It's Not Just Because There's Moonlight

By Tinnean

Senator Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has a devoted wife, a smart son, and in a relatively short period of time, he’s moved up in politics to become Secretary of the Treasury. And then a man from his wife’s past arrives in DC and begins dating his son. What’s a man to do but call on a friend who’s one of the deadliest agents of all the alphabet agencies to look into it?

Ryder Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has loving parents, a job at the State Department he enjoys, and a good friend who’s more than just a friend. Then a man from his mom’s past comes to DC and contacts him. Donald Edmonton assures Ryder he’s simply curious as to how his onetime sweetheart has fared, but Ryder isn’t sure he believes the man. Can he -- should he -- keep the man’s appearance from his family?

Donald Edmonton’s life… isn’t perfect. His career has gone down the tubes and his finances are in disarray. The solution he comes up with lies in DC. He’s kept track of his former girlfriend and her family, and learned something interesting about her husband. He’ll go to her son first, see if he can get the rumor verified, and possibly make some money. After all, how difficult can that be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Dec 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646569939

Tinnean

I’ve been writing since the 3rd grade. I was on the staff of my high school magazine, and then... I got married. There was a long interval when raising my kids took preference, although I would scribble sci fi, contemporary, or paranormal stories with very strong heroines. (This was before I discovered m/m. Don’t laugh, I led a very sheltered childhood.)It was with the advent of the family's second computer – the first intimidated everyone – that my writing took off. I discovered 1. Fanfiction; 2. m/m (yes, I know. Finally!); 3. the wonder that is copy and paste. Does anyone remember what typing up a manuscript on a manual typewriter was like? Okay then, nuff said.While I was involved in fandom, I was nominated for both Rerun and Light My Fire Awards. But even then, my original characters would come knocking, to the point I’ve left Jim and Blair, Rodney and John, and even Lyle and Mr. Taggart (Blazing Saddles) behind. I’ve been published by Nazca Plain, JMS Books, Dreamspinner, Wilde City Press, and Less Than Three Press, and now I’m taking the leap into the self-pubbing pool. My novel, Two Lips, Indifferent Red received honorable mention in the 2013 Rainbow Awards, and Home Before Sundown was a 2017 runner-up.Now I reside in SW Florida with my husband and three computers, but I’ll always be a Noo Yawk kinda gal.

Book preview

Chapter1

Secretary of the Treasury Heathcliff Franklin—his mother had a fondness for Wuthering Heights and a soft spot for Laurence Olivier—was in his home office, reading a letter from a valued friend, when a knock on the antique door his wife had spent a good deal of time finding for him and a good deal of money having restored and installed roused him. The shadowed letters on the frosted glass read County Supervisor of Elections, the position he’d been about to leave when Elise had joined his staff, but he could still see the silhouette of the man who stood on the other side.

One moment. Heath folded the letter, returned it to its envelope, and slid it into a compartment no one else knew was there. It wasn’t incriminating—Paul, who once went by the name Pretty Boy, was simply updating Heath on his position in Labor and Delivery and Spike’s latest role in a version of Much Ado About Nothing turned on its ear, in which he’d play the male version of Hero, but it paid to be cautious. With that done, he called, Come in.

Oliver Hardwick entered and closed the door behind him. The man had once been a highly effective part of his security detail until a bullet had resulted in Hardwick’s retirement. Wasn’t even in the line of duty, he’d groused. He’d come across a mugging, and while he’d managed to put a stop to it, he’d been shot in the process. He had been the youngest member of the team guarding Heath and his family, but the one Heath trusted to keep watch over his most cherished family member—his son, Ryder.

Sorry it took me so long, sir.

Heath waved aside the apology. Ryder had been seeing someone, and from the way he’d been behaving, it was obvious he didn’t want his parents to know about the man. As reluctant as Heath had been, he’d had no choice but to ask his onetime head of security to look into it. What did you learn?

For the past week or so, it appears Ryder has been dating an older man, Donald Edmonton.

Donald Edmonton? He groaned.

Mr. Secretary?

He shook his head. Just the past week or so? But his behavior has been off for longer than that.

Hardwick shrugged. Probably because he was dating David Hollingsworth.

Why would he conceal that? His mother and I have no objection.

Oliver hunched a shoulder. Maybe they had a falling out, and that’s why he’s seeing this older guy.

Rebound or retaliation? Heath wanted to believe his son wouldn’t react in such a manner to a breakup, but Ryder was a young man, and young men’s emotions, like their hormones, did tend to run hot.

Oliver’s sigh told him more than he’d expected.

I hope he hasn’t broken up with David. We’ve always liked him.

That might be why he kept it on the down low.

To keep from disappointing us? Heath sighed. I hate to admit it, but that does make sense. He and Elise tried to stay out of their son’s private life. One of Elise’s so-called friends had had the nerve to come to her and tell her they’d seen Ryder and this older man at a local Starbucks, although at that time the man’s name was unknown.

So sad Heathcliff won’t have grandsons to carry on the family name, she’d said. Ryder being gay and all. It must be such a disappointment to you both.

Our son could never disappoint us. After all, he and his future partner could always adopt.

Not the same.

I disagree, but there’s also in vitro fertilization.

The woman sniffed. Our church regards that as an unnatural act.

As they regard homosexuality?

Our pastor has always said—

Look at the time. I must be going.

But our lunch—

I’m no longer hungry. Elise had walked out of Café Montpelier, called Hardwick, and had him drive her to Heath’s office, where she poured out the whole situation to him. There’s nothing to prevent our son from having children if that’s what he wants. She’d been so angry.

Of course not, dear. There’s always adoption.

She had the gall to say that wasn’t the same. And before you mention in vitro fertilization, her church frowns on it.

Oh, my. So you walked out on her? I imagine you’ll have one less friend.

Friends like Chantel Early I do not need.

What do you plan on doing?

I’ll see the bitch is blacklisted.

He loved when Elise got fierce. Oh?

I intend to contact Portia Mann.

Ah. Of course Heath had heard of Mrs. Mann, and not merely as someone with whom Elise worked on various charities. Anyone in the DC social and political scene was familiar with Portia Mann—she’d been born a Sebring and was a Blackburn on her mother’s side, both families considered royalty up and down the eastern seaboard. And since her son, who had left State to become a bestselling author, was unabashedly involved with another man, Portia Mann would have no problem tearing into anyone who denigrated a member of the LGBTQ community, related or not. Heath swallowed a grin. Elise’s former friend had pretty much tanked her husband’s career.

It had been a pleasure watching his wife at work.

Heath brought his thoughts back to the present. Why does the name Edmonton sound familiar?

It’s a city in Canada?

Heath gave a snort of laughter. Oliver was usually so serious it was hard to remember he had a surprising sense of humor.

Seriously, he’s mentioned in the gossip rags as being a crony of Brad Cartwright.

"The actor who’s starring in Food of Love?" The rom-com was a contemporary retelling