Highway Nights

Garrett Webb has a five-point plan for starting his own business. To keep it on track, he takes a second job and settles into the evening delivery run between Owensville and Mt. Franklin. The solitude of being on the road clears his head and enables him to chart a better future for himself. When a foggy night sends him to the safety of The Downshift Diner and its owner, Oliver Sanderson, that future takes an unforeseen turn.

Oliver Sanderson enjoys a quiet life along the lonely stretch of highway that's home to his diner. The road brings all manner of interesting souls to his door. When Garrett Webb steps out of the fog seeking shelter, his openness and honesty draws Oliver's interest. He's ready to take the next step, but needs to be cautious. Trouble is coming to the diner, and Oliver wants Garrett clear of it.

Good intentions can't hold out against their budding attraction. Garrett makes the diner a regular stop during his nightly run, and the men get better acquainted. But Garrett's past isn't done with him. In a single heart-stopping moment, Garrett is forced to a decision that risks Oliver's life – one that could forever end their highway nights.

* * *

Oliver settled in the booth and stared across the table. "You gonna tell me why you're really here?"

"I told you. Food and conversation."

The young man didn't bat an eye. Oliver had a good sense about men, and it said Garrett was interested in a lot more than talk. He saw no point in calling the fellow on it, not yet. It could be Garrett didn't consciously realize what he wanted. Life handed you moments like that, and Oliver had had his fair share of them. But if the lad wanted talk, he'd be glad to get the ball rolling.

"All right, then. I'll be nosey and start our chat. So why are you working two jobs? A young fellow like you should be out clubbing every night."

"My five-point plan suffered a setback. I'm working to recoup some losses."

"Boyfriend?"

Garrett sighed. "Not any longer."

And, no doubt, the ex-boyfriend was reason the five-point plan had been derailed. It usually was. Oliver could say he'd been there and done that, too, but he'd wait to see if Garrett asked first. He didn't, so Oliver tried another topic.

"Nice jeans."

"Thanks. I got a great deal on them. Twenty bucks at a yard sale."

Yard sale? No wonder Garrett dressed like a prince. Oliver could, too, if he had the patience to treasure hunt, because that's what a yard sale really was.

"Good looking, hard working and frugal. You don't find that combination every day."

Garrett sipped his cola, his blue gaze fastened on Oliver's. "That's me. Do you like the back pockets of my jeans?"

"Ah, a flaw. Vanity." Oliver leaned back, unable to refrain from grinning at Garrett. "I noticed. I'll say it since your ego appears to need it." He leaned forward and kept his voice down. "Nice butt."