#FlashbackFriday

Do you remember Luca and Gus? Luca is my sweet boy who gets married in a veil, and Gus is wonderful and accepting and looks like Mr. Spock – at least according to Luca.

I thought we’d look back on my first published story today, Unconditionally. Scroll down for a blurb, a short excerpt, and a link to a bonus short I wrote a week after it was published.

It was part of a themed release at JMS Books, called Love Wins, celebrating the Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriages legal in the entire United States. All the featured stories had the same cover.

(And if you’re interested in more Love Wins stories, I recently read September’s Always Gorgeous by Michael P. Thomas. Same cover but very different from mine on the inside. I recommend it.)

new graphic

Flamboyant book café owner Luca Moretti and geeky doctor Gus Hansen have been together for six years when the Supreme Court ruling makes same-sex marriage legal in all states. On June 26, 2015, Gus gets down on one knee and Luca screams yes.

On their wedding day, shortly before the ceremony, Luca’s mother explodes in anger, calling him a freak. The reason? He’s wearing a white veil, sprinkled with crystals.

Their relationship has been strained for a long time, and her words trigger traumatic memories. Instead of walking down the aisle, Luca runs.

Away from his mother. Away from Gus.

Gus counts down the minutes when Luca’s mother comes knocking. He realizes something’s wrong, but when he goes to talk to Luca, his husband-to-be is nowhere to be found.

Can Gus find Luca in time and manage to convince him to come back and get married?

Buy links/add to Goodreads:

JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | iBooks | Google Play |B&N

Excerpt:

He stared at himself in the mirror, watched as tears trickled down his face but made no attempt to brush them away. The indecision made his heart ache, and a distraught sob escaped him.

Before he could think, he walked over to the door, opened it, and started running.

He ran through the hallway, down the stairs, and out on the street. He hesitated a second outside the entrance. Then he turned right and ran, the beautiful veil sparkling and billowing behind him.