Off-Season

Sometimes, the place you never meant to stay becomes the place where you finally belong.Corin Vance arrives in Kestrel Harbor with a failing truck, a complicated past, and no intention of putting down roots. All he wants is to repair his vehicle and continue toward Portland. But in a quiet coastal town where winter closes businesses, storms delay ferries, and everyone knows everyone else's secrets, leaving proves more complicated than he imagined.Then he meets Tiberio Mahler.A sharp-tongued mechanic with a struggling family workshop and a heart guarded by years of grief, Tiberio has little patience for strangers. Still mourning the husband he lost, he has built his life around familiar routines, unfinished repairs, and the stubborn conviction that some things are easier left broken.When Corin becomes involved in a list of forty repairs needed before spring, an unexpected partnership begins to take shape. Between rusted machinery, bitter winter mornings, shared meals, and the quiet rhythms of harbor life, two men discover that repairing a town may be easier than confronting the wounds they carry.As the winter stretches on, Corin faces a choice between the road he planned to follow and the possibility of belonging somewhere again.A tender, atmospheric story about grief, second chances, unexpected connection, and the quiet courage it takes to let someone into your life.Perfect for readers who love character-driven LGBTQ+ fiction, small-town settings, emotional healing, found family, and slow-burn romantic connections.