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A Place to Belong

by Hurri Cosmo

A Place to Belong - Hurri Cosmo
Editions:ePub: $ 0.99
ISBN: B07F2QDS11
Pages: 83

Can a man with a dark heart heal a man with a broken one?

Logan Perry was offered a job caring for an elderly lady a thousand miles from his home in Iowa. Looking for a place to hide, it seems to be the perfect opportunity to escape. So Logan runs to Texas. All he wants is a roof over his head and food in his stomach. So moving into the amazing McFarren Manor he believes is all he needs.

Bradley McFarren is only looking for someone to care for his aging grandmother. Too busy with the family multi-billion dollar real estate firm, he just doesn't have time. With no personal life to speak of, Bradley has kept his heart safe. As long as Gail, his beloved grandmother, is cared for, he thinks it's all he needs.

But what both their hearts truly desire is a place to belong.

Excerpt:

It had been the first time Logan thought about the possibility Gail was actually going to die. It had frightened him more than he thought possible. Bradley, who was in Chicago at the time, chartered a flight and had been at the hospital in less than three hours, just as Gail was going into surgery, a surgery Bradley had insisted she have. Being over the age of ninety, the doctors had strongly advised against it. They were convinced she would not live through it. But having the name McFarren moved mountains. Bradley said Gail was not done with life yet and her strength would pull her through.

And he was right.

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Gail had sailed through surgery. Logan remembered Bradley actually kissing him when she woke up in recovery. He had picked the smaller Logan right off his feet, swung him around and then kissed him firmly on the lips. Logan had been so incredibly shocked at the time he didn’t know what to do. His body, however, knew exactly and reacted strongly to that kiss. Logan actually became dizzy due to his blood rushing south like that. But, as it turned out, the kiss had only been a joyous reaction to Gail’s near miraculous feat. Bradley would have done the same to any other nurse or even a doctor had one been standing as close to him as Logan had been.

But Logan never forgot it.

Because Logan was in love, and had been for a long time.

He wasn’t sure when it had started, this overpowering crush. Most likely that very first day he’d met with the man in his office, three years ago.

When Logan first saw Mr. McFarren he had to admit to actually drawing in his breath. The large man, who Logan had learned prior to arriving had recently turned forty-two, was more than beautiful. Tall, broad shoulders, deep resonating voice, he should have been intimidating but his kind and gentle eyes gave him completely away. From his dark, flawlessly styled hair to his expensive leather shoes, he was exactly Logan’s every dream come true.

“Hello. My name is Bradley McFarren.” He had held out his perfectly manicured hand, and Logan was almost afraid to touch it. But then Bradley enveloped Logan’s fingers in his own, and it was almost as if he swallowed Logan in one gulp.

Logan remembered being thrilled at that thought. In fact, it had been the first time in a very long time that Logan had become aroused. Going to school and then working more than full-time kept him incredibly busy, and his life in a tiny conservative town had not allowed for him to do much in the way of exploring relationships of any kind.

“Hi. I’m Logan Perry,” he had breathed.

“Well, Logan Perry, please sit down.” Bradley had indicated a chair in front of a massive desk, and Logan had slipped into it, perching on the edge, trying like everything to hide his intense interest. “I’ve looked over your resume and, I have to say, I’m intrigued. What makes a fine-looking young man like you even apply for this type of a position?”

Logan had smiled like an idiot when the gorgeous man called him “fine looking.” But Bradley had been right in that a young man wanting to take care of his eighty-nine year old grandmother had to seem odd. Logan remembered thinking he would never even be called for an interview, much less receive the job, but he needed to escape his pathetic existence in Iowa. When he received the tip, through a friend, of a private nursing job all the way down in Texas, he knew he had to try for it. Room, board, a small allowance, the use of a car and hundreds of miles away from Iowa, it was the perfect opportunity for escape. Now that he was here, he was determined to at least be considered.

“First of all, Mr. McFarren, I’m not sure that thirty years old is actually considered young but I’m a well-trained RN. I’ve enjoyed years of working in rehab centers in their transitional care and assisted living areas. I am very patient and kind, and love the older generation. I trust you have checked my references. You will find I am a perfect choice for your grandmother’s companion.”

“But you’re a man. I have to admit, the only real reason I am interviewing you is because I wanted to know why a man would apply for this position. So far, all I have and all you have given me are your qualifications. Which are stellar because, in answer to your statement, of course I checked your references, but none of the ones on your resume. Having money gives me the ability to take the inside track. To be frank, I was impressed by your work ethic and standards. I found nothing but glowing reports of how wonderfully you do your job. But you see, Mr. Perry, I adore my grandmother. She means the world to me and I have no intention of allowing just anyone access to her. No matter how qualified. What I want to know is your motive in wanting this job.”

“Motive, sir?”

“You’re coming all the way from Iowa. Have you no family? Friends? Why are you running, Mr. Perry?”

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Serena on Rainbow Book Reviews wrote:

We all want a place to call home. Somewhere we feel accepted, maybe even loved, and safe. Logan thinks he has found it at the McFarren Manor where he takes care of Gail, an elderly lady with cancer. Her grandson Bradley comes to visit often and Logan, despite knowing nothing much can come of it, has fallen in love with him. But then Gail goes into a coma and is about to die, and the family descends on the manor - in anticipation of the reading of the will, not out of concern – and the gloves come off. The result is a heart-wrenching story that had me glued to the pages because I wanted only the best for big-hearted Logan. And just for the record – I really hate all the other idiots who never visited Gail while she was ill but suddenly appear when they think there is money to be had. Good job on depicting them so perfectly, Hurri!

Logan is a really nice guy. He is modest, has a big heart, and wants only the best for everyone. For him the emerging greed and callousness some of the other family members show is almost unimaginable and definitely hurtful. Worse than that, Bradley is on some business trip and cannot be reached. Logan is too nice to fight back, plus he doesn’t see it is his place anyway. He is, after all, just the hired help, right? Oh, I couldn’t wait for them to get their comeuppance! And the time that Logan had to wait for Bradley to finally arrive and take things into his hands seemed to last forever. I was on the edge of my seat for it to happen almost as much as Logan.

If you like stories that go from incredibly tense to wonderfully sweet (but not before some of your hair turned to gray), if you want to see two men who seem too nice for this world get their happy ending – against all expectations, and if you’re looking for a read that is as suspenseful and heart rate accelerating as it is sweet and romantic, then you will probably like this novella as much as I did. It’s already on my list of comfort and cheer-me-up stories!

on Drako's Pen:

Review: Gods this was cute. No seriously. This is one of those dream come true type of stories. Logan is too nice for his own good, but it's adorable. He's just looking for an escape when he goes for a job caring for an elderly woman. Bradley needs someone to care for his grandmother and takes a chance to hire Logan. What they find is a much closer relationship than they could have hoped for. They essentially find each other. It's short and sweet and could make a single guy bitter, but honestly, it's a great story.

on Redz World:

A Place to Belong by author Hurri Cosmo is really well done book. I really kept re-reading this book because I loved it so much. Logan has had a hard road. His parents disowned him due to him being gay. His friends abandoned him. He is starting over. When he sees an ad for a live in caretaker for an ailing woman he takes it. He just never expected to fall in love along the way. Logan is kind, sweet, giving, an amazing person. He just needs a family.
Bradley watches out for his grandmother. He hired Logan and has not been able to stop thinking about him since. He is drawn to Logan like no other person in his life. Bradley is a workaholic. He needs someone in life that cares, and he can talk to. Logan is that person. Bradley has never thought about being gay, but maybe the heart knows what it wants and love does not have to have definitions.
When Bradley's grandmother dies, he has to make some choices. He must do so fast before Logan leaves for good.
I loved Logan's loyalty. He really showed he is strong, passionate, and just the kind of friend you really want in your life.
Bradley was harder to see his feelings but once you do, they are an amazing couple. I was routing for them all the way.
I think this is the story you pick up when you want to believe in family and true love.


About the Author

I live in Minnesota where I hold tight to the idea that here, where it’s cold a good part of the year, I won’t age as fast. Yep, I avoid the truth as much as I avoid mirrors. But one of the reasons I love writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure. Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, I doesn’t mind “real life” and I do try to at least keep it in mind when I write my stories, but I truly love creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every - single - time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason I love reading this genre, too. Give me a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and my computer, whether I am reading or writing, and I will entertain myself for hours. The fact I actually get paid to do it, is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.