Mr. October

By Bailey Bradford

It's not just the ghosties and the ghouls that you've got to watch out for on Halloween!

Jerome is an artist—in his opinion, anyway. Not everyone would agree that what he does is art, but he'd beg to differ. He has a niche following and his business picks up around Halloween. When a handsome stranger walks into his gallery, the attraction that crackles to life between them is instantaneous, and scarier than anything Jerome has ever created.

He's quirky and possibly downright weird, but for some reason, the sexy doctor seems to be into him. Jerome isn't sure he can trust the feelings developing between them, and when someone decides Jerome's studio needs to go, he fears he'll never have the chance to see what kind of life he could have with Kaito.

Kaito Yoshida is a successful pediatric oncologist, and a complicated man. As serious as any doctor in his position while working, he's missed out on a lot of things in his personal life. An encounter that, at first, is mortifying, leads to Kaito daring to take a step he's never bothered to take before.

He doesn't expect to fall for Jerome Johnson, or for Jerome to fall for him.

And neither of them expect the obstacles they will encounter on the way to love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: Oct 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781786516756

Bailey Bradford

A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are reserved for pounding away at the keyboard, as are early morning hours. Sleep? Doesn't happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters bouncing about, tapping on Bailey's brain demanding to be let out. Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey's office and are never far from hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey's presence can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any circumstances.

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Author

Pride Publishing books by Bailey Bradford

Single Titles

Breaking the Devil

Dark Nights and Headlights

Texas and Tarantulas

Belt Buckles and Cowboy Boots

Something Shattered

Yes, Forever

Southwestern Shifters

Rescued

Relentless

Reckless

Rendered

Resilience

Reverence

Revolution

Revenge

Reluctance

Renounced

Retrograde

Southern Spirits

A Subtle Breeze

When the Dead Speak

All of the Voices

Wait Until Dawn

Aftermath

What Remains

Ascension

Whirlwind

Love in Xxchange

Rory’s Last Chance

Miles To Go

Bend

What Matters Most

Ex’s and O’s

A Bit of Me

A Bit of You

In My Arms Tonight

Where There’s a Will

My Heart to Keep

Leopard’s Spots

Levi

Oscar

Timothy

Isaiah

Gilbert

Esau

Sullivan

Wesley

Nischal

Justice

Sabin

Cliff

Mossy Glenn Ranch

Chaps and Hope

Ropes and Dreams

Saddles and Memories

Fences and Freedom

Riding and Regrets

Broncs and Bullies

Hay and Heartbreak

Vaqueros and Vigilance

Spotless

Hide

Hunt

Home

Heart

Coyote’s Call

Off Course

In from the Cold

Blue Moon Rising

Valen’s Pack

Run with the Moon

Exodus

The Vamp for Me

My Life Without Garlic

Don’t Stake My Life on It

Sunshine is Overrated

Don’t Drink the Holy Water

The Trouble with Mirrors

That’s One Cross Vamp

City Shifters

Bearly There

Harey Situation

Mystic Tattoos

One Too Many

Power

Exchange

Submit

Dominate

Calendar Men

Mr. January

Mr. February

Mr. March

Mr. April

Mr. May

Mr. June

Mr. July

Mr. August

Mr September

Yes, Forever

Yes, Forever: Part One

Yes, Forever: Part Two

Yes, Forever: Part Three

Yes, Forever: Part Four

Yes, Forever: Part Five

Mossy Glenn Ranch

Chaps and Hope

Ropes and Dreams

Saddles and Memories

Fences and Freedom

Riding and Regrets

Broncs and Bullies

Hay and Heartbreak

Vaqueros and Vigilance

Antholgies

What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Places

What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Moments

Racing Hearts: The Lonely Ones

Calendar Men

MR. OCTOBER

BAILEY BRADFORD

Mr. October

ISBN # 978-1-78651-675-6

©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2018

Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright October 2018

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Pride Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Pride Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2018 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

MR. OCTOBER

Book ten in the Calendar Men series

It’s not just the ghosties and the ghouls you’ve got to watch out for on Halloween!

Jerome is an artist—in his opinion, anyway. Not everyone would agree that what he does is art, but he’d beg to differ. He has a niche following and his business picks up around Halloween. When a handsome stranger walks into his gallery, the attraction that crackles to life between them is instantaneous, and scarier than anything Jerome has ever created.

He’s quirky and possibly downright weird, but for some reason, the sexy doctor seems to be into him. Jerome isn’t sure he can trust the feelings developing between them and when someone decides Jerome’s studio needs to go, Jerome fears he’ll never have the chance to see what kind of life he could have had with Kaito.

Kaito Yoshida is a successful pediatric oncologist, and a complicated man. As serious as any doctor in his position while working, he’s missed out on a lot of things in his personal life. An encounter that’s at first mortifying leads to Kaito daring to take a step he’s never bothered to take before.

He doesn’t expect to fall for Jerome Johnson, or for Jerome to fall for him.

And neither of them expected the obstacles they encounter on their way to love.

Dedication

To Rebecca, for helping me through my breakdown when a certain program ate my words. You are a treasure, Rebecca!

Chapter One

Jerome Johnson grunted as he put the finishing touches on the steer’s skull he had decorated. Since Halloween was approaching, he’d used shades of orange, yellow, and red, along with black, of course, to paint the scene of goblins and other scary monsters dancing along the flat of the skull. He’d debated adding some ghosts, but those were all over the place in October art work. He liked his monsters better. Some were from his imagination, and others from semi-popular lore. Jerome avoided doing what was popular or expected as often as he could, although there were times he had commissions for such things that he couldn’t turn down. Artistic integrity didn’t always buy groceries, and whether he liked the monsters he had to create or not, he always put his full effort into making them. As his dad always said, ‘don’t come half-stepping. If you are going to do something, do it right and full-steam ahead.’ His dad was a Marine—no retired allowed to be added to preface that grand title—and a wise man.

Hey, boss, that is awesome!

Jerome glanced up as his assistant and apprentice bounded into the room Jerome used as his studio. It was not quite in the back of the gallery, because the moonlight there wasn’t great thanks to the big building behind them that often blocked the silvery rays he found inspiring.

What’s that? Edge pointed to a creature gnawing on its intestines.

No idea, but it seems sufficiently gross, so I had to paint it. The figure was humanoid, with two expressive heads. One was eating and the other was screaming in agony.

Edge bent closer. That’d make an awesome tattoo. Oh, wow, you’ve got a whole bunch of almost-microscopic monsters on this bad boy!

They weren’t that small, but someone without a discerning eye might mistake the chupacabras smoking a bowl of weed to be nothing more than swirls of color denoting rocks or shrubbery. He’d kept their outlines vague to anyone who didn’t really pay attention.

This is—

Awesome? Jerome interrupted, raising both eyebrows at his apprentice.

Edge blushed. Sorry. I’m trying, but it slips out all the time.

There are so many other words to choose from, Jerome teased. Live a little. Be—

Edge groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. Please, no.

Edgy, Jerome finished.

Edge lowered his hands and stuck his tongue out at Jerome. You’re the worst, you know that?

Go read the thesaurus, or work on the window display. Jerome made a shooing motion with his hands. You could also start on that new sculpture you sketched out. Get.

I’m not ready to tackle the sculpting yet. I have to get over my fear of failure first. Edge sighed as if he had the worst job ever as he left the studio.

Jerome knew it was an act, except for the part about fear of failure. The first ‘real’ art piece, as Edge described it, was intimidating. Jerome remembered how he’d felt when he’d decided to give his art a chance and try to make a living with it. He’d been terrified.

But he’d moved past the fear, used it to his advantage and made a horrifying painting of a man being ripped apart by bloody, not always human hands. His rendering of The Power of Fear had been spotted by a wealthy art collector and Jerome had been eking out a living ever since.

He’d seen the same potential to create in Edge—which wasn’t his real name. Edge had begged to be taken on as his apprentice for months after the first time he’d entered Jerome’s s gallery. Edge had showed him sketches and Jerome had been impressed, but hesitant to take on an employee. The second time Edge had shown up with a split lip and a defeated countenance, Jerome had hired him. He didn’t know much about Edge’s home life, but he suspected bad things had happened to him before he’d moved out shortly after Jerome had signed his second paycheck.

Jerome only knew that fact because Edge had asked him if he had any ideas where Edge could get cheap furniture for his ‘crappy’ apartment.

Jerome shook off his lazy thoughts. He was content sitting there doing nothing for the moment. His cat was clawing for dominance today and he’d have liked to shift and curl up on the desk so he could take a long nap.

Unfortunately for him, he had a deadline to meet. The steer skull he’d done had been for fun. And maybe because he’d procrastinated tackling the commissioned painting he needed to do. He’d been in the mood to work on anything but canvas the past few weeks.

Oh, well. He could get over himself and start on the zombie bride and groom portrait. The couple who’d commissioned the piece had married on a Halloween night in the past, and this coming one would be their ten-year anniversary. He should be more excited, having been given creative license with their portrait. It was just that he was a teeny bit envious of their relationship. He kept finding Mr. Wrong every time he dated.

Maybe if I picked better.

Boss? Are you talking to yourself again? Edge called out from the other room.

Jerome snorted. Only way I’ll have an intelligent convo.

Keep telling yourself that, Edge retorted. More like you’re the only one who wants to talk to you.

Before Jerome could think of an answer, the doorbell chimed, and Edge greeted whatever customer had entered the place. Most people came in to look, not shop. More than once, Jerome’s gallery had been referred to as ‘macabre’, ‘depressing’ and more often, ‘weird’. He didn’t care. At least he wasn’t the one coming in to gawk at something while tossing about an air of superiority.

Okay, maybe it irks me a little. Sighing, he got up from his favorite stool and stretched, arching his back, purring as it popped in a few places. He twisted to the left, then the right, working out some of the stiffness that came with sitting and hunching

Reviews for Mr. October

[L'eau · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cute story like the rest of the series, but needs editing.