dean and William
ate lunch in the shade as Mike tried to locate a spot he’d had good luck with
before. Out of habit and because of his mother’s warning, he checked the
weather reports once again.
“Wind on the Gulf is
still expected to diminish, as are the waves. However, Hurricane Marshall is
continuing its fast pace toward the Space Coast, showing no signs as yet of turning
north, has picked up speed, and will likely make landfall near Daytona Beach.
It is now expected to turn north and ride up the center of the state and into
Georgia.”
Mike sighed and took off his headphones. The weather wasn’t
threatening, but he’d check in another hour for another update. Mike wasn’t so
concerned about getting caught in the storm itself as much as the storm
entering the Gulf and stirring up the waves.
He found a good location, and Gordon threw the anchor. While
the guys fished, Mike ate his lunch and then switched with Gordon so he could
eat as well, and William offered them whatever they wanted from his overflowing
cooler.
The next few hours fell into a routine for Mike and Gordon,
interrupted by Mike’s occasional daydreams about William. Mike checked the
weather every few hours. The next check had little new information, but the
report at two was disturbing.
“Hurricane Marshall
made landfall at Daytona Beach and has been downgraded to a tropical storm. The
eye is currently twenty miles north of Orlando. It continues to move
west-northwest at twenty-nine miles an hour and is now expected the enter the
Gulf as a tropical storm, but could strengthen once it gets over water. Stay
tuned for further advisories.”
Mike’s stomach clenched and he looked to the east. There
wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the storm was hundreds of miles away. Usually
Mike stayed out until six and then headed back to the marina.
Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
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