Contributors: Jodi Payne, BA TortugaSeries: Merry Everything Series #5
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Holiday, MM, Novel, Small Town Romance
Release Date: February 10, 2026
Buy the Book: AmazonParker Stephens is a cowboy looking for a place to call home. His only family has kicked him to the curb, leaving him with his truck and the clothes on his back. He doesn’t even have his dog. So when he shows up at the Vermont home of his friends Skyler and Beckett, he’s got no idea what he’ll do beyond the holidays. For now, he just needs to visit and breathe.
Heath Wooledge is used to being alone, working on his vintage farmhouse, and eating a frozen pizza or two. Since he’s never been invited to his business partner Beckett’s house to eat dinner, it stands to reason they’re asking him for a favor. Luckily for him, when they ask if he’ll let Parker stay at his place because their guest room is a mess, Heath can’t believe his good luck. Parker is a sweetheart of a cowboy, and he’s never been more attracted to anyone in his life.
The two have immediate chemistry, but will magic of snowy holiday Vermont make the two of them accept the gift they’ve been given?
Also in this series:
Chapter One
Parker sat in the McDonald’s parking lot, drinking his coffee and eating his breakfast burrito, and trying to wake up.
He was waiting for it to be late enough to call Sky.
He knew it wasn’t officially too early for Sky. The amazing son of a bitch was up at six in the morning, but he’d learned that, if he called before seven and Beck answered the phone, Beckett would threaten to kill him, which was awkward.
Especially with the kids.
No one wanted to be threatened with homicide when his godbabies were listening.
So he waited until 7:05, then crumpled up his trash, threw it in the bag, leaned back in his truck seat, and punched Sky’s number.
It took Sky two rings to answer. “Hey, Parker, what’s wrong?”
“Does there always have to be something wrong?” Something was wrong, but that really wasn’t the point. The point was, it didn’t always have to mean something was wrong when he called. Sometimes he could just be calling to say hello.
“Because you never call at seven a.m. if you’re not in trouble or in Australia.”
“Hey, that time change is super hard!” He peeked at his phone. “It’s seven ’o seven now.”
“Whatever. What’s up?”
“I was wondering…” And he’d been wandering too.
“Huh?”
“I’m in Ticonderoga, and I was wondering how you felt about company for the holidays?”
There was a pregnant pause. “Are you in Fort Ticonderoga or is there another one?”
“Who’s in—wait, is that Parker? He’s the only one who calls this early.” Beck’s voice was in the background. He didn’t even need to hear Sky’s husband sigh, he just knew. “Parker is where? There’s no rodeo in Ticonderoga.”
“No. He’s coming for Christmas. Cool, huh?” Sky was good to him.
“Only if it’s cool…” He wasn’t a mooch. He was just… on the outs with the whole of his family.
“But it’s only—Oh.” There was a short, silent pause, and then Beckett went on. “Oh, yes. It’ll be Christmas before you know it. So cool.”
“I know. You’ll be here by suppertime?”
“Closer to lunch. I want to get off the road and rest for a bit, you know? I’ll help do whatever. I promise.” He just wanted to be somewhere he was loved.
“We’ll have sandwiches. I think Charlie wanted ham and cheese.” Beckett’s voice was suddenly warm. “Hey. Drive safe, Parker.”
“I’ll call when I get close and see if there’s anything y’all need me to pick up from the grocery store.” He swallowed hard, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. “I really do appreciate this, guys.”
“You know you’re welcome. Looking forward to seeing you. Later, man.” Sky hung up and the call disconnected. He could only imagine what the conversation was between Sky and Beck, but regardless, he knew they were the right people to call.
They’d finally had it out, him and Mom.
He wasn’t going to get married, he wasn’t going to have babies, he wasn’t straight, he wasn’t a very good bull rider, and he didn’t know what he was going to do when he grew up.
But he knew it wasn’t ‘stay in Oklahoma and raise goats’, and he’d said so.
That had been when she told him if he didn’t want to stay, he could get the fuck out.
And here he was.
She had his trailer, his stuff, and his dog.
He had his phone, his go bag, his chaps, his bull rope, and some presents for the kids.
And his friends. He had friends. So he’d get there and get a good night’s sleep for the first time in a week.
All he had to do was make it there in one piece and breathe.
Title: A Present for ParkerPublished by: Tygerseye Publishing, LLC
ASIN: B0GJ8VB4S5
