Page 20 of Burning Ember

Laughing, I put my hand on the back of his neck and steered him toward the shore. “Yes, I’m gay. I love a good drag show as much as I love a football game, and back in my day, I would let loose in a gay club like it was my job.”

JD chuckled. “Oh, I’d loved to have seen that. Short shorts and midriff tanks?”

I smirked as I moonwalked over the sand a few steps. “Get me a little Michael Jackson, Boy George, or Simply Red, and I’ll show you how we used to party back in the day.”

“Who are you talking about?” JD smirked, his face teasing as he stared at me. I wanted to kiss those plump lips.

“You’re a musician. You’ve at least heard of Michael Jackson.”

JD laughed. “I couldn’t be in the music industry if I didn’t know Michael Jackson, Boy George, or Simply Red, Thatcher. I’m teasing you. So, when can I see these magical moves of yours?”

“Oh, it’ll take some time and more than a few beers for that. So, are you going to stay with me here at the beach, or are you going to move on? I want you to stay.” I shouldn’t have said it, but I wanted to be clear with JD. I wanted him to stay with me.

“Move on to where? Where would I go? My parents want nothing to do with me. Hell, they moved away when I told them I was queer. I have nobody.”

JD fell apart, and I pulled him into my arms to hold him. “You’re not alone, JD. You have me and all these people right here.” I extended my hand to include everyone enjoying the party.

He took a step back and a watery smile surfaced on his tear-streaked face. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I don’t want to make your life harder, Thatcher. I want to be able to stand up for myself, but I’m not there yet.”

“That’s fine. You can lean on me as long as you need to.” I meant it in every way.

Something about JD made my heart pound. He was an amazing man who wasn’t sure of his footing. That was fine. I’d help him as much as he’d let me. Why the young guy was so damn important to me wasn’t a question I could answer—and one I didn’t want to answer until JD asked me.

“Hey, JD!” We both turned to see River on the back porch with his guitar. Arlo and Goldie were sitting on the steps with him.

“You don’t have to go. We can go right back down the beach.” He froze as we stood there, so I offered him an escape.

I scanned the sand and found my crew on blankets as the sun set and the bonfire burned. Everyone on the beach faced the beach house, but I’d save him if he asked.

JD exhaled. “I owe them. I can’t play, but I can still sing.”

I walked him to the porch where he sat on the step above River. River turned to the group and smiled. “Hello to all of you. We’re Accidental Fire, and we’d like to thank you for everything you did to save us during our accident earlier this year. You are our heroes, and we’d like to give you a preview of one of our new songs that we wrote in your honor.”

Arlo quietly counted a beat and slapped his hands against a wooden box before River strummed a chord. “This is ‘Heroes.’”

The four of them hummed in harmony, which blew my mind, before they began singing. I held my fucking breath.

Heroes