“I mean, that’s in the job description, isn’t it? If you open up an animal shelter, the first order of action is always to get a guitar and serenade the animals. There’s plenty of studies that show music lowers their stress levels, too,” Adam said, grinning back at me.
I reached my hand up to the top of the table and shortly after, he placed his hand in mine.
And I kind of couldn’t fucking believe it. It had only been six months since we’d moved to Portland, and next week, we’d be opening our own animal shelter together. Adam felt it was the best way to use his inheritance money—starting a nonprofit that both of us felt just as passionate about. In short, making our dream jobs possible and giving back to the community at the same time.
It hadn’t been that easy from the start—when we first got to Portland, it was hard to find the right place to live and I took a bartending job for the first few months.
But just last month, Adam and I had found the perfect small house for us and Chewy. It was twenty minutes outside of the city, a quaint older house with a fenced-in lawn for Chewy. Simple, but just what we needed.
So as I grasped his hand on the tabletop, staring into the eyes of the man I loved in our new hometown, it all kind of hit me at once. We’d been so busy with making the transition to Portland, then so busy figuring out the logistics of opening the shelter, that it hadn’t really dawned on me yet how incredible my life was.
And all it took to make me realize it in that moment was holding Adam’s hand on top of the table, in public, as my mom walked up to the table and said hello to us.
“Hi ma, and hi Mark,” I said, smiling and standing up from the seat to give them both a hug.
“You make it in okay?” Adam asked as we all sat back down in the booth. Adam sat next to me, and just feeling him sitting near me made me feel warmer inside.
“The drive was great,” Mark said in his Texas drawl. “It’s not so bad comin’ down to visit you two.”
“I’m so lucky Mark loves driving as much as he does,” my mom said, beaming at him.
“Love it as much as I love you,” Mark told her.
“D’aww,” I said. “You guys are disgustingly cute.”
“Hey, I could say the same thing about you two,” my mom said, waving a hand dismissively at us.
“Wait—wait a minute—” I said, catching the gleam of something on one of her fingers. I grabbed her hand. “Is that what I think it is?”
A faint blush rose to her face as she nodded. “This is part of the reason we wanted to come down for dinner to see you two,” my mom said. “Mark and I are getting married!”
“Oh my God!” I shouted, and more than a couple heads turned toward us in the restaurant, but I didn’t care. I sprang out of my seat again and leaned over to hug her right where she sat. “Mom, I am so happy for you!”
“Now of course, you two will be at the wedding,” my mom said.
“Adam is part of the reason your mother and I even got together,” Mark said, nodding at Adam.
“Wait,” I said, “Is that true?”
A small smile grew over Adam’s lips. “I did assist in some adorable note-passing between them in the hospital.”
I shook my head, smiling and sitting back down next to Adam. I rested my hand on his thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze before looking back up at the menu.
“Seriously, congratulations, guys,” Adam said.
“And congrats to you, too,” Mark said. “I can’t believe the shelter is opening in just a week.”
“I know,” Adam said. “We’ve been working so hard, but the real hard work will start next week. But I’m ready for it. There’s no job I’ve ever wanted more.”
We ate, and talked, and laughed for hours. It was a singularly amazing experience. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be here, in Portland, eating dinner with my boyfriend while my mom and her fiancé were across the table? I couldn’t possibly have believed it.
And after we’d said goodbye to my mom and Mark, and Adam and I piled into the front of his truck, I realized that I’d finally done it.
I had the life I’d always dreamed of. It was still going to take a lot of work—the shelter would be a constant challenge, and I knew things couldn’t always be as perfect as they’d been tonight.
And for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel broken anymore.
All I felt was gratitude, deeper than anything I’d ever felt, for how lucky I was.
Adam must have sensed that I was having a moment, because he didn’t make a move to turn the keys in the ignition. He let them dangle there, the truck still off, and he turned to face me.
I puffed out a little laugh, turning to Adam.
“What?” he said, with a small smile.
I shook my head, taking a deep breath in. “I just realized something crazy.”
“And what’s that?”
I paused for a moment, gazing out the window before turning back to him. “I realized that I don’t hate Fox Hollow anymore.”
Adam laughed. “Yeah, easy not to hate it when you don’t have to live there anymore, right?”
“Well,” I said, “it’s more than just that, though.”
“Then what?” he said, reaching his hand out and squeezing mine.
“I realized I’ll always love Fox Hollow, more than any place in the world. Because it brought you to me, Adam,” I said, my voice low.
Adam let out a soft breath of air, leaning in to kiss me deeply, then pulling back and resting his forehead against mine. “Fox Hollow will be with me forever, too, Grey.”
“And so will I,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest.
Because I meant it, every word of it. I wanted to be with Adam forever. And I knew that no matter where we ended up, and no matter where life took us, he would be right there beside me.
The End
More 5*Star
Thank you so much for reading! Watch for book 4 in the Under the Stars series (Your Superstar, Chandler’s book), coming next!
Want more 5*Star? For a free copy of 5*Star: The Beginning, an 8,000-word short story that features all the members of the band, click here to sign up for my mailing list and the story will instantly be delivered to you! 5*Star: The Beginning tells the story of the first sold-out concert the guys performed, all the way back in 1999 when they were the hottest young, new band.
Check out more Raleigh Ruebins novels below:
Your Fallen Star (Under the Stars, Book 1)
A decade and a half ago, Leo Stone was famous. Fans galore, and money pouring in like a waterfall. Music industry royalty.
…And then the band broke up.
Leo went from a prince to pauper, and now he’s trying to make a comeback. To clean up his image and grab a little publicity, his manager hires Jamie Sheffield to write his biography.
Straight out of college, Jamie can’t believe his luck. He’d never quite gotten over his teen-aged crush on Leo, and now here he is, talking with Leo, thinking about Leo. Sleeping with Leo. And the heat between them is enough to set paper on fire.
But Leo’s afraid to commit to Jamie, no matter how much Jamie wants it. Not with the tabloids standing by, waiting for their next serving of scandal. And all the while, the book is getting closer to being finished. Will their story be cut short, or can they make it last forever?
Your Fallen Star is a 75,000-word gay romance novel, complete with a cranky, lovable, washed-up musician, a young and starry-eyed hopeful writer, and a cat named Mr. Ginger Boots. A little slow-burn, a lot of steam, and a happily-ever-after ending. It is the first book in the Under the Stars series, featuring the former members of the boy band 5*Star, but can be read alone or as part of the series.
The Sweetest Star (Under the Stars, Book 2)
Eric Ronson used to be a superstar… now he’s only cooking up trouble. He needs a fake boyfriend, and fast.
As a former member of the boy band 5*Star, Eric never imagined he’d be starting a new gig as a host on a live
cooking show—much less that he’d need a co-host to really help his star shine.
Dash Thompson loved his quiet life as a food writer… until a horrible breakup really stirred things up.
The offer to be on a TV show with Eric might give his life the spice it so desperately needs to get him out of his funk, but there’s only one problem (ok, maybe two)…. He has to pretend to be Eric’s boyfriend and he kind of hates Eric.
The idea of being Eric’s fake boyfriend really puts a hair in Dash’s biscuit, because Eric is everything that Dash isn’t: loud and unpredictable, wild and fun loving… so why does he want sleep with him so bad?
As the cameras roll, the line between what’s fake and what’s real quickly blurs when Eric and Dash realize they have better chemistry than sugar and spice. Can Eric give up his playboy ways and rise to the occasion? Will Dash’s heart crumble like a cookie?
The Sweetest Star is a 65,000-word gay romance novel where enemies become lovers, with plenty of cheesy food jokes along the way. It’s sweet and steamy, with a happily-ever-after ending. It is the second book in the Under the Stars series, featuring the former members of the boy band 5*Star, but each book can be read alone or as part of the series.
Seeing Sunrise
What do you do when a one-time hook up becomes your summertime roommate?
Jesse Chase is in Colorado just for the summer, and he is determined to have fun. It’s his last summer of freedom before graduating from college, and during his first week in town, he has a sexy hook up in a bar with a hot, mysterious man. The connection is explosive, but afterward, the guy refuses to meet up again.
But two days later, Jesse finds out that that same man will be his roommate for the rest of summer…
"Is this how you get all the guys?"
"Not all the guys act like you."
Nathan Stanford is still hurting after his engagement crumbled almost two years ago. He’s fully focused on his work as a photographer, and he’s definitely not looking for a serious relationship. But when he meets the young, intriguing Jesse in a bar, he can’t hold himself back.
He never expected to end up living with Jesse for the whole summer. He’s completely afraid of taking things any further, but at the same time, he can’t pull away…
“Stay with me. Just for tonight.”
Soon, Nathan is pulled into Jesse’s life. He’s forced to photograph a wedding that Jesse is catering, and ends up bringing Jesse on an overnight camping trip soon after.
It soon becomes clear that their feelings can’t be ignored, and what they thought was a summer fling could be so much more….
Seeing Sunrise is a 60,000 word steamy, emotional MM romance, with slight May/December themes - HEA ending guaranteed.
Breaking the Record
“When will I see him again? And why do I want to so badly?”
Ben Lakeland owns a failing record store in small-town Welling, New York, and it's the last place he wants to be. Everything used to be easy: watching football with his frat buddies, drinking beer, and being popular in school. But at 24 years old, everyone else seems to have grown up but Ben. Each day the same: work, run, eat, and sleep, all on his own.
Until he meets Julian.
Everything changes when the mysterious and intriguing new customer enters his store. Who is this man who looks like he walked straight out of a rock band, with his tattoos, leather jacket, and icy blue eyes? And more importantly, why can't Ben stop thinking about him?
“Would you ever do something like that? You know… kiss a guy?”
Julian Hart just wanted to start fresh. Dumped by his last boyfriend in New York City, he thought Welling would be different - he could focus on pursuing his master’s degree without the constant anxiety of dating.
But there's only one shop in town to feed his endless record collecting habit, and a friendly, muscular jock works the front counter. Why is he so nice to Julian? And why can't Julian seem to stop his habit of crushing hard on gorgeous straight guys?
“Can you come home with me? I just don’t want to be alone tonight…”
The two men can't stay away from one another, and as hard as they try, their feelings aren't going away. Ben struggles to navigate what his attraction to Julian might mean. Julian knows he can't have Ben—and that's exactly why he wants him so bad.
Julian agrees to help Ben try to save the record store. But business and music are quickly forgotten when the two of them discover things they didn’t think were possible.
Breaking the Record is a 70,000 word slow-burn, steamy, emotional MM romance, with a first time gay story and mild hurt/comfort - HEA ending guaranteed.
Can’t Stop Now: First Time Gay Romance
“I’m driving 3,000 miles across the country.”
“You should take me along…”
Will Stetson just graduated from college, and with his degree in Fine Arts, he has no career prospects. He’s a talented artist with no direction, but what bothers him even more is that he can’t find love. He’s flirty, friendly, and openly gay, but he doesn’t want just a hook up, he wants to find a boyfriend who will truly love him.
Jacob Reitner is a tall, muscular jock who also just graduated and is ready to start his new job. But what will his life be like without his soccer team, business club, and jock friends? After the breakup with his girlfriend, he decides to drive across the country, to his new job in California, all alone. At least until he meets Will… how can a guy make him feel so good?
“You’d be perfect for me if only you could ever love me back.”
On a whim, Jacob meets Will and ends up inviting him on the road trip of a lifetime. But can Jacob resist the feelings he begins to develop for Will? Or will the trip transform them into much more?
“Because I’m falling for you. Or I already have fallen for you.”
Can’t Stop Now is a 55,000-word, standalone first time gay/straight to gay romance with a HEA, no cheating, no cliffhangers. Packed with steamy, adult MM scenes.
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Wild Star: Under the Stars Book 3 Page 22