Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Explore 1.5M+ audiobooks & ebooks free for 30 days

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Once in October: Centerville Muscle, #4
    Once in October: Centerville Muscle, #4
    Once in October: Centerville Muscle, #4
    Ebook133 pages2 hoursCenterville Muscle

    Once in October: Centerville Muscle, #4

    By KC Kendricks

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    ***

    No AI was used to create this story.

    ***

    Kevin Scott takes life one day at a time. He learned the hard way not to plan too far ahead. He didn't plan to return to Centerville, but here he is, back home and to his surprise, working at a dream job. Life might work out for him this time. The last thing he's looking for is a relationship, at least, until Aaron Abbott stepped into his path. Kevin has concerns about dating a younger man, but his desire for Aaron wins out over his caution. The last thing he wants to do is break his young man's heart. What he never considered was if Aaron would break his.

    Aaron's a year out of college and still figuring out life and what he wants from it. When he meets Kevin, what he wants becomes focused. The only problem he can see is that Kevin is no longer a boy, but a man with a lot of experience, the kind of which Aaron hasn't yet had. An unexpected event separates them, but Fate isn't finished. When a second chance is given to them, all that remains is to see if love survived.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWhite Deer Enterprises/White Deer Books
    Release dateDec 13, 2024
    ISBN9798230464143
    Once in October: Centerville Muscle, #4
    Read preview
    Author

    KC Kendricks

    KC Kendricks calls herself an accidental writer. After completing her first novel writing as Rayne Forrest, she was urged to submit it to a publisher, and everything snowballed from there. Today, the author has had over seventy books published. The author does not use AI in the creation of her books or the book covers.  In May of 2022, she "retired" from her day job, moving from being an Administrative Assistant to an Administrative Consultant. She says it sounds grand, but the job is basically answering emails to her protégé as she becomes acquainted with all aspects of the job.  A native of scenic western Maryland, the author enjoys most activities that don't include snow. In warm weather she might be found walking the dog, biking on the C&O Canal towpath, planting delicacies in her garden for the deer to munch on at night, playing in the creek, or lazing on the patio with her ebook reader or laptop. She recently began to research her family history and can't drive past a cemetery without stopping to search for family sites. Her mission is to photograph old tombstones before the elements erode the stones and the names are lost to time. For more about KC Kendricks and Rayne Forrest's writing life, please visit the Between the Keys blog at http:kckendricks.blogspot.com . If you'd like to know more about the author's country lifestyle and her daily activities full of simple country pleasures (and a lot of work), please visit the Holly Tree Manor blog at http://hollytreemanor.blogspot.com . And for dog lovers, there is Deuce's Day – life seen through the eyes of KC's black Lab, Deuce (http://deucesday.blogspot.com) KC finds YouTube a fascinating place and has recently uploaded a few short videos of life in the country. She hopes to do more in the future. Her channel is called The Hideaway Between the Keys. https://www.youtube.com/KCKendricks KC can be reached through her blog, Between the Keys. All comments are strictly moderated by the author and personal messages are treated as such. Follow the author on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-date announcements at Twitter.com/KCKendricks.

    Read more from Kc Kendricks

    Related authors

    Related to Once in October

    Titles in the series (4)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    LGBTQIA+ Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related categories

    Reviews for Once in October

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Once in October - KC Kendricks

      Once in October

      (Centerville Muscle IV)

      by

      KC Kendricks

      ––––––––

      This book is a work of fiction. While references to actual places or events may occur, the names, characters, incidents, and locations are from the author’s imagination and any resemblance to anyone, living or dead, is coincidental.

      Copyright © 2024 KC Kendricks

      Cover art © 2024 KC Kendricks

      All rights reserved.

      Reproduction of this digital e-book for file sharing or selling, regardless of whether any type of currency is exchanged, other than what the author grants in writing, other than brief excerpts for professional review, is strictly prohibited by law. Piracy is a crime.

      With the exception of spell check, no artificial intelligence was used in the creation and editing of this work.

      NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

      Thank you for purchasing a legal copy of this work.

      Published in the United States of America.

      About Once in October

      Centerville Muscle IV

      Kevin Scott takes life one day at a time. He learned the hard way not to plan too far ahead. He didn’t plan to return to Centerville, but here he is, back home and to his surprise, working at a dream job. Life might work out for him this time. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship, at least, until Aaron Abbott stepped into his path. Kevin has concerns about dating a younger man, but his desire for Aaron wins out over his caution. The last thing he wants to do is break his young man’s heart. What he never considered was if Aaron would break his.

      Aaron’s a year out of college and still figuring out life and what he wants from it. When he meets Keven, what he wants becomes focused. The only problem he can see is that Kevin is no longer a boy, but a man with a lot of experience, the kind of which Aaron hasn’t yet had. An unexpected event separates them, but Fate isn’t finished. When a second chance is given to them, all that remains is to see if love survived.

      Praise for the writing of KC Kendricks

      KC Kendricks never disappoints!"—Fallen Angel Reviews

      ..beautifully moving in all the right places...KC Kendricks gives us a well-crafted tale- The Romance Studio

      Good to the last word....- Sensual Reads

      ...Seriously entertaining and totally engaging...- Joyfully Reviewed

      ...solidly written contemporary romance...-Jessewave

      ​​​​​​Books by KC Kendricks and Rayne Forrest

      For current availability, please visit KC’s bookshelf at

      https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

      Ian Coulter’s Amethyst Cove Series

      Double Deuce

      Deuce of Diamonds

      Ace, Deuce, Trey

      Circle of Steel

      Steel Wheels

      The Sundown Saga

      The Back Stairs

      Beneath Dark Stars

      River Walk

      Moon Dances

      Fly By Night

      The Southern Cross Series

      Netting Neptune

      Taming Triton

      Poseidon’s Pleasure

      Between The Moon and the Deep Blue Sea

      Catching Fireflies

      The Men of Marionville Series

      A Hard Habit to Break

      Open Roads

      What You Don’t Confess

      Your Whisper in the Dark

      A Cat Named Hercules

      Leather Jackets

      Station to Station

      Dreams to Sell

      The Right Brew

      Where There’s Smoke

      Bourbon and Blues

      Twice Removed From Yesterday

      Centerville Muscle

      Bored, Stroked and Blueprinted

      Memphis

      July Heat

      Once in October

      Levi & Stacy

      Shining Victory

      No One But You

      ––––––––

      Single Titles (not part of a series)

      A Friendly Neighbor

      A Perfect Hire

      December Promise

      Devilishly Delicious Dane (out of print)

      Desert Snow

      Doors of Time

      Eye of the Beholder

      Give Me One Night

      Hey, Joe

      Highway Nights

      Hot August Comes

      Kentucky 98 Proof

      Lick Me (Must Love Dogs)

      Lightning Shifts

      Passion’s Victory

      Please Use the Door (a ghostly romance)

      Ride Your Luck

      Riding Against the Wind (sequel to Ride Your Luck)

      SABRE

      Seducing Light

      September Morning

      Shine A Light

      Sumner’s Garden

      Surrendered Victory

      Tango in the Night

      The Ghost at the B & B

      The Quest

      Undeniable

      ––––––––

      Titles Written as Rayne Forrest

      Science Fiction:

      A Hero’s Bargain

      Across Time

      The Curiosity Shoppe

      The Skies of Mahdis (out of print)

      Science Fiction Series:

      The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles: Kiana

      The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles: Talyss

      The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles: Reza

      Futuristic Elements:

      After the Sea Sprite Ball

      Mischief at Midnight

      Money Back Guarantee

      Step Into Tomorrow

      To Bed a Spy

      Paranormal Elements:

      Beyond the Night

      A Hidden Heaven

      Contemporary:

      Loving Luke

      One Summer

      Right From the Start

      Table of Contents

      Once in October

      About Once in October

      Praise for the writing of KC Kendricks

      Books by KC Kendricks and Rayne Forrest

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      About the Author

      Dear Readers,

      A bonus read from Bored, Stroked, and Blueprinted

      Chapter 1

      Memory is a strange thing, being both a blessing and a curse. I wanted to remember only the good parts of my life in Centerville. There were the times my father and I spent boating on the river, zooming around in circles to create a wake and then bouncing over the waves before settling in a shady spot to fish for bass or trout. Sometimes my father and I were at great odds with each other. He’d not been pleased with me when I packed up and left town, and now there wasn’t any way to mend that fence.

      At least I had a place to stay. My sister offered me her guest room and I gratefully accepted. Well, until her girlfriend made a pass at me. My rainbow didn’t have that color. Yeah, the joke was on me because they set it up just to see my face turn red. I love my sister. Her sense of humor, not so much.

      I’d returned to Centerville on a wish and a prayer. My beloved 1971 Ford Torino GT needed some work if I wanted to keep it road-worthy, but it got me back home. My sister suggested a garage called American Muscle, warned me it was pricey, but said the mechanic was the best in the state. I was headed there this fine, sunny morning after I treated myself to a donut fix and a cup of decent coffee. When I walked into the coffee shop, the man at the counter placing an order looked familiar. A huge grin split his face when he turned and looked straight at me.

      Kevin! When did you get back to town? Do you have time to sit and talk? I’ll get a table.

      I grinned at him. It’s great to see you, Jake. I’d shake your hand, but they seem full.

      He lifted the box of donuts a bit. Keeping Memphis in donuts keeps me happy if you get my drift in this kid-friendly establishment.

      Message received. I’ll be right with you. I laughed and stepped up to the counter, got my order, and then sat across from him. He’d snagged a table by the windows, and he pointed at my car.

      Is that the same car you had when you left town?

      I slurped that wonderful first taste of morning coffee before replying. It is. She needs a lot of work, though. I need to decide if I want to keep her or find a buyer.

      You need to go see Mick Ambrose over at American Muscle. He’ll give you an honest assessment. He rocked his chair back on two legs and grinned. He knows your sister.

      "That is not the recommendation you think it is, bro, but to be honest, Tami gave me the same name. I shoved the remainder of a donut in my mouth and followed it with a slug of coffee. Where is this garage? I haven’t looked it up on my phone yet."

      He told me it was on Redding Street, and I’d know it when I saw it. He held his arms outstretched. Big sign. Are you going to be in town for a while?

      I knew why he’d ask, and it wasn’t to be polite. We had history and not all of it was good memories. Yeah, I’ve moved back. My dad died a few months ago and my mom is struggling to take care of the property. I should move in with her but I’m afraid I’d be stuck there forever.

      The smirky grin on his face said he understood - one gay man to another. The prospect of not having an occasional sleepover was depressing. His expression turned serious.

      Do you still have the bike?

      I shook my head. Hell, no. I left it behind when I bolted out of town. I told Dad to sell it, and he sent me the money. I left all of it behind, Jake. The hardliners threatened to kill me if I ever talked about what happened that night.

      He nodded. Same here. Helluva way to get clean and sober.

      Helluva way. We tapped our Styrofoam coffee cups together and sipped. I gathered up my used napkins. I’m glad I ran into you. I’m going to go check out that garage. Give me your number.

      We exchanged numbers and I glimpsed a photo of a slender dark-haired man on his phone. Who’s that?

      Memphis. We’re getting married in a couple of months unless we need to push the day back again.

      What? You got cold feet? I remembered Jake as a guy who didn’t have doubts once he’d made a decision.

      Nope. I pulled my back so badly I couldn’t stand upright much less walk down the aisle with him. Now he bats his eyelashes at me and says we can’t have sex because he can’t risk me injuring myself again.

      And you listen to him?

      Hell no! I toss him onto the bed and have my way with him. Makes him happy.

      I laughed and clapped him on the back as we stood. Sounds like fun. Call me, okay?

      I will, Kevin. I gotta get these donuts home. He will track me down like a hound after a rabbit for a donut.

      We finished saying our goodbyes as we climbed into our respective vehicles. His old Chevy 3500 purred like a kitten when he started it. My car belched out a cloud of black smoke, but she went smoothly into gear.

      My spirits

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 16