Book Title: Love in the Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 2)
Author: Brigham Vaughn
Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press (Indie/Self-Published)
Cover Artist: Brigham Vaughn
Release Date: August 24, 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope/s: May/December, age gap, hurt comfort,
rich man poor man, workplace romance
Themes: Marriage equality, family acceptance/homophobia, exploring light kink,
friends and chosen family, emotional baggage.
Length: 92 658 words/ 364 pages
Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Love isn’t always enough.
Blurb
Russ Bishop and Stephen Parker are in love. They’ve settled into their relationship and are both happy. But Russ wants more than what they have now, he wants forever.
To him that means marriage, but for Stephen that has never been an option. Marriage equality still isn’t recognized in Georgia so why want what he can’t have?
When Stephen’s ex re-appears, they’ll have to decide once and for all if they’re ready to commit to a lifetime together.
Russ fidgeted with the box in his pocket as he rode the elevator to the rooftop deck. What had he been thinking? He slid the small case from his pocket and flipped open the lid, staring at the shining circle of metal. He’d thought it would symbolize everything Stephen was looking for: love, trust, commitment. But apparently, marriage wasn’t something Stephen wanted. Or at least, not with him.
He felt a pang in his chest at the thought as he snapped the box shut. The elevator opened, and as he pushed his way through the ones that led out to the rooftop pool, he realized he probably should have left the ring in the apartment. Then again, he thought bitterly, what does it matter if someone steals it? Forget the several thousand dollars’ worth of platinum; the man he loved had turned down his marriage proposal. The pain in his chest and the prickle of tears behind his eyes spoke volumes. The rejection hurt. Far worse than he would have anticipated. Then again, he had never anticipated Stephen saying no.
Although the pool was open, it was deserted at the moment. He kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt with jerky movements, nearly ripping a button off the sleeve as he tried to get out of the piece of clothing. He flung it on the deck chair, and his undershirt and pants landed there a moment later, followed by his socks. He didn’t have on swim trunks, but boxer briefs were close enough. Right then, he didn’t care if some pissed-off tenant complained, he needed to swim or he was going to lose it. He dove into the deep end and swam furiously. Lap after lap after lap until his arms and legs shook and his lungs burned. He came up gasping and rolled onto his back, kicking his feet to stay afloat as he let his heart rate slow.
His throat ached as he choked back the disappointment, his frustration now a feeling of stunned, miserable disbelief. The hard swim cooled his frustration, but it didn’t take away the sting of rejection. He lost track of time as he hung suspended in the water, kicking lazily to stay afloat, wondering where it had all gone wrong.
By the time he realized he’d avoided Stephen long enough, he was no closer to an answer than when he’d come up there. His fingers were pruned from the water as he stood upright and walked to the edge of the pool. When he reached the steps, he glanced up and paused.
Stephen sat in the deck chair Russ had thrown his clothes on, holding the ring, twisting it around the tip of his finger. His expression was grave, worried. It was the most serious Russ had seen him since his father’s funeral. His stomach lurched, feeling like it had plummeted to the bottom of the pool as he froze, staring at his partner and wondering if this was the beginning of the end. He’d assumed Stephen wanted marriage, but if he didn’t, was he willing to spend the rest of their lives together without that? As much as he’d been terrified of commitment, he’d always thought of it as the final step in a relationship for any couple, gay or straight.
He had been fourteen when Vermont became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. State after state joined the ranks, and in the last few years, it seemed to be gaining momentum. It was only a matter of time before marriage equality swept the nation. He’d grown up with the idea that someday he’d have the right to marry the man he loved. If he wanted it—and right now, he wanted it more than anything else in the world—there would be nothing to stop him.
Except, his partner—the one he’d been so sure wanted the same thing—apparently didn’t.
“How’d you know I was up here?” he asked hoarsely.
Stephen’s gaze lifted, his smile sad. “Because I know you.”
His tongue felt thick all of a sudden, unwieldy in his mouth. “I thought I knew you.”
The look of hurt in Stephen’s gaze was shattering, but no more so than the earlier rejection. “Can we talk?”
“I’m not sure what there is to say.” He walked out of the pool, limbs heavy after the grueling swim and time spent floating in the water. It was almost like the sensation of being back on land after spending a day on a boat. Except, that made him think of sailing with Stephen, which was too painful to consider right now. “I asked you to marry me, and it’s not something you want. There really isn’t a compromise.”
Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time author. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.
Her books range from short stories to novellas to novels. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.
Author Links
Blog | Facebook Author Page | Twitter
Newsletter sign-up | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub
Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here