Pearls, Porches and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn

Two years ago I read a fascinating article in the Los Angeles Times (yes, I still read newspapers!) about two former soap opera actors who long ago slipped out of the limelight, and actually the business, only to make the headlines again by landing an incredible inheritance.

An elderly man who knew neither of them died and left them his entire estate. Though the property was massive, the house that stood on it was decrepit and neither man believed any of it was real at first.

One of them flew out to Illinois where the property was located and visited the old homestead and learned he truly had inherited a fortune. Once the property was sold he and the other beneficiary would inherit almost a million dollars each.

It was quite a tale. The kind that never happens to most people and certainly baffled the two men who inherited the estate. Neither of them knew him. Neither had ever met him, but one of them had apparently responded to a request for an autographed photo about thirty years ago.

The attorney handling the old man’s will said that he’d never encountered anything like this strange inheritance. As for the two actors, they’d once worked together on an old TV show episode but weren’t close.

As far as I know, the property was sold and the money divided between them. 

I’ve thought about this story for a long time and wondered, what if? What if two gay actors who have a love-hate relationship and inherit a property this way? What if their show was axed and one’s doing okay and the other is struggling?

What if one wants to sell and the other wants to keep it? 

What if this strange opportunity gives them a chance to reignite their stalled romance?

I’ve pondered this idea for two years and a couple of months it fell into place in my mind.

And so, Pearls, Porches and Peanuts was born. 

I loved writing this book, setting it in Austin and San Antonio, two cities I know and love. I really love these characters and their unique dilemma.

I hope you will, too. 

I thought it was the perfect story to put into the Amber Allure PAX™ collection of Texas Cowboy stories. And it’s also the perfect reminder to be kind to strangers who reach out to us.

Here’s a little taste of Pearls, Porches and Peanuts.

Synopsis: 

MacIntosh “Tosh” Tanner has had the worst year of his life with the cancellation of his TV series, Cowboy County, and a former business manager stealing his money. And now his boyfriend’s dumped him, too. He fears for his future until he receives an unexpected surprise. He’s inherited a massive, rundown ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, from a fan. It’s worth over a million bucks. Discovering he shares this bizarre estate with another beneficiary, he wonders who it could be. Anyone would be great as long as it’s not his archenemy, Dagan Rucker.

Dagan, Tosh’s former co-star, was also swindled by the same business manager, but over his lengthy career, he invested in a lot of property. Settled in Topanga, the real cowboy heart of L.A., he bought the area’s first-ever working ranch and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. He’s happy with his life, but lonely, and thinks about Tosh often, ever since they shared a scorching encounter five years ago. He’s tried for so long to work things out with Tosh, who refuses to even consider the possibility of them being together.

Can anything change the way Tosh feels about Dagan?

Excerpt:

..With a look that made Tosh’s cock leap inside his tight jeans, Dagan pushed him onto the luxurious leather seat. Just as he prepared to climb on top of Tosh, a cracking sound invaded their world. Something was sniffing around the brush where they’d parked on top of a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“What is it?” Tosh asked, fearing it might be some deranged paparazzo.

“I dunno. It’s black. It’s either a wild cat. Or a skunk.” Tosh looked over his shoulder, but gave up scrutiny as Tosh grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him into the vehicle.

“Close the door.”

Dagan laughed, reached behind him and obeyed. The seat was comfy, but they were both wearing boots. And they were a bit sunburned. Dagan looked down at him in the deepening night. Whatever was outside broke twigs. It somehow enhanced the moment. He was kissing a genuine movie cowboy!

Tosh gasped as Dagan kissed his throat. Nobody had ever touched him like this, with such reverence or grace. The kisses that moved along his face and neck burned a hole right through his awkward defenses. He gave himself up to the dusty pleasures of making out on a canyon road. The man on top of him rubbed himself against Tosh. Dry humping. Tosh had always loved dry humping.

“God I love this,” Dagan ground out against Tosh’s mouth. “Don’t know why I always liked dry humping.”

“Me, too. I was jus’ thinkin’ that.” Tosh panted, hardly able to complete a sentence as he tugged Dagan’s shirt up from his jeans. His body was tight. He knew it would be. He’d seen him a million times on TV, and thrilled to the touch of the actor’s smooth skin against the palm of his hand.

Their gazes held. Tosh wriggled on the seat as Dagan said, “Anticipation. I always liked anticipation.”

Then came the smell. An awful one.

“You were right. It’s a skunk.”

“Can you believe it! Everyone’s a critic,” Dagan deadpanned. “I think it hosed the side of the car.”

They laughed as the pungent fumes overwhelmed them. They sat up, hard and hurting in their increasingly tighter jeans.

“Take me home and fuck me,” Tosh said.

“Oh, I will. Don’t you worry about that...”

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Western (Modern Day) / The Arts / Romantic Comedy 

Heat Level: 2 

Length: Novella (24k words)

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Pearls, Porches and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn is now available at Amber Allure.

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