Come in From the Cold Read online

  

  Suncoast Society

  Come in From the Cold

  Although it broke his heart to leave, Douglas never thought he’d see Connor again. Douglas truly believed becoming a priest was the only way to save both their souls. But when a beloved friend from college arrives at his rectory, he can’t turn his back on her. Now he’s newly widowed, and the father of a newborn.

  Connor’s heart has never healed from losing Douglas. Despite twenty-five years passing, Connor hopes the old promise he extracted—show up, and he’d never turn his back on him—might one day come to pass. Meanwhile, he’ll raise his daughter and steal what little bits of personal time he can to help ease his lonely existence.

  Yet fate is cruelly kind. Connor’s boy has returned…except he became the one thing Connor cannot ever accept. The Church created bottomless wounds in Connor’s soul that have never healed. Is Douglas strong enough to withstand Connor’s righteous wrath, or will both men’s hearts remain forever frozen?

  Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), BDSM, Contemporary

  Length: 94,032

  Come in From the Cold

  Suncoast Society

  Tymber Dalton

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Come in From the Cold

  Copyright © 2018 by Tymber Dalton

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-325-8

  First Publication: July 2018

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  DEDICATION

  This one’s for Sir. He knows why.

  Also, thanks to my bestie, Trish, to Jilly, and to Sadie Haller, for letting me know if the “filthy quotient” was up to snuff.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tymber Dalton is the wild-child alter-ego of author Lesli Richardson. She lives in the Tampa Bay region of Florida with her husband (aka “The World’s Best Husband™”) and too many pets. Active in the BDSM lifestyle, the two-time EPIC award winner and part-time Viking shield-maiden loves to shoot skeet and play D&D with her friends. She’s also the bestselling author of over one hundred and forty books and counting, including The Reluctant Dom, The Denim Dom, Cardinal’s Rule, the Suncoast Society series, the Love Slave for Two series, the Triple Trouble series, the Coffeeshop Coven series, the Good Will Ghost Hunting series, the Drunk Monkeys series, and many more.

  She loves to hear from readers! Please feel free to drop by her website and sign up for her newsletter to keep abreast of the latest news, snarkage, and releases. You can also find all of her Siren-BookStrand releases under all four of her pen names on her author page on the BookStrand site.

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  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Some of the characters in this book appear in or are featured in previous books in the Suncoast Society series.

  Doyle is first featured in Time Out of Mind. Niall, Aden, and Etsu are first featured in Empty-Handed Heart.

  And sorry, but Ryan Ausar refuses to stay in his own series no matter how hard I beg him to. (Good Will Ghost Hunting, Triple Trouble)

  While most of the books in the Suncoast Society series are standalone works which may be read independently of each other, the recommended reading order to avoid spoilers and to not miss any backstory information is as follows:

  1. Safe Harbor

  2. Domme by Default

  3. Cardinal’s Rule

  4. The Reluctant Dom

  5. The Denim Dom

  6. Pinch Me

  7. Broken Toy

  8. A Clean Sweep

  9. A Roll of the Dice

  10. His Canvas

  11. A Lovely Shade of Ouch

  12. Crafty Bastards

  13. A Merry Little Kinkmas

  14. Sapiosexual

  15. A Very Kinky Valentine’s Day

  16. Things Made Right

  17. Click

  18. Spank or Treat

  19. A Turn of the Screwed

  20. Chains

  21. Kinko de Mayo

  22. Broken Arrow

  23. Out of the Spotlight

  24. Friends Like These

  25. Vicious Carousel

  26. Hot Sauce

  27. Open Doors

  28. One Ring

  29. Vulnerable

  30. The Strength of the Pack

  31. Initiative

  32. Impact

  33. Liability

  34. Switchy

  35. Rhymes With Orange

  36. Beware Falling Ice

  37. Beware Falling Rocks

  38. Dangerous Curves Ahead

  39. Two Against Nature

  40. Home at Last

  41. A Kinkmas Carol

  42. Ask DNA

  43. Time Out of Mind

  44. Happy Valenkink’s Day

  45. Splendid Isolation

  46. Similar to Rain

  47. Happy Spank Patrick’s Day

  48. Fire in the Hole

  49. Pretzel Logic

  50. This Moody Bastard

  51. Walk Between the Raindrops

  52. Rub Me Raw

  53. Any World That I’m Welcome To

  54. Heartache Spoken Here

  55. Roll With the Punches

  56. See You Sometime

  57. Borderline

  58. A Case of You

  59. Reconsider Me

  60. Never Too Late for Love

  61. Blues Beach

  62. Happy Spanksgiving

  63. Our Gravity

  64. Friends in Common

  65. Almost Gothic

  66. Empty-Handed Heart

  67. Steady Rain

  68. Indifference of Heaven

  69. Like the Seasons

  70. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead

  71. Through With Love

  72. Judgment of the Moon and Stars

  73. For the Roses

  74. A Spanktacular Fourth

  75. Blue Motel Room

  76. A Crafty Ever After

  77. Come in From the Cold

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  COME IN FROM THE COLD

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapte
r Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  PLAYLIST

  AFTERWORD

  COME IN FROM THE COLD

  Suncoast Society

  Tymber Dalton

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  “Anytime, day or night, promise me. If you ever need me, you’ll call or show up on my doorstep. I will never turn you away. I don’t care if it’s been a week or a decade. Promise me!”

  “I promise.”

  “I love you, Douglas. I always will.”

  “I will always love you, too. I will always be yours, Sir.”

  The words Douglas had pledged so long ago, and had meant every bit as seriously as the two sets of vows he’d taken since.

  Vows that, in retrospect, he realized were vain attempts to hide from a truth that had always unavoidably lain in front of him.

  The choked and gutted sound of Connor’s voice would never fade from his memory, even as they’d both known it’d likely be the last time they saw each other.

  Ever.

  Not even the better part of twenty-five years could drive it out of his heart and soul. A multi-flavored guilt he’d carry to his grave, first for what they’d done, and later—and for much longer—for the pain he’d caused both of them by stupidly thinking he could run from who he truly was.

  By wrongly thinking he was saving Connor’s soul by leaving.

  He’d only succeeded in damning his own in the process.

  He stared at the grille in front of him, not knowing the priest on the other side and thinking in some ways—many ways—that was probably for the best.

  “It’s pretty telling that in my entire life I’ve only truly loved three people, and I’m not on that list.”

  “Is this your first confession, my son?” the elderly priest asked.

  Only then did Douglas realize he’d said it out loud when he hadn’t meant to.

  With his right hand, around which he’d wrapped his amethyst rosary, he made the sign of the cross before closing his eyes. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been…over fourteen months since my last confession.”

  Jesus, had it really been that long?

  Zee was only three weeks old, so…yeah. It had been.

  It felt a shit-ton longer.

  Apparently he fell quiet for a while, because the priest spoke again. “Yes, my son? What do you wish to confess?”

  On his left shoulder, where he had Zee resting on a burp rag, she fussed a little.

  “I’m sorry,” Douglas said before the priest could speak again. “I didn’t have anyone to watch her, and I couldn’t leave her sitting out there alone.”

  “It’s all right, my son. I’m sure God doesn’t mind. I know I don’t. Where do you wish to begin?”

  Douglas thought back to his years spent sitting on the other side of the grille, and the fact that there’d been no one else waiting out in the sanctuary because he’d let the four people who’d arrived after him go ahead of him.

  “How long you got?”

  * * * *

  The tears in Mackie’s eyes back then as they’d said their good-byes, a haunting echo as Douglas had told her he hadn’t changed his mind and was still entering the seminary, would still become a priest.

  “I’ll always love you,” he’d said. “But I’m sorry, I can’t be who you need me to be. I’ve never lied to you about that.”

  “I know.”

  “I will always be your friend. Promise me, if you ever need me, you’ll come to me. Day or night, anytime. Even years from now. My door will always be open to you. I will never turn you away. Promise me.”

  “I will, Doug. I promise.”

  How he’d kissed her, the only time they’d ever kissed like that, and what he’d thought would be the last ever such kiss he’d give or receive in his life.

  Hating himself for once again causing someone pain, and knowing the only penance there truly was lay in the lonely path he’d chosen.

  And then, eighteen years after he’d last laid eyes on her, answering a late-night knock on his rectory door to find her standing there, sobbing, her body bruised and bloodied.

  Pregnant.

  He resigned from his position the next day, they were married, and he started a torturously long process to officially withdraw from the priesthood.

  Because he was only a man and he wasn’t strong enough to turn his back and walk away from her or what he felt for her a second time.

  Less than a month later, she lost the baby.

  Two months after that she was pregnant again—with Zee.

  And now…

  They’d left the incense-scented sanctuary and moved to the priest’s office to talk. It was Friday afternoon and his schedule was free with morning mass and confession over.

  Father Rowling looked to be in his late sixties and wore glasses, a long-sleeved black shirt with a white clerical collar and his sleeves rolled almost up to his elbows, jeans, and blue-and-grey Asics sneakers. Broad-shouldered, he stood about two inches taller than Douglas’ five-eleven, beefy, like he was used to doing hard work around the old church grounds on a regular basis.

  Douglas stared down into Zee’s angelic face. “Does it fall under pride, thinking you can single-handedly save someone in a meaningful way and make a difference in the world?”

  “Under the circumstances, you could apply to return, could you not?”

  “No.” Douglas sadly laughed. “I’m a father, Father. She’s mine. I’ll never give up my daughter. Not even for the Church.”

  “Ah, I’m sorry. I misunderstood. I thought you said she wasn’t yours.”

  “She lost his baby a couple of weeks after we were married.” He adjusted the blanket around Zee. “She’s mine. Mackie was faithful to me. We loved each other.”

  “But you were prepared to claim her baby as yours when she showed up that night?”

  “Absolutely.” He looked across the desk at the elderly priest. “I’d never stopped loving her.” The priest didn’t need to know the full truth. Some stuff he could hold back, some of Mackie’s secrets.

  He didn’t want the man thinking any less of her.

  Or feeling more pity for Douglas than he could already tell the priest did.

  Besides, he’d promised Mackie he’d never tell anyone.

  “What are your plans now?” Father Rowling asked.

  “A friend of mine passed me a job lead in Sarasota, and after a couple of phone and Skype interviews, they hired me. I start next week. Soon as I can get down there.”

  “In Florida?”

  “I know. Long way from Milwaukee.”

  “Forgive me, son, but I’m confused how you ended up here.”

  “I stopped for gas and saw your church sign. Everything we own is packed in a U-haul trailer on the back of my SUV and sitting out in your parking lot right now.”

  Father Rowling slowly nodded. “Ah. I was wondering what brought you to Murfreesboro.” The priest settled back in his chair. “And this friend of yours who passe
d you the job lead is the same one you hope to perhaps…reconnect with?”

  “No.” He’d left out the more…intimate details about exactly what he’d been to Connor besides lovers.

  And he didn’t tell the priest—had never even told Mackie—the things Connor had tearfully confessed to him so long ago.

  Douglas also didn’t reveal to the priest the actions he’d taken once he’d entered the priesthood to make things as right as he could for Connor, even though Connor might never know that.

  “I met Doyle through a mutual professor when I returned to college for my doctorate,” Douglas explained. “We’d interacted over Facebook and became friends. Sorry, I’m exhausted, and not at my best right now.”

  Douglas ran a hand through his brown hair, which was longer and shaggier than he usually kept it. He hadn’t had time for a haircut. Ditto the three weeks’ worth of scruff on his face since he’d stopped shaving. Hadn’t shaved since the day before Zee was born.

  Zee made a noise in her sleep and Father Rowling smiled. “She’s beautiful. How old is she?”

  “Three weeks today.” He struggled to blink back his tears and finally gave up. He wouldn’t be the first person the priest saw cry, that was for damn sure.

  “She’s so tiny.”

  “I know. She was born small, only four and a half pounds. Babies in Mackie’s family run small. But she was full-term and healthy. Our perfect little angel.”

  Father Rowling remained quiet for a moment, looking as if he were weighing something in his mind. “May I ask you a personal question, son?”

  “Yeah. Of course.”

  “Has she been baptized yet?”

  Douglas shook his head. “With everything that happened, I…” He shrugged. “I didn’t even bother asking at my old parish, or any nearby parishes. I didn’t want to put them on the spot. I knew there were priests in the diocese who wouldn’t say no, but if the bishop heard about them doing it, they’d catch a ration of shit from him over it.”

  Sometimes it surprised people to learn yeah, priests sometimes swore. The younger ones like him, anyway. Or the older ones beyond giving a shit. Not in front of parishioners, of course.