Hearts of Snow Lake Series by Ashton Cade, Cam Walker

Layton: As a biker, I've always loved the open road—and no man ever compared. I’ve mastered the quickie, the one-night stand, and I’m not into changing things up. Why mess with perfection? When I roll into Snow Lake to take over my uncle’s mechanic shop, the last thing I want to do is settle down. Until I lay eyes on Grayson, who is not the kind of man suited for a one-night stand. He’s domestic as all hell, running his bakery and doing cute sh!t with his son all damn day. Not. My. Type... moreLayton: As a biker, I've always loved the open road—and no man ever compared. I’ve mastered the quickie, the one-night stand, and I’m not into changing things up. Why mess with perfection? When I roll into Snow Lake to take over my uncle’s mechanic shop, the last thing I want to do is settle down. Until I lay eyes on Grayson, who is not the kind of man suited for a one-night stand. He’s domestic as all hell, running his bakery and doing cute sh!t with his son all damn day. Not. My. Type. But I can’t take my eyes off of him. Every time I see him, my heart pounds; I go weak in the knees. I dream about holding up a ring, and making him mine forever. I never wanted this life—I always thought it was a trap. But Grayson, gorgeous and kind, is giving me a sweet tooth for his baked goods and all his other delights.   I just might want to make a home on this road where I’ve landed. If Gray is with me, I might fall in love with Snow Lake after all. Grayson: My partner left the minute Harry came into our lives. Ever since then, it’s been me and my boy, all on our own. I didn’t want to be a single dad, but Harry makes it all worthwhile. Sure, I’m not going on any dates, but romance can wait. I’m done with the heartbreak of losing my man, and I’m not pulling Harry into any relationship that won’t last forever. That’s why Layton comes as a surprise. He’s everything I never wanted—a bad boy with bedroom eyes, and thighs muscled from gripping his motorcycle. He keeps showing up in my nighttime fantasies—and at my bakery every morning, looking like he wants to take a bite out of me. When I slip up and let him get a taste, I know he’s all wrong. I can’t keep a man like Layton happy, and I need him out of my life for good. It’s too bad because I was a little bit in love. I never imagined it would hurt so much to leave Layton behind—or that my sweet boy would want to have Layton around. Layton keeps telling me he’s for real, that he’s in this for keeps. I’ve never been the kind of guy to take a chance, but maybe this is the time to give it a try. less

Sean: I'm a cop on leave. I fled to Snow Lake for some R&R after getting what I euphemistically call a 'workplace injury.' Since getting shot, I'm a little jumpy-- I can't help but be spooked, expecting something, or someone, around every corner. But there's one person that's making me feel like my old, bold self again--Porter Gaines, the guy who runs the butcher shop in my temporary digs... moreSean: I'm a cop on leave. I fled to Snow Lake for some R&R after getting what I euphemistically call a 'workplace injury.' Since getting shot, I'm a little jumpy-- I can't help but be spooked, expecting something, or someone, around every corner. But there's one person that's making me feel like my old, bold self again--Porter Gaines, the guy who runs the butcher shop in my temporary digs. But deep in those dark eyes of his, the glimmer of desire I think I see not only makes me wild, but makes me feel like I've come home.   I’ve always heard that a near-death experience can change your mind about life, but if I'm honest, I didn’t come anywhere close to dying. I did come out of the operating room looking for something though--someone that wasn’t there--that didn’t exist. Or I thought he didn’t. My job's been my life for so long and whatever Porter and I have is just supposed to be a temporary thing. But when the phone rings and a mysterious man implicates Porter's little brother in a crime, I know I have to return and investigate. And maybe I'll not only find the truth, but also, find my reason to really live. Porter:   In a town like Snow Lake, potential partners are few and far between, and with my full cargo hold of emotional baggage, I don’t know who would ever be interested in me. I saw what my dad had with Bette before they passed, and I want a little piece of that for myself. And when I meet Sean, the s*xy cop with the dark hair and darker eyes, I'm tempted more than I want to admit. He's completely unaware of the mass of butterflies swarming my guts whenever he's around.     But 'going for it' has never been my thing. I’m not thrilled about failure or rejection--it’s big change that makes me nervous. I like what’s comfortable and familiar. I like Snow Lake, I like my neighbors and our weekly rituals. As screwed up as my life has become since the accident, I still have made a new normal, and throwing a monkey wrench into the whole thing is... terrifying.  He’s only here for a little while, a tempting voice says. How much harm can a week-long wrench do? A lot, another, less-tempting voice answers. But after what I've been through, I'm not sure I can resist the kind of love that Sean's offering. I just hope it doesn't destroy me. less

Ben: “I keep forgetting we went to high school together.”  Damn, that hurt. I don’t know why, because I barely even talked to Adam. He was two years older than me—at that age, it might as well have been a decade—and we were in entirely different crowds. He was so much cooler than me. Probably still is from the looks of him. I couldn’t ever pull off that kind of scruffy beard or the casual, confident strut... moreBen: “I keep forgetting we went to high school together.”  Damn, that hurt. I don’t know why, because I barely even talked to Adam. He was two years older than me—at that age, it might as well have been a decade—and we were in entirely different crowds. He was so much cooler than me. Probably still is from the looks of him. I couldn’t ever pull off that kind of scruffy beard or the casual, confident strut. At Adam’s core, he’s a rock star, and even if that dream never happened for him, he just exudes that “‘it”’ energy. Despite never talking to him in high school, despite never making a move of any kind, despite my absolute certainty that I’d never talk to him ever again, I’ve never let this flame go out. And now he's back here in Snow Lake and all those feelings are back with a vengeance. I don’t know what it is about this guy that sparks something in me—a need, a drive to be more. Enough to make him notice me. How pathetic is that? But now that he has noticed me, I'm shaking. I don't know if I can face losing what I've always wanted. Adam: My mom's really sick, and I'm back in Snow Lake to take care of her—whether she wants me to or not. It's bringing up all kinds of memories, both good and bad—but at the same time, I can see that things have really changed. In Des Moines, I’m a recluse who doesn’t date. Here in Snow Lake, the place I couldn't wait to get away from as an angsty teenager, it’s like I’m a different guy. A guy that could have friends, family connections, maybe even a relationship if I could get my head out of my ass. But that’s not really me, is it? It’s just a vacation version of me. It’s not real, and when it’s time for me to leave, none of the connections "Snow Lake Adam" made here will be either, so what’s the point? Ben thinks I'm still that punk guitar player he had a crush on so many years ago. Little does he know I turned out pretty boring. The way he looks at me with stars in his eyes makes me want to both puff up and hide at the same time, so he doesn't find out I'm just a regular guy. Kind of a dud. But he's so sincere and kind. And super sexy. I wonder what would have happened if I had met him back then. Would I have still messed up my life so badly? less

Max: They say it happens when you stop looking. The last thing I expected on this trip was to meet anyone, but now, Aspen is all I can think about. How his ears and neck flush when he’s embarrassed and how it highlights the dark freckles he has hiding here and there. How sexy he is, in this innocent way that makes me want to just ruin him. No matter how hard I try, I can’t turn it off. Even if he is my best friend's brother, and I know focusing on Aspen will ruin that friendship... moreMax: They say it happens when you stop looking. The last thing I expected on this trip was to meet anyone, but now, Aspen is all I can think about. How his ears and neck flush when he’s embarrassed and how it highlights the dark freckles he has hiding here and there. How sexy he is, in this innocent way that makes me want to just ruin him. No matter how hard I try, I can’t turn it off. Even if he is my best friend's brother, and I know focusing on Aspen will ruin that friendship. Sure, I tell myself that a true friend would never stand in the way of true love, but Grant needs me right now. I'm all he has. I have to let someone down. I just didn't expect that person to be me. Aspen: I was already freaking out when I found out my brother, who I never even knew existed, was coming into town. Turns out my mom gave him up for adoption when she was fifteen, and it was only after she passed that I found her secret. But I got the shock of my life when Grant walked in with the sexiest man I've ever come across, his best friend Max—the brawniest of all Brawny Men. I want to bond with my brother, but it's hard when my head is full of fantasies of me defiling his best friend. Or his best friend defiling me. Before I know it, Max and I are having clandestine meetings, secret rendezvous... but if I've learned anything from my mom's actions, it's secrets that drive people apart. Still, coming clean is going to ruin everything. We're on a collision course, and I don't know how to turn this thing around. less

Phineas: I’m not just attracted to Pastor Liam. I don’t only think he’s a great guy who I want to spend more time with. There’s more to it. Feelings I have never felt toward any guy, no matter how much I wished I would. As crazy as it sounds, Liam’s the total package. I didn’t even believe in this kind of nonsense before him, but I feel like he might be The One.  Yeah, insane. I know... morePhineas: I’m not just attracted to Pastor Liam. I don’t only think he’s a great guy who I want to spend more time with. There’s more to it. Feelings I have never felt toward any guy, no matter how much I wished I would. As crazy as it sounds, Liam’s the total package. I didn’t even believe in this kind of nonsense before him, but I feel like he might be The One.  Yeah, insane. I know. I never bought into that fairy tale, soul-mates bullsh!t before, but there’s this indescribable tug to be nearer to Liam, to get to know him better, that has never existed for me. What else could it be? Just one little problem with that though: I’m almost positive Liam’s not gay. He's a pastor, for crying out loud. When push comes to shove in Liam's life, I start to understand exactly why the ministry is a calling for him. He can’t help himself. Self-preservation isn’t even part of the equation when there’s someone hurting and in need. That is what makes him so special. Not only has he made me believe in love, but he's also rekindling my faith in humanity. He's just so... good. Liam: Phineas has this air of sophistication and experience about him that I could never aspire to. He’s way out of my league. But he has me completely wrapped around his finger.  I haven’t dated a lot, mostly because of my own awkwardness about the whole religious thing. Looking for a boyfriend in seminary seemed hopeless, and once I became a pastor, that made me undateable to a lot of the gay community. I’m attracted to him, that much is plain as day, but it’s more than that. It’s the way he looks at me, the way he jumps to help me whenever he’s got the chance. That’s not something I’ve ever really had before. And it's something I really need now that I'm juggling not only my ministry and my mother, but also a huge, new life-change that has fallen into my lap just in time for Christmas. I need a man I can count on, who loves me. Could Phineas Molleni be the answer to my prayers? Stockings and Sugarplums is a special holiday novella in the Hearts of Snow Lake series. It builds on the Thanksgiving book, Gravy and Gratitude. Happy Holidays from Ashton Cade and the town of Snow Lake! less