Firefly Lane (Briar County 1)

When Marilee and Holden both waved at them, Roe called out, “You guys wanna play? We have burgers on the grill too.” He had a habit of cooking too much food, but he was good about eating leftovers. Besides, he never knew when a family member might drop by and he’d need to feed them.

“That sounds fun,” Holden replied, then turned to Sean to say something. Roe saw the kid shake his head and Marilee frown. Sean jogged toward the cabin, his mama behind him. “I think we’re gonna skip this time. Thanks, man.” And then Holden disappeared with them. Foolishly, Roe watched them go.

“Heads up!” Wyatt yelled, and Roe looked just in time to catch the ball before it smacked him.

“Brat! Come on. I need to check the food.” When they’d made their way over to the picnic table Roe had set up close to the grill, he asked, “Do you and Sean ever talk?”

“Nope. Keeps to himself. He had a few friends, but during the spring sometime, started hanging out even more by himself.” So right around when his daddy left, Roe figured. “He’s kinda weird.”

“Hey,” Roe began just as Lindsey told Wyatt, “We don’t say things like that about people. You never know what someone else is going through.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wyatt replied, but he clearly wasn’t happy about it.

The three of them hung out for a while together and ate outside before Lindsey was ready to go. Wyatt said goodbye, then went into the house to meet his buddies on a game they played online, while Roe walked her to her car.

“Do you know much about Holden?” she asked.

“Not a ton. Seems like a nice guy. He’s a pilot from Atlanta who doesn’t like small towns.”

“I think it’s strange. Sure, Marilee has always kept to herself, but no one even knew she had a brother. Now he’s here and sleeping on the couch for three months?”

“We don’t say things like that about people. You never know what someone else is going through,” Roe reminded her of what she’d said to Wyatt earlier, and her face flushed.

“Shit. You got me. So I’m not perfect. I know it’s a shocker.” Roe laughed and kissed her forehead. “He’s hot, though.”

“Gorgeous,” Roe replied. He was thinking way too much about just how sexy Holden was.

“Maybe it’s meant to be… I mean, I’m single…and a beautiful, rugged new man just strode into town, with no plans to stay. He’ll fall helplessly in love with me, and with Harmony in the process. I think that man and I are a Hallmark movie waiting to happen.”

They both laughed again. “Why doesn’t that happen in more gay movies? It’s sad that I can’t even pretend because it’s not something I’ve ever seen on TV in my whole life.”

“I’m sorry.” Lindsey nudged him. “But you’ve done the have-a-kid-with-your-female-best-friend thing. That’s a movie and book cliché, right?”

“Yeah, well, I want the hot, sweaty affair too.” Roe was getting old. At forty-five, random sex with guys he met up with was likely all he’d ever have. His prospects for anything else weren’t looking real good, especially in Harmony. Most of the time it didn’t bother him. He loved his life and his family, but every once in a while, he wondered what it would be like not to be alone every damn night.

“I hear you. Slim pickings ’round here. Believe me. I never thought I’d be forty-four and not married.”

“I know, babe.” Roe kissed her forehead again.

She left, and Roe cleaned up the mess outside, then headed in and played a few games with Wyatt before his son got busy with his friends online again.

Around eleven, Wyatt told him he was going to sleep.

Roe finished his beer, and when he took the bottle to the trash can in the kitchen, he saw the motion detector light come on. It was likely an animal or something, but still, he went over to the window and looked out.

He was surprised to see Holden, one foot up on the bottom wooden railing of the old horse ring from the previous owners, his arms leaning against the top. There was something about the set of his shoulders that said he was upset. Roe found himself plucking two more beers from the fridge and making his way out.

“You drink beer?” he asked, approaching Holden.

He turned and looked Roe’s way. “Yeah, thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

Their fingers touched briefly when Roe handed a bottle over. “Long day?”

“Something like that.” Holden took a swallow. “I appreciate your asking us to play today.”

“We gonna do that list of things to appreciate again?” Roe joked, and Holden chuckled.

“I guess not.” Another drink.

“How’s it going with him?” Roe knew it was none of his business, but he was curious. He also had the feeling that Holden wasn’t a real talkative guy, that he probably wouldn’t just offer the information, even if he needed to talk about it.