Title: Out for the Holidays/Out for Gold
Series: Out in College, Book 9
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: July 26
Length: 30k
Genre: Romance, Contemporary MM Romance, Sports Romance, Bisexual, College Romance
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Synopsis
Out for the Holidays
A Dream Come True…
Derek-
This is it! I’m finally opening my own bistro. I’ve spent the last two years getting ready for this moment. I can’t decide if the holidays are the perfect time to begin a new venture, but I’m excited. It would be nice if my family were on board too.
Gabe-
I play water polo. I don’t know anything about the restaurant business, but I want to make sure Derek’s grand opening goes according to plan. I’ll rally our friends, send out invites, and yeah…I’ll even deal with his mother. He’s my number one person and I’ll do whatever it takes to be sure we’re out for the holidays.
Out for the Holidays is a low-angst MM romance featuring Derek and Gabe from Out in the Deep…and a host of friends from the Out in College books!
Out for Gold
Chance of a Lifetime…
Gabe-
Winning a spot on the Olympic water polo team is my lifelong goal and guess what?…I made it! Of course, nothing goes smoothly. This is a bad time for a shoulder injury and an even worse time for my dad to show up out of the blue. I might be doomed.
Derek-
Family isn’t easy. Trust me, I know. But in my experience, ignoring obvious issues only makes them more challenging in the long run. I can’t solve Gabe’s problems with his dad, but I’ll help if I can. Win or lose, my man is going out for gold.
Out of Gold is a low-angst MM romance featuring Derek and Gabe from Out in the Deep in a full-circle quest for the ultimate prize…love.
*OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS was originally featured in the holiday collection, Gifts for the Season. Since the anthology is no longer available, I wanted to publish it on my own and add new content. OUT FOR GOLD is a brand-new novella that really brings the whole story full-circle, featuring Gabe and Derek from Out in the Deep.
“Hey, there! I was going to call you to—” Derek set the wineglass he was drying on the bar and furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”
“My dad’s on his way.” I waved at Drew and Jade on the opposite end of the café before taking a quick glance around. I couldn’t decide if the pre-dinner lull made this a good place to be or if I’d inadvertently made a tactical error.
“He’s here? In town?”
“Yeah, he showed up at my practice with my club team unannounced…with my brother.”
“Oh. What do you want me to do?”
“Feed them? I don’t know. Can I leave them here and see you at home later?” I raked my fingers through my hair and bit my bottom lip.
“Nope. Nice try.” Derek set his hand over mine. “Stay calm. You’ve got this. Take one of the tables outside. I’ll bring you lattes and something to eat. You can test out my dinner specials. Your mom made the most incredible focaccia bread too and—”
“Oh, fuck. She’s not here, is she?” I asked in a mini panic.
“No, she left hours ago. Chill, babe.” He rubbed my arm soothingly. “How’s your shoulder?”
I rotated it gingerly. “Better today.”
“Good.” His gaze flitted to the front door. “Heads up. They just walked in.”
Okay, so maybe this was a good idea after all. The café was a nice, neutral zone with friendly employees, amazing food, and the lighter than usual crowd gave my dad a chance to see the bistro without craning his neck or speaking above the din of conversation.
This was the only real quiet time in the bistro. Derek usually scheduled more employees to help prepare for dinner. The floors were spotless, the bar glistened, and the dessert counter was jammed-packed with mouthwatering treats and baskets of bread loaves.
Dad shook hands with Derek, introduced himself and Cam to our employees, then shamelessly inspected the café.
“This is damn nice,” Dad enthused, turning to study the fancy French tarts in the glass case. “And these desserts look too good to eat.”
“I hope not,” Derek said with a laugh. “What would you like? Take your pick.”
“That chocolate tart might be calling my name.”
“Good choice. That’s one of our most popular desserts. It’s usually long gone before closing.”
Dad narrowed his gaze, scanning the bistro with a critical eye. There was plenty of open seating, but it would look completely different within the hour. In fact, without a reservation, you were out of luck.
Of course, my father didn’t know that and instead of asking questions, he made assumptions…like he always did. “Really? It’s pretty empty now.”
“Enjoy the quiet. It won’t last. Would you like something to drink?” Derek asked politely.
“A latte, please.” Dad took his wallet from his pocket and inclined his head toward Cam. “Want something?”
“Yeah, but I’m hungry,” Cam announced, wincing when his stomach growled on cue.
Jackson snort-laughed. “Der, I didn’t get a chance to try those filet mignon sliders. Do you need another taste-tester?”
“Definitely. And don’t forget the rosemary pomme frittes.”
“That’s just fancy talk for french fries. Come this way, dude.” Jackson hiked his thumb toward the kitchen, inviting Cam to follow.
The teenager didn’t hesitate, much to my dad’s chagrin. “Are you sure about that? The kid can eat.”
“Of course!” Derek assured him.
“Thank you. Just put it all on my tab.”
“No, no. It’s on the house. A chocolate tart and latte coming right up.” Derek smiled politely at my dad, then flashed a brighter “You’ve got this” version at me.
“Want to sit outside?” I asked. When Dad gave the slightest nod in acknowledgment, I turned back to the counter and yelled, “Hey, babe, we’ll be out front.”
Dad settled into the blue-and-white rattan chair across from me. He thanked Jade when she slid the tart on the table with his latte and a couple of waters.
Dad unfolded the utensils from the napkin meticulously, then rested them on the plate and leaned forward. “You called him ‘babe.’ ”
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Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.
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