Protecting My Heart by David Horne

Zeke Mathison had been trying to track down the Ocotillo gang for ages. It was almost impossible. They were just too good at covering their tracks.

Added to that, there was all this trouble with them hassling his ex-boyfriend, Tristan Cagle, who had a bakery in the area. He wanted to ask Tristan questions, but he had already ghosted him once because he was scared of what had happened between them.

Everyone said it wasn’t wrong to be scared of love. However, running away wouldn’t fix anything. But that’s exactly what he did. With a skittish heart, he had found himself unwilling to leave his bachelor lifestyle. No matter how amazing Tristan was.

Did Zeke regret it? More than he cared to admit, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Now he just had to keep Tristan safe. He could figure out what to do with all of these feelings later. However, Zeke’s wish to keep Tristan safe depended on Tristan’s feeling. Can Tristan ever really forgive Zeke for leaving so abruptly and reopen those old wounds? Or will the pain and suffering that both Zeke and Tristan experienced be too much to overcome.