Mike Paloso has lost count of the number of times he's helped childhood friend Jay Charles move. Jay's never had much of a home to call his own, content to follow his boyfriends around, but each breakup means a new pad, until the next guy comes along. This time, it's different. There's been no breakup, and no new pad. Instead, there's one hell of a fixer-upper, and not just the house Jay's inherited from his latest, late, beau. This time, Mike has to find a way to repair Jay's broken dreams and mangled heart.

With every reno, there comes some demo, but Mike's not sure he's ready to dismantle his life to rebuild Jay's.

EXCERPT

Jay stood in the doorway to the upstairs bedroom with the plate of burgers in his hand.

“Cozy.”

I took the food from him and pointed down the hall to the bathroom.

“Go get into dry clothes. I’ll get these ready.” I set the plate on top of some boxes and started dressing them as he went to change. I didn’t realize he had come back until he spoke.

“You can stay.”

I couldn’t quite hide my start. “I liked Darren you know, Jay.”

“Funny.” Jay came in and sat down beside me. “He didn’t much like you.”

“Why?”

Jay shrugged. “You were almost the only thing we ever fought about.” He took the plate I handed him and lifted the bun to see what I’d put on his burger, but he didn’t pick it up. “Then, at the end, he told me to keep you close. To be patient.”

I looked at him. Damp hair clung to the back of his neck and flopped down over his eyes. He had on a tank top and loose pyjama bottoms, and the warmth of the room after the cool rain flushed his cheeks. There had to be a mourning period my libido was completely ignoring.

I took my plate and shuffled back to lean against the wall. "Patient?”

Close to him was something I definitely should not be when he looked like that and I had Brian’s voice in my head telling me I was full of shit. He was wrong. I could admit when I wanted something this badly. I wasn’t full of shit. I was just a shitty friend because me with my mind in his pants was definitely not what he needed right now.

“You alright, Mike?”

“Yeah. I’m…hungry.” I tore into my burger and concentrated on it, hoping it would help.