The Neighbor's Son

Coming home was supposed to be temporary. Falling for the man next door wasn't part of the plan. Ryan Harken returns to his small Missouri hometown after college with a degree, an uncertain future, and no intention of staying any longer than necessary. Then he sees Derek Johnson. Older. Quiet. Infuriatingly controlled. And rebuilding the abandoned lake house Ryan remembers from childhood. A summer job helping Derek with the restoration should be simple.
Instead, long days beneath the Missouri sun turn into lingering looks, accidental touches, late evenings by the lake, and a tension neither man seems willing to name. Derek has spent years building walls no one gets through. Ryan has spent his life believing he's supposed to leave. But as the old house slowly comes back to life, Ryan begins to wonder whether some things are worth rebuilding-and whether home might be a person instead of a place.
The problem is that summer won't last forever. Chicago is waiting. Ryan's career is beginning. And wanting Derek is one thing. Choosing a life together is something else entirely.