Fear took him away, but longing brought him back… Six years ago, Nikolas Steele’s heart was broken when his best friend—the man who he thought was his forever—walked out on him without an explanation. Now, Ky Kendall is back in town, just in time for the holidays. When he shows up at Nikolas’s Santa Shop with a little girl who looks like him, Nik has questions. In a time of need, Ky steps up to play the part of Santa’s Helper to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, but neither of them expect those old sparks to fly. Despite their renewed passion, Ky’s still running scared and Nikolas knows that at any moment, their fragile relationship could be shattered once more. And this time, he isn’t sure if he’s strong enough to survive it.

Kit Grayson doesn't do people. All he needs is solitude and the companionship of his dogs—or so he thinks. But when he rescues a stranger caught out in the weather, there's something about the sorrowful young man that strikes a nerve and Kit finds himself offering him a place to stay. It's only for a couple of weeks. What's the worst that could happen? Besides, Kit's always had a soft spot for strays. Hemi Tembrook is down on his luck and grieving the recent death of his brother. He can't exactly turn down the offer of free room and board, even if his new host is grumpy and a bit anti-social. But it soon becomes apparent that there's more to Kit than meets the eye. It doesn't hurt that he's sexy...or that there's a gentler side to the man that he reserves only for Hemi. As attraction sparks between them, Hemi's determined to thaw the ice surrounding Kit's sheltered heart, in hopes the man might see their potential together, as friends and as lovers. Because with each stolen kiss, Hemi is certain of one thing—this could be it for him.

Crippled by a hate crime, author Thiessen Ward moved to Sundog Park to get away from his past—and to try and heal emotionally from the loss of his boyfriend, Bo. Despite his best friend's attempts at setting him up on blind dates, Thiessen is quite certain he isn't interested in dating...until a chance encounter with someone tall, dark and handsome tickles his fancy and melts away his writer's block like a popsicle on a hot summer day. But he isn't looking, right? As Sundog Park’s only veterinarian, Jory Crosswind is always busy, but is he too busy for love? He's just dipping his toes back into the dating pool when he's propositioned by one of his regular clients. Go on a blind date with the eccentric Thiessen? Why not? He doesn't expect to fall hard and fast for the skittish man, who takes two steps back for every step forward, but he can't deny the attraction...and neither can Thiessen. But can two men with painful pasts come together and make a brighter future for themselves? Or will old ghosts hold them back? Rescue Me is a 67,000 word MM contemporary romance novel with a guaranteed HEA, and no cliffhangers or cheating. Each book in the Sheltered Hearts series can be read as a stand alone.