The sequel to Amber Allure’s Best Seller Bunyip...
In the idyllic seaside town of Half Moon Bay, just outside of San Francisco, Gideon Hunter has just met the man of his dreams in Jory Wyatt. But how can he start something with Jory when Gideon has a monster of a problem? His newly adopted five-year-old daughter has some issues, and Gideon can’t even begin to cope with her little...idiosyncrasies...let alone fall in love. Not only that, but Jory has a few things to deal with himself. Namely his 175-pound dog Renaldo. Unfortunately, Gretchen has become attached to Renaldo, and the big drooling beast seems to have become smitten with her, too.
Jory has waited a long time for somebody as wonderful as Gideon to move to town. But can Gideon be as amazing as he seems? And is it true what their mutual friend Steve Maddox says about Gideon’s cute yet serious daughter? That she’s some kind of actual monster? Steve should know, especially since he has an unusual creature of his own...Norman the bunyip...
Note: Although this story is a sequel to Bunyip, it can be read as a stand-alone story.
In the idyllic seaside town of Half Moon Bay, just outside of San Francisco, Gideon Hunter has just met the man of his dreams in Jory Wyatt. But how can he start something with Jory when Gideon has a monster of a problem? His newly adopted five-year-old daughter has some issues, and Gideon can’t even begin to cope with her little...idiosyncrasies...let alone fall in love. Not only that, but Jory has a few things to deal with himself. Namely his 175-pound dog Renaldo. Unfortunately, Gretchen has become attached to Renaldo, and the big drooling beast seems to have become smitten with her, too.
Jory has waited a long time for somebody as wonderful as Gideon to move to town. But can Gideon be as amazing as he seems? And is it true what their mutual friend Steve Maddox says about Gideon’s cute yet serious daughter? That she’s some kind of actual monster? Steve should know, especially since he has an unusual creature of his own...Norman the bunyip...
Note: Although this story is a sequel to Bunyip, it can be read as a stand-alone story.
Genres: Gay/Dark Fantasy/Witchcraft/Magic/Paranormal/Action/Adventure
Heat Level: 3
Length: Novella (25k words)
Length: Novella (25k words)
Read a short excerpt...
...Gideon knew that Gretchen would drift away in no time. He allowed her to watch the movies he’d already seen with her, and which soothed her. Anything with dogs or cats were her favorite, especially if the animals overcame a boo-hiss villain.
When he first took custody of her, she’d been afraid of everything. Frankly, when he learned what he now knew about her, he’d been afraid, too.
“Okay,” he said, as Mary drew forward his favorite rocking chair. He kissed his daughter’s cheek. “I’m just in the living room if you need me, sweetie.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, too.” He bent and kissed her again, as Mary leaned back into her chair. She was exhausted, he could tell. He left Gretchen alone with her babysitters and went back to the living room. All conversation seemed to stop. Everybody looked at him.
“Care for a scorpion?” Jory asked him. He sounded strained. “They’re supposed to be drinks that are shared.” Jory rose from his chair by the fireplace and joined Gideon. “But I figured none of us feel cozy enough to share…yet.” He gave Gideon a wink and handed him a cocktail glass. Gideon sipped at it.
“Delicious.” He found himself a seat near Jory, beside Louis, who was practically licking his near-empty glass.
Gideon felt the lethal cocktail hit him in a pleasant way. Maybe he shouldn’t drink, in case the police showed up to arrest the Browns.
“Man,” Alun suddenly said. “I thought I had an unusual pet. Is what Steve told us true, Gideon?”
Gideon froze, his glass at his lips. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled. What the hell had Steve been telling them? He was aware of everybody’s gaze on him, and locked glances with Jory, who gave him a sympathetic smile.
“I don’t know.” Gideon hoped he’d been able to disguise his fury. “What did Steve tell you?”
Louis Brown looked like an excited rabbit, his nose twitching a little. Oh, God. What the hell had Steve done?
Steve flapped his hand. “Sweetie, I was just telling them that I think you’re a little bit in denial about Gretchen.”
“Denial? Who me?” Gideon was desperate enough to attempt a pathetic joke. “Isn’t that a river in Egypt?”
“Oh, God.” Steve shook his head. “You need to face facts. You have to admit what she is.”
Gideon shook his head. This was worse than the time his Aunt Marie outed him at his sister’s sweet sixteen birthday party.
“You have to admit what she is,” Steve repeated.
Have another scorpion, Steve. Sheesh. Gideon tried to avoid the avid stares of every man in the room. Harriet looked mesmerized.
“Well, you said she isn’t an animal, and she’s not human, so what is she?” asked Hugh, lifting his head from the scorpion that sloshed over the rim of his glass, through his fingers, and onto the hardwood floor.
“She’s a monster, that’s what she is.” Steve nodded vigorously. “She’s a little monster...”
When he first took custody of her, she’d been afraid of everything. Frankly, when he learned what he now knew about her, he’d been afraid, too.
“Okay,” he said, as Mary drew forward his favorite rocking chair. He kissed his daughter’s cheek. “I’m just in the living room if you need me, sweetie.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, too.” He bent and kissed her again, as Mary leaned back into her chair. She was exhausted, he could tell. He left Gretchen alone with her babysitters and went back to the living room. All conversation seemed to stop. Everybody looked at him.
“Care for a scorpion?” Jory asked him. He sounded strained. “They’re supposed to be drinks that are shared.” Jory rose from his chair by the fireplace and joined Gideon. “But I figured none of us feel cozy enough to share…yet.” He gave Gideon a wink and handed him a cocktail glass. Gideon sipped at it.
“Delicious.” He found himself a seat near Jory, beside Louis, who was practically licking his near-empty glass.
Gideon felt the lethal cocktail hit him in a pleasant way. Maybe he shouldn’t drink, in case the police showed up to arrest the Browns.
“Man,” Alun suddenly said. “I thought I had an unusual pet. Is what Steve told us true, Gideon?”
Gideon froze, his glass at his lips. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled. What the hell had Steve been telling them? He was aware of everybody’s gaze on him, and locked glances with Jory, who gave him a sympathetic smile.
“I don’t know.” Gideon hoped he’d been able to disguise his fury. “What did Steve tell you?”
Louis Brown looked like an excited rabbit, his nose twitching a little. Oh, God. What the hell had Steve done?
Steve flapped his hand. “Sweetie, I was just telling them that I think you’re a little bit in denial about Gretchen.”
“Denial? Who me?” Gideon was desperate enough to attempt a pathetic joke. “Isn’t that a river in Egypt?”
“Oh, God.” Steve shook his head. “You need to face facts. You have to admit what she is.”
Gideon shook his head. This was worse than the time his Aunt Marie outed him at his sister’s sweet sixteen birthday party.
“You have to admit what she is,” Steve repeated.
Have another scorpion, Steve. Sheesh. Gideon tried to avoid the avid stares of every man in the room. Harriet looked mesmerized.
“Well, you said she isn’t an animal, and she’s not human, so what is she?” asked Hugh, lifting his head from the scorpion that sloshed over the rim of his glass, through his fingers, and onto the hardwood floor.
“She’s a monster, that’s what she is.” Steve nodded vigorously. “She’s a little monster...”
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