Wayne Gray

I don't do too much of that "psyche!" stuff. Some, but not much. And, yes. This moment really happened. Caleb caved, and now both Wren and Caleb are sort of squirming with their own issues due to the situation. Ah, boys.

Thanks for the listen, and for the comments, Reader. I hope your day is going well.

Thanks, Thorn. Coming from you that means quite a bit. 🙂

Yeah, that’s a great way to wake up, in just about any book! Yes, they’re both confused about exactly what it is they want, and it shows. There’s a lot going on. But there’s also support available. We’ll have to see how things shake out. Thanks, Chris!

I was driving on the way to our most remote site, and this melody/lyrics began to play in my brain. So I pulled off, recorded it, then continued on my way. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kzx9g8bKyTRl4pzA_OC42FGXN42vo5-n I’ll decide later if it’s worth trying to flesh out into a complete song. Maybe ask my buddy who does Folk singing for a living what he thinks. Till then, is the melody familiar to anybody? It’d suck to think it’s mine when it’s not.

Thanks for writing, Petey! They definitely need someone to give them a talking to! You’re right. There are deeper issues for both guys, and it’s going to take time before those are resolved. IF they get resolved!

I know. They're damaged goods, both of them. Children!

There were clear skies, for which Wren was thankful. He and Caleb had pulled the tent out of the back of the pickup, then made themselves a nest of padding, blankets, and a sleeping bag. It was too late and too dark to set up the tent, so they'd sleep in the back of the truck for the night. He stared up into a sky filled with stars and the smudge of the Milky Way. Caleb was beside him, turned away on his side. Wren couldn't count how many times they had done this growing up as kids and teena

Sleep well, tim.

It takes a lot of strength to let go. Ultimately you're better for it, but, still, yeah — a lot of strength.

G'night. Sleep well!

Hey, Mac! Thanks for reading and commenting. Mister Wren is definitely flawed, and you touched on many of the reasons why. Though Travis has tortured him aplenty, and the guy had something coming. You nailed Branson too. He sees something in Wren that the young man himself doesn't realize is there. Even if nothing comes of Branson's interest, it doesn't change the quality he noticed in Wren. It's still there. I'm glad you found the time to take a read. I hope you find it enjoyable, Mac.

Well, the uncles seem to be the bullying kind, and a bully doesn't typically do well when someone stands up. But, we'll see what goes down. Thanks for reading and commenting, @LilDaddy98!

Thanks for the fantastic comments, Dr. John, and I look forward to the rest of your thoughts. 🙂 It's very helpful to get the thoughts of the readers, for all authors. So if you enjoy other works that authors have done, please take the time to drop a little line to the author. We always sincerely appreciate that.

Goodnight, sleep well, tim.

I'm with tim. Buy yourself some great chocolate, a nice bit of bubbly, and have at it. You deserve it, right?

Look at you, trying to solve all the issues for my fellows! 🙂

We'll see! The next three chapters are already written, so I know but I won't tell! Thanks for writing and commenting, spyke!

You're right. Charles wouldn't let it pass without calling it out. It was a "you did this, we're going to talk about it, no matter if it makes me uncomfortable or not". Charles is still insulated from this sort of thing. But, again, it's his brother and his best friend. He loves them more than his societial pressure to judge. No. No bobcat! 😣

Heh. Yeah, I didn't do much in the way of hiding it, eh? But, I wasn't really trying to hide it either. No need. The struggle isn't in the knowing, the struggle is in the how.

Yikes. 😣

Asking those very important questions, I see. Let's see. A young, healthy man, struggling hard to resist the lure of attraction. Any bets?

Hey, Chris. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂 Yep, gotta take those little wins where you can, eh? Charles isn't one to let something fester, and he absolutely won't sit around while the two men he loves the most flounder in a mess of their own making. More is coming. Stick with me.

Hi Parker. Thanks for reading and commenting. Charles and Tracy were both champs when it comes to that support we all need in life. Caleb and Wren have been friends their whole lives. Wren was terrified that he had destroyed that, but in the end, Caleb did the right thing.

All of this is true. Charles also forced Caleb's hand. Charles knew Wren couldn't force Caleb to do anything he didn't want to do. So, when he questioned Caleb in the kitchen about Wren "assaulting" him, he made Caleb admit - Yes. I kissed a boy... and I liked it. Law enforcement is a funny thing in the hills of Kentucky. Everybody knows everybody. They'll likely be involved soon, but it will not be a familiar experience to most people. Not to say they're corrupt. But, if a person can't take care of their own property and lives out there, then it's far more effective to have decent neighbors looking out for you rather than police who are thirty minutes away from responding. I will concede, it’d be good to start a documentation process. 😉