When I wrote that character, I realized I was taking a big risk since
he comes across as rude, judgmental, and prejudiced. He has a very
hard time dealing with Alex’s younger and disabled brother, Sean. I
based Jeff Woods on people I met, and the way they reacted to
disabled children. I work as a Special Ed teacher, so, yeah, some
reactions make you question your faith in humanity. Not all, of
course, but people who’ve never met a severely disabled child often
can’t school their features (or they don’t want to), and it’s hard
work to show them that no one is defined by his disability.

I come from a patchwork family myself, so I know how much work from
everyone has to go into creating a new family. What are your
experiences?

Dreamspinner Press:

When he was outed on the local news, Jeff Woods gave up his dream job
as a detective to become an on-air radio personality. The sacrifice
was worth it to keep Alex and Sean in his life, but Alex lost his
job, too. Jeff can tell Alex worries he’s pressuring Jeff too much,
first with Sean and now the lack of money, but he has no idea what
that will lead Alex to do. Desperate times bring out the stupidity in
some people, and when Jeff discovers Alex is in over his head in a
situation he can’t handle, he needs all his self-control to stay
calm.

Life is not easy with the Church of Virtue still spouting venom
wherever they go, homophobes at the police department, a gangster who
wants Alex in the worst possible way, and a bed that barely holds one
grown man, much less two (and a child), but Jeff is there to stay for
good, and he’ll do what it takes to make Alex believe him.

After wishing Sean a good day at school, which he answered with a
sullen look, I made my way over to Alex. He got up from his chair and
threw himself into my open arms.

I held him tight, felt him tremble slightly. He whispered, “I don’t
want him to make a fuss when the school bus arrives. I can’t handle
this shit anymore.”

He was almost sobbing the last sentence. Sean had given him hell
since school had started. We both understood Sean’s refusal, but
St. Christopherus School was the only one available for him.

Sean never wanted to get on his school bus, which he showed everyone
in no uncertain terms. He screamed and cried and thrashed around in
his wheelchair so violently that he’d managed to flip the
wheelchair onto its side on several occasions.

His new bus driver, an elderly woman named Patricia Cornell, was an
incredibly patient person. Somehow she always convinced Sean she’d
take care of him and got him on the bus. By the time the bus left,
Alex was either crying or close to tears. I’d witnessed all of this
several times in the past weeks and generally sat with Alex afterward
while he tried to compose himself.

Today he’d be on his own.

Tightening my grip, I whispered back, “He’ll get over it
eventually. His therapist said as much.”

Alex snorted. “Yeah, Burnes also said he’d get over his
nightmares eventually. Do you see that happening? Because I damn well
don’t.”

His trembles increased and fast puffs of breath tickled my throat.
Not a good sign. Helplessly, I murmured his name.

Sean whistled sharply, obviously not happy about being excluded from
the conversation. Alex jumped in my arms and tried to push away from
me. I held on, keeping him crushed to my chest.

“Jeff, I need—”

“No, you don’t,” I cut him off. “Sean will
survive not being the center of your attention for a moment. Relax.”

“Relax?” Alex snapped, again struggling to get
free from me.

Lifting him off his feet, I carried him over to his chair, plonked
down on it, and settled him on my lap, all the while ignoring his
protests. “Hush now, I’m in charge here.”

“No, you’re not.”

“But yes, of course I am. Who else could be in
charge here other than me?”

Sean laughed from the other side of the table. I winked at him. Alex
finally stopped struggling and leaned against me instead.

“How about me?” he asked.

“You?” I countered, doing my best to sound
sufficiently horrified.

Alex bumped a fist against my chest, smiling a bit. “Yes.”

“Well, for one, I like to be in charge and you
don’t.”

“That’s not true!”

“Don’t interrupt me,” I said. The corners of
my mouth curved upward, even though I tried to keep a straight face.
“I’m having a really good daydream right now.”

“Really? What’s it about?”

“Oh, just that you’re acknowledging my
awesomeness and—”

“All right, all right, you’re awesome and in
charge and I was short of having a meltdown. Yet again.” He sighed.

“Hah! I knew someday you’d say it!”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let it go to your head. We
don’t want you to be distracted while you’re on your way to
work,” Alex muttered.

And that was the real problem, or at least part of it. Alex feared
something could happen to me—on my way to work, at work, on my way
back, anywhere.

I couldn’t blame him. Resting my cheek on top of his head, I pulled
him closer to me. Alex shuddered, then trailed a finger over my
shirt, tracing the large scar hidden under it.

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house
with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled
upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides
her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after
escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a
harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as
mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time,
she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross
stitch.

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q