WIP - Clearwater Bayou - New

Sawyer runs a Paddlewheeler tour on the great Mississippi. His father ran it, and his grandfather, and every male back through five generations. But Sawyer has something his ancestors didn’t—loneliness. All the Paddleboat runners in his family fell in love with a fanciful woman who loved the bayou as much as they did. But could Sawyer find the same thing in a man?

Mid-spring and Sawyer is getting the Clearwater Bayou ready for her first run for the summer season. The bookings are full, as they always are because Sawyer has a rare talent in showing his passengers places most cannot go, sights most have never seen along the muddy waters. He’s also the only Captain of a Paddlewheeler that goes from New Orleans up to St. Louis and back in one run, a two week adventure. For the first time in twelve years, Sawyer isn’t looking forward to it. Until he sees a stunning man who is part of the first group to board his boat.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tucker Hunt and his five year old son have a piece of their hearts missing. Two years ago, Tucker lost his partner and Finn’s Papa to death after a long agonizing illness. At the suggestion of a family friend, Tucker takes Finn and pays for a river run, something his late partner always wanted to do, but never got the chance. He’s looking forward to spending some quality time with their son, doing an activity that Mark would have loved.

He isn’t prepared for the gorgeous older man that captures his attention. He didn’t think he was ready to be attracted to another man, his grief over Mark’s death still fresh. But Sawyer is beautiful, kind, sexy and attentive—and persistent. What really impresses Tucker though is Sawyer’s way with Finn. His son hasn’t let anyone close to him since Mark’s death, not even Tucker’s sister and her husband.

But when he finds out that Sawyer is, in fact, the Captain of the Paddlewheeler, he has misgivings on whether they can pursue a relationship. After all, Tucker is from northern Missouri and Sawyer makes his home in New Orleans when he’s not running the boat. Tucker isn’t sure he wants to upend Finn’s fragile routine for his own selfish