Chapter 1

1

October 31

Dan eyed the kitchen table approvingly. Platters of appetizers from the Italian deli down the street and his sister’s Pinterest board were attractively arranged on a tablecloth printed with bats and pumpkins. A cauldron-shaped slow cooker filled with mulled wine sat on the counter, and the refrigerator was stocked with beer and soda.

His inspection continued into the living room, where strings of lights crisscrossed the walls, and candy dishes adorned the coffee table and television stand. A YouTube playlist of Halloween themed music videos played on the screen, but it was muted. The sound system was queued up with a five-hour loop of pop and hip-hop songs that people would enjoy.

The final stop was the downstairs bathroom, to both confirm that there was plenty of toilet paper, and to double check his outfit. Not that there was much to check; yellow Star Fleet shirt and slim fit pants, blackish brown curls combed back into the same style he wore every day. No elaborate face paint on his tawny complexion, no awkward garments, no complicated accessories. Dan’s mission for this party required that he be at ease. Laid back, even. This was not a feeling that came naturally to Dan, so he’d forgone a clever costume in favor of something simple that flattered his slim build. He didn’t know much about Star Trek, but the costume had fit all his criteria, and had been on sale to boot.

Tonight’s mission was simple. Daniel Reyes would charm Troy Anderson and confirm an actual one-on-one date.

Four years ago, Dan would have written off the mission as impossible. And it would have been a fair assessment. Four years ago, Troy had lived in Cincinnati, where he’d been a second-string quarterback for the Bengals. In contrast, Dan had been living in his parents’ house in the same small town where he’d always lived. And honestly, Dan hadn’t been all that interested in romance at that point in time anyway. He’d been taking on more of the management responsibilities at the bookshop where he worked, and he’d started scouting around for a place of his own—and crafting his reasoning for moving out that his parents would accept with as few tears as possible.

Ten years ago, Troy and Dan had been high school classmates. Not that the idea of them dating in high school was any less farfetched. Troy had been the star football player. Funny, smart, talented, and genuinely kind on top of it all. A few girlfriends who were just as smart and kind as him, but nothing serious.

In contrast, Dan hadn’t stood out at all. Average grades, middle of the road popularity. Known, but not sought out. Bisexual but not loud about it. Focused on keeping his head down and making it through school with good enough grades for the local college. He’d had a small crush on Troy, but so had everyone else in school. It had been just one more thing that made Dan unremarkable.

But just this past November, Troy’s mother had swung by the shop to pick up some books for a baby shower gift. She had exchanged pleasant chatter with Dan while he rang up her purchase and had mentioned that Troy would be moving home soon. Dan had managed to hold in his curiosity until she’d left, then whipped out his phone and scoured Facebook for info.

Troy did move back the following February; Dan had seen Troy and his brother with the U-Haul truck at an apartment complex near the high school. He hadn’t talked to Troy until months later in the summer. But even then, the seeds of his high school crush had begun to sprout once again

Four months ago, when Troy Anderson had walked into Daniel Reyes’ bookshop, Dan had known his heart was a goner. And tonight, he was determined to take a chance at happiness. 2

Flashback to July 6

With great concentration, Dan separated the cold brew filter from the carafe. He smiled in satisfaction as he set the filter in the sink. Six perfect carafes of cold brew were ready for the day. Even this early in July, the temperature was already on the rise.

Reyes Books wasn’t anything fancy. Founded by Dan’s great-uncle after his discharge from the air force, it stocked new and used books at reasonable prices. Most of their revenue came from special orders rather than foot traffic.

But they were also known for their superb caffeine concoctions. Tio Aaron had mastered the art of the coffee bean during his long and eccentric life. Being a bachelor, he’d taken Dan, the sole cousin interested in the shop, under his wing.

The front door jingled as it was pushed open. A tall man, broad shouldered and slim hipped, came inside. Dan’s greeting froze halfway to his lips as he recognized the newcomer. The frohawk he’d sported on the football field had been replaced with a crisp line up, but the athletic frame and shy smile hadn’t changed since high school.