A DNA test, newfound family and…love?
Tim Tinney is done with being single, but he’s not exactly sure where to dive into the dating pool. When he takes a DNA test, he finds out he’s got family he never knew existed. He might not be a father, but having a nephew is the best thing to happen to him.
Until he meets his nephew’s father.
Grant Reece figured love was no longer in the script of his life. He’d found love once with his ex-wife, Darcy, but after coming out, he isn’t sure he deserves to be cherished again. But that DNA test shows Darcy’s got a half-brother—Tim. The sparks are instant and he’s very much interested.
Being able to give his son not one but two dads, and a mom, is more than Grant could ask for. If they’re writing the script, they can have the finale they deserve.
Will he and Tim discover true love together or is their happy ending too far-fetched?
General Release Date: 23rd June 2026
“Feels like it’s time to give in and take a walk into the dating world,” Tim Tinney said. He sighed and shrugged as he swept his gaze over his friend Danny. “I don’t know if I’m ready, but Bram and Josef found their forevers. Maybe it’s time I do, too.”
Danny clicked his tongue. “The support group.”
“You don’t have to sound so disgusted,” he replied. He’d known from the second day he’d met Danny that he wasn’t a fan of the friend group Tim still relied on for guidance. He’d known the men of the support group since college and trusted them completely.
“Well, you talk to them too much.”
“Spoken like a man who doesn’t want me to have friends outside of him.” The glaring admission was the same reason he’d never wanted to date Danny. If anyone wanted to be his boyfriend, they had to be able to accept that the support group would be part of his life. Danny would never go along with it.
“They’re a bad influence.” Danny flicked the crab-apple blossom off the table. “You don’t know a good thing when it’s looking you in the face. You’re so busy looking for their approval that you’re not trying to find what’s good for you.”
He wanted to argue, but at this point, Danny wasn’t listening. “You’re right.” It was the easiest answer, but also the most wrong one.
“I knew you’d come around,” Danny said. He picked at the ironwork on the table design. “So, have you bothered to finish that DNA test?”
“I have.” He hadn’t thought Danny had been paying attention. He’d discussed the test with the support group, but very little with his friend.
“And?” Danny finished scraping the paint off the design on the table. “You never said what you found out.”
“I thought I did.” He measured his words carefully. The more he let Danny in to his confidence, the more he wished he’d kept his mouth shut. “I found out I have a half-sister.” That was enough.
“Oh.” Danny resumed picking at the table. “Well, good. I hope you don’t have to share your inheritance with her.”
“She and I share a father, but she’s not looking for money.” Probably just as well, since his father hadn’t left him—or anyone else—cash when he’d passed away. He hadn’t had much to begin with, and had been left with even less after the cancer had eaten away at him. “But we’re both being tested for various cancers. She’s just as concerned as I am about developing stomach cancer.” The damn disease had taken his father’s life and destroyed so many other lives along the way. If he could do something to either prevent or treat what could be coming his way, then Tim wanted to do it.
“I see,” Danny said. “So, what are you going to do about this dating thing?”
He frowned, piecing through the question. “I don’t know. Josef met someone at the college and Bram met someone through his school district.”
Danny shifted his gaze to Tim, then crooked his brow. “Are you going to look at the business center?”
“No.” He snorted. “I don’t eat where I shit.”
“I work with you.”
“And I don’t date coworkers.” He finished his glass of tea and nodded to the server for the check. Time to change the subject. “I’ve been emailing my sister and we’ve done video chats a couple times, but we’re supposed to get together this afternoon to discuss the results of our tests.”
“I should come along for moral support.” Danny pushed his half-empty glass of tea aside. “You’ll want someone there in case the news is bad.”
“I’ve already got it handled.” He’d planned on going alone. “You wanted to meet for drinks, so I came here, but I’ve got to meet her.”
“Where?”
“Her house.” He sighed. “Danny, I get that you’re trying to be kind and be a friend, but I’ve got this. It’s not that terrible. We’re simply discussing what we found out and I’m spending time with her son, my nephew.”
Danny opened his mouth, but shut it again. “I see.”
“I doubt you do. It’s not that bad.” He’d never get Danny to understand. Danny’s family was more or less linear. He knew his parents, his grandparents and even his great-grandparents. They’d all lived in the same area and were pillars of the community. Tim’s family was confused and complicated at best. It was messy and destructive at worst.
“Well, you’ve got things to do.” Danny left his chair, pushed it in, then nodded once, before walking away.
“Figures.” He accepted the bill when the server arrived. He paid for the drinks, then left a generous tip. “Thank you. It was lovely.”
“He left?” The server shook her head. “I’ll never understand.”
“What?” She’d piqued his curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“I see so many couples come in here and one says something the other doesn’t like, but instead of talking it out, one barges out. No one ever tries to discuss. They get angry and argue. Do you know how many arguments I’ve been an unwitting witness to? Too many. I don’t know what you said to him, but I’m sorry.”
“We’re not a couple.” He fumbled to tuck his wallet into his front pocket. “It was a misunderstanding.”
“Exactly. Instead of trying to work it out, he left. I don’t know,” she said. “You don’t have to explain it to me, though. Here I am pushing in and complaining about what I saw, when I don’t even know the truth, but it’s so aggravating. I don’t like watching couples fall apart.”
“We didn’t. We were never a couple.” He wasn’t sure why he felt he had to explain this to her.
“You might not be a couple, but he’s trying to tell you he wants to be. It’s as plain as the nose on my face.”
He paused. She was right and he’d noticed, but he wasn’t interested. “I don’t date the guys I work with.”
“Now, that’s smart.” She cleared off a nearby table. “I don’t either. The guys here aren’t looking for a relationship. They want to get into someone’s pants for the night and I don’t do that.”
“I’m not that way, either.” He smiled. “Have a good afternoon. Thanks for being kind.”
“No charge.” She waved, then resumed cleaning the tables.
He left the café and headed out to the main drag. Nichollsburg wasn’t the most exciting place to live. It was small and right in the middle of Indiana. It wasn’t particularly hot or cold, but the extremes did come. It wasn’t exactly rural, but it was no big city.
But it was where Phil had wanted to live.
And he’d always done what Phil wanted.
That was his problem. He let others decide what he should do. Phil called it ‘going where the wind blows’. Maybe it was true, but he loved the adventure. If he planned everything out, it wasn’t interesting, but if he left it to chance, then the world was more exciting. So far, it had fared him well.
Except now he was divorced.
He hadn’t planned on, or wanted that. Opportunities came and went, but if it felt right, then he went with the notion. Divorce hadn’t felt right, but if he were being honest with himself, neither had getting married. Not to Phil.
But it’d been Phil’s idea. Phil saw the rest of the members of the friend group were all married, so thought he and Tim should get hitched, too.
He and Phil were terrible for each other, even if they’d stayed together for almost twelve years. He could still remember some of their arguments about where to go for dinner. He’d go wherever it suited him. Was the sign interesting? Why not try that place? Was the advertising catching? They should go there. Menu items caught his fancy? They should give it a go.
Not Phil. Spontaneity wasn’t his specialty, and he insisted on going to the same places every time. He’d find any reason to complain about wherever they’d gone and expect to go back to what was familiar.
Like Nichollsburg.
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.
When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.
Find out more about Megan on her website, and sign up for the newsletter here. You can also check out her Blog, Amazon Author Page, Bookbub and Instagram.
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