Firefly Lane (Briar County 1)

“Good. And you?” he replied, but Roe wasn’t sure Deke was okay at all. He played it off well, but Roe couldn’t help wondering how true it was.

“We’re doing okay. Escaped Harmony for a while. Got a night off serving ice cream?”

“Yup. Didn’t feel like cooking, so I thought I’d come here.” He turned his attention to Holden. “Looks like you’re settling in nicely.”

“Yeah, kinda hard not to with this guy around,” Holden replied. “Hey, I’m curious about your ice cream. Sean’s obsessed with the flavors. You wanna eat with us?”

If Roe wasn’t in love with Holden already, that would have done it. He’d wanted to ask Deke the same thing, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Holden didn’t know the man, not really, yet he could see Deke’s loneliness same as Roe could.

“No, thank you,” Deacon replied. “I’ll be heading out soon, but I appreciate the offer. Bring Sean down sometime, though. I’ll give him a tour.”

Roe wasn’t surprised he’d said no. Holden thanked him, and they made their way to their table. “Hope it’s okay that I asked,” Holden said when they sat down. “He seems sad.”

“I love that you asked,” Roe answered honestly, then reached over the table and gave Holden’s hand a squeeze. He returned it, and if Roe wasn’t wrong, holding on an extra beat before letting go.

They didn’t drink—both ordering sweat tea, steak, mashed potatoes, and a salad.

They chatted while they waited for their dinner, then while they were eating, the conversation flowing easily as it always did between them. It amazed Roe sometimes that he’d only known Holden less than a summer, not even enough time for a season to change. It felt like so much longer.

When the meal was finished, Roe asked, “You gonna let me pay?”

“You’re the one who’s taking me on a date,” Holden replied, giving him a playful grin. “Just hope the night’s not ending yet.”

Heat pooled in Roe’s gut, but it was more than that. He wanted to spend more time with him, talk to him, hoped like hell this summer would never end. “Nope. Not over yet.”

They drove out to the old Silver property. Neither wanted to be around people much, just each other. They took the blankets to the bed of the truck and climbed in.

Roe rested his head on Holden’s chest, savored the warmth radiating off him, even though the air around them was hot and muggy. Holden wrapped an arm around him, danced his fingers up and down Roe’s arm.

“Did you use to catch fireflies as a kid?” Holden asked.

Roe frowned, wondering where the question was coming from. “I did.”

“Me too…but only kept them for a little while. Wanted to enjoy them. Was in awe of them. Marilee and I would run around, trapping them in mason jars, then watch them for an hour or so before I let them out. She used to get so mad at me. She wanted to keep them longer, but…I don’t know… It didn’t feel right, locking them inside the jar instead of letting them fly free.”

Roe’s stomach twisted, a heaviness settling in his gut. “Is that how you feel? In a small town like this?” If so, no matter how much Roe wanted him to stay, he would never try and keep Holden here. He’d never want him to feel like he was trapped in a mason jar.

“Used to.” Holden cleared his throat. “Probably should…but I don’t. Not here. Not with you. Those are some of my favorite memories, catching fireflies with my sister. It was one of the only times our lives were easy. She would always be so happy, I couldn’t help but catch it too… And then I came here, to your house on Firefly Lane. I noticed it right away. Just… I don’t typically think this way, but it feels special. Like it means something.”

Roe’s whole body suddenly felt too damn sensitive, his heart too damn big, full of Holden and this moment. He wasn’t stupid—no matter how much those words meant to him, no matter how true they might be, he knew there were no easy answers here. Life didn’t really work that way. Still, it made him hope.

“Christ, darlin’. You don’t know what you do to me. Make me feel too damn much—want too damn much.” He pulled back so they could look at each other.

Roe couldn’t say who kissed who first, but their lips met, hands caressed, clothes came off. They made out, rutting together, then blowing each other, before lying there, wrapped up in each other’s sweaty arms again.

Goddamn, he didn’t want this to end.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Holden

Holden got up early with Roe on Sunday morning to help feed the animals and collect eggs, like he’d started to do the past week. He liked it then, the pinks and oranges of a new day, the world around them waking up as he and Roe drank coffee and went about their routine.