Debonair in Disguise

By Thomas Grant Bruso

Moving to a new place can be a nightmare. Picking up and meeting different people is intimidating, as Brandon and Tate soon realize when they leave the City of Brotherly Love for a sleepy backwater town in upstate New York.

Brandon finds work as a software engineer, but Tate discovers change is daunting as a kindergarten teacher in unknown surroundings. Since leaving the only place he has ever known, Tate struggles with the death and memories of his mother, who he lost to cancer a few years ago. His father left when his mom got sick and never returned.

Starting life over with the man he loves brings Tate joy, safety, comfort, and a fresh start. Beginning this chapter proves challenging, but Tate soon discovers these times can also be memorable and satisfying. But then he begins receiving mysterious letters at home and work. Where did the letters come from, and what do they mean?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jul 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685502133

Thomas Grant Bruso

Thomas Grant Bruso graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2004 with a Bachelor’s in theatre performance and English writing. He knew at an early age he wanted to be a writer. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since he was a kid. His literary inspirations are Dean Koontz, Karin Fossum, Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, and John Connolly. He loves animals, book-reading, writing fiction, and prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles. He writes book reviews for his hometown newspaper, The Press Republican. He lives in Plattsburgh with his husband, Paul, and their miniature pincher diva, Riley. For more information, please visit facebook.com/thomasgrantbruso.

Book preview

Debonair in Disguise

By Thomas Grant Bruso

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2022 Thomas Grant Bruso

ISBN 9781685502133

* * * *

Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

* * * *

For Paul, as always.

* * * *

Debonair in Disguise

By Thomas Grant Bruso

The Hanville Daily arrived a few minutes after 5:30 A.M. on Monday. I sat down at the kitchen table to read it. I was already working through my second cup of black coffee, waking early to the chirping sounds of robins flitting in the surrounding trees outside our bedroom window.

The headlines brought silent screams and concerns to my sleepy spirits: fires, tsunamis, war, disease, and an alarming threat of an unending virus raging on in other parts of the world, mainly in metropolitan areas.

Nestled safely in a quiet corner in upstate New York, I settled in with the comforting stillness and ambiance of our new home. My boyfriend, Brandon, was still asleep in the bedroom down the hall.

The stark white light above the stove illuminated the pages of the newspaper as I continued reading, sipping piping hot coffee and wincing at the discouraging news emerging from across the country.

I turned the page and skipped to section D, to the funnies and horoscopes. Reading my daily horoscope usually brought smiles and goodwill. I hoped for positive change, especially today, as I transitioned into my new job as a kindergarten teacher at Hanville Elementary School.

Cancer—when one door closes, another opens. Stay grounded and don’t judge others; change your negative thinking; clear the unwanted clutter from the busyness of your mind.

I beamed. My heartbeat quickened.

Before turning the page to the sports section, I stopped and stared around the homey surroundings, thankful and lucky for my life and all its small pleasures. I turned to the animalistic grumblings of Brandon’s snoring drifting out of the bedroom.

I smiled and turned my attention to last night’s local college football scores in the first column beneath the headline: Sharks Scare Off Competition. Hanville Hammerheads won against an out-of-state team with two final touchdowns. Brandon would be proud, I thought, as he was a lover and expert on all things football.

I drank the rest of my coffee and pushed out of my chair to stand and refill my cup. I slammed the side of the mug with my elbow. I sent it flying, along with the newspaper, to the floor, shards of glass splintering across