Private Hearts by Grant C. Holland

The river seeps into your soul, and it doesn’t want to let go.

Dak Preston is a deckhand on a Mississippi river towboat. That means four weeks on the river and two weeks onshore. It also means it’s hard to find men willing to stick around for a relationship. He’s learned to keep his heart protected from the chaos of men drifting in and out of his bed and focus instead on his immediate needs. Lewis, his latest boyfriend, is on the way out, and Dak faces a new month on the boat with no one waiting for him at home.

Brody Sexton, his best friend since elementary school, is reeling from the sudden illness and death of his mother. He calls on Dak to help him move into the house she left behind. While storing items in the attic, Brody stumbles upon a set of photos that change the way he sees his family. He discovers that secrets of love were hidden far away in the heart of a relative he barely knew.

Both men are vulnerable when they get together to celebrate Dak’s last night in town before he joins the boat for another month on the river. The usual pizza, beer, and movies lead to an unexpected kiss, and their lives are changed. They have a glimpse into what could be, but Dak’s ties to the river and the mystery of Brody’s family threaten to intervene. Will they find the way to set their private hearts free?