The "By The Month" Collection


It seems this author has a new collection! I wasn't actually planning it at first,  
but like a lot of ideas, it grew. 

It started with December Promise in 2011. That led to September Morning and Hot August Comes in 2015, July Heat in 2021, Once in October in 2024, and The First of February in 2025. That looks like a By The Month collection to me! 

Stories in this collection can be stand alone stories or part of another collection as indicated. Will I ever get all twelve months into a title? I don't know. I won't promise.                         I'll just have to see where it goes!

KC Kendricks


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THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY

Jamison Long wasn’t looking for a hook up, much less the man of his dreams. He was looking for a new ride, nothing more. Then Harper Vance walked up and shook his hand, and Jamison was smitten. When Harper’s place of employment shuttered its doors and the owner skipped town without providing severance pay, Jamison seized the opportunity and offered Harper a place to live.

The move is not without consequences. Jamison has an ex determined to undermine his fledging relationship with Harper. The seeds of doubt are planted, leaving Harper unsure if being with Jamison is a good idea. It seems Jamison’s job is the most important thing in his life, just like the ex-boyfriend said.

Jamison fights to prove he’s the man for Harper, but issues arise that Harper can’t overlook. It will take patience and love to prove that their meeting on the first of February was the best thing to happen to both of them. 


JULY HEAT

Centerville Muscle #3

Drew Bernard’s life was shattered in a single, breathless moment. His one action made reconciliation with his family impossible. He can’t change it, but he’s determined to move his life forward and not be defined by a single, horrific moment. When a friend reaches out to him with the offer of a place to stay and a temporary job, Drew makes the move to Centerville. 

Morgan Osborne made choices for the benefit of his son, but now the child is a grown man and determined to sever all ties with him – except for the monetary ones. When an unsuspecting Drew witnesses a particularly heated exchange, Morgan makes his apologies and ends up asking Drew to go out with him.  

Drew is drawn to Morgan, but he’s afraid to trust his heart. His vision of his new life never included someone like Morgan, someone who would need to know the truth. 



HOT AUGUST COMES

Leo Corbin shook the dust of Westfall off his shoes to pursue opportunities among the bright city lights. When his mother suddenly dies, Leo returns home to settle her estate. His grief at her passing quickly turns to shock at what she left behind and rekindles old questions about the identity of his father. 

Harrison Wade stuck by his father to help run the family farm. Life for a gay man in Westfall has limitations, but Harrison knows how to make the best of them. When Leo Corbin returns to town, Harrison’s quiet existence tilts. Leo is the guy who put an end to the high school bullying Harrison endured so many years ago. Harrison quickly discovers his old boyhood crush on Leo has matured into an adult attraction. 

As the mercury rises, Harrison and Leo’s friendly buddy arrangement heats up. When hot August comes to Westfall, they discover home is more than where a man hangs his hat. It’s where he gives his heart.



Jagger Davis, JD to his friends, takes a summer sabbatical at picturesque Sandbridge Beach in Virginia to enjoy some sun, surf, sleep, and solitude. Arriving at a rented cottage, JD finds sun and surf, but the cottage next-door houses six fun-loving guys determined to include him in their summer activities. It’s quickly evident JD won’t have time to feel lonely.

Nate Fischer is one of a group of friends who spend every summer at Sandbridge. An IT specialist, Nate’s taking a few weeks off before his next assignment sends him out to sea for months. He introduces himself to the new neighbor and invites JD to the first bonfire of the season.

JD fends off advances from Nate’s roommates as the two men grow close. JD harbors a secret in his past, one he worries Nate won’t accept. When Nate’s job abruptly calls him away, JD realizes his mistake in not giving his summer lover a fair chance. He must convince Nate he’ll be waiting when Nate returns - if Nate still wants him. 



ONCE IN OCTOBER

Centerville Muscle #4

Kevin Scott takes life one day at a time. He learned the hard way not to plan too far ahead. He didn’t plan to return to Centerville, but here he is, back home and to his surprise, working at a dream job. Life might work out for him this time. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. At least, until Aaron Abbott stepped into his path. Kevin has concerns about dating a younger man, but his desire for Aaron wins over his caution. The last thing he wants to do is break his young man’s heart. What he never considered was if Aaron would break his. 

Aaron’s a year out of college and still figuring out life and what he wants from it. When he meets Keven, what he wants becomes focused. The only problem he can see is that Kevin is no longer a boy, but a man with a lot of

experience, the kind of which Aaron hasn’t yet had. An unexpected event separates them, but Fate isn’t finished. When a second chance is given to them, all that remains is to see if love survived.


DECEMBER PROMISE

A lot can happen between one December and another.

Paul Macy moved heaven and earth to get a reluctant Lee Kendall for his college roommate. Giving up his free-and-easy lifestyle for the sexy new guy on campus had been the easiest decision Paul had ever made. Walking away from Lee had been the hardest.

Now, years later, Lee Kendall’s made it to the top of his field by working hard, and playing harder in the right circles. Yet he has also come to realize that success is empty when you have no one with whom to celebrate it. But as luck would have it, an invitation to visit his alma mater brings Lee face-to-face with his first lover, and a chance for the reconciliation he never thought possible.

The sparks fly when Paul and Lee reunite, fulfilling long-denied dreams for both men. But passion isn’t a pledge, and it takes more than promises made in the dark to forge a shared future between two lonely hearts...


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