Rainbow Snippets*-- Ocean Dreams

Two years ago this week, I was on my first (and only) cruise. I was nervous, but that didn't last. I spent an hour or two every afternoon, reading on the deck.  It was so relaxing. And warm. It's something I definitely want to do again once we're able to travel safely.

This week's snippet is a continuation from last week and is the first paragraphs of the prologue from Smoke and Sparks, told from Daryl's POV. (part 2 of ?-- read part one here.)  

        What did I know? I was barely 21-years-old. If my older cousin and his friends invited me to tag along, I tagged along. I wasn’t about to question it.

We’d traveled from our southern Indiana hometown to an Illinois campground to meet Cherry Honey, our other cousin’s mystery lady from St. Louis. I had no clue why the guys at the garage called her that, because I was sure it wasn’t her real name. I was simply looking forward to a weekend without all the hustle and bustle of home-life with my five younger sisters and brothers. Hopefully, in the not too far future, I'd find a place of my own. And someone to share it with.

As it was, I froze when a surprised Ben stepped out of his camper, followed by an auburn-haired man. A very nervous, flushed, auburn-haired man. But who wouldn’t be, when confronted by a dozen strangers gathered at the door, staring, all agog?

Smoke and Sparks (Book 2 of the Campfire Series)

Couch-surfing is fine for the short term, but what Vaughn really needs is a roommate.

Vaughn’s future was mapped out: Attend college in St. Louis. Become a Physical Therapist. Come out to his ultra-religious family-- after he’s financially stable and probably 40-years-old. But that was before he got caught with the pool-boy. Now he has to make new plans, quickly.

A small-town mechanic from Indiana, Daryl has never met anyone like Vaughn. He’s instantly fascinated by the tall college student in the skinny jeans and open-backed shirt. Vaughn is funny, intelligent—and wears silk underwear. Daryl is instantly smitten.

A temporary job offer moves Daryl to the city and solves Vaughn’s roommate problem. But while their former long-distance friendship has the potential to turn into something more, Vaughn fears he’ll end up heartbroken when Daryl moves back to Indiana. The spark between them glows brighter, but will it be smothered before it has a chance to truly ignite?

*Rainbow Snippets is a (Facebook) group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers who gather once a week to share snippets from a work of fiction–-a WIP or a finished work or even a book recommendation. If you're interested in following a diverse group of authors, check it out here.