September Morning

Following the death of his partner, Jagger Davis is on a sabbatical to finish healing and to get his life moving again. JD goes to Sandbridge, Virginia for a restful summer of solitude and discovers the cottage next door is full of friendly neighbors. One in particular catches his interest.

Nate Fischer is part of a group of guys who spend every summer at Sandbridge. An IT specialist for a private contractor at the nearby Naval base, Nate’s taking some vacation time. When JD arrives, Nate invites him to a cookout on the beach. It isn’t long before Nate and JD are inseparable, but there are three men in the relationship.

JD’s memories are a constant companion. He won’t banish them to satisfy someone new. When Nate’s job abruptly calls him away, JD realizes he didn’t give his summer lover a fair chance. Now he has to convince Nate there’s room in his heart for both the past and the future.

* * *
My eyes burned. It didn’t take a big leap of logic to figure out why and how Nate knew so much.

“You keep saying the exact right thing. Who was he?”

He took a quick breath and gusted it out. “His name was Aaron. We were together about three years. It tore me up when he got married.”

Somehow I didn’t think he meant Aaron married another man. If I didn’t ask, the unrequited curiosity would give me hives.

“As in he married a-?”

“Woman. Yes.”

“Damn.”

“Yep.”

“You didn’t-?”

“Nope. Had no clue until he packed his clothes and left.”

We lifted our cans in unison and both sucked down a long draught of beer. Nate let his arm slide down my back and dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of my shorts. I squirmed away from them.

“Your fingers are cold.”

He bumped against me. “Maybe I’m nervous you’ll reject me.”

“Well, you know I did tell Sven I’d have lunch with him in the not so distant future.”

Nate laughed softly. “I’m not worried about Sven. I saw Paddy whispering in his ear and he looked at us. He’ll have lunch with you but he won’t make a move on you.”

“Pity. I’ve never kissed a Norse god. I might like it.”

He growled and tumbled me backward onto the sand. His cool, beer flavored lips covered mine. Not gentle now, he thrust his silky tongue into my mouth and led me into a mock battle. Back and forth we teased, learning secrets few others would ever know.

I clung to him as long-forgotten heat coursed through me. I’d mourned the loss of having someone to touch, and touch me, as much as I’d mourned losing Michael. Now my senses flooded with Nate’s nearness. I needed to breathe but I would have passed out from lack of oxygen before I’d pull away from him - or let him go.

“Ah, kick some sand on ‘em.”

Nate jerked away from me at the sound of a voice, close to our ears. Sven took a step back as we scrambled to sit. Good-natured laughter traveled around the bonfire. I glanced at Nate and hoped I wasn’t as glassy-eyed as he was. The man looked dazed.

I guess I did. Sven loomed over me and grinned.

“Does this mean our lunch date is off?”

I got to my feet with as much dignity as a guy with a big bulge in his pants can muster in front of a crowd. “That depends. I still need to eat.