Hello everybody. Four Days and Counting Down! I can’t
believe it before “Other Side of the Line” will be released from Dreamspinner Press.
Caleb and Hal meet when they are eight years old and
throughout their lives they faced many rough moments that they weathered
through the strength of their friendship. But what happens when distance
threatens that closeness? Hal’s dad has been transferred back to New York and
Hal and Caleb are forced to say goodbye just as they’re discovering more about
themselves and how they feel about each other. I hope you enjoy.
Excerpt:
They lounged in silence, the stuffy heat in the fort
worsening as the sun rose higher. As hot as it was, Caleb didn’t want to let
go. If only they had more days together like this, more mornings when they
could slip away to the fort to be alone. A thought flitted through his head.
What would it be like to kiss Hal? His heart did a funny flip. He’d thought
about kissing Theresa and never had that reaction, but then again, he hadn’t
had that reaction with another guy either. Just Hal.
“You know how strange I was acting toward the end of the
school year?” Hal asked, lifting his head. Caleb found himself staring into his
gray-green eyes, and the sense that there was only the two of them in the world
grew stronger.
“I think we were both acting strange.” Caleb remembered
how he’d treated Hal with a wince of regret. They’d both been hot and cold, one
minute pushing each other away, the next seeking each other out again. He
wished now that he’d talked about it with Hal, even if he didn’t know how to
phrase all the conflicting emotions.
“I was afraid you’d notice I wasn’t into girls, and
I felt bad because I had a secret. I’d never had a secret from you before. I
wanted to tell you, but….” Hal trailed off, and Caleb had a gut instinct there
was more to it than Hal’s attraction to boys, something unsaid. Caleb had to look
away because he became vividly aware of Hal’s body pressed against his own.
Caleb had never thought about it that way, but he
supposed he had a secret too. Now with Hal getting ready to leave, Caleb wasn’t
sure what to do about it either. With the way Hal’s dad screwed with his head
and Hal’s uncertain temper, how could Caleb tell him as his parting words,
“Hey, you made me uncomfortable, so I thought the only way to handle it was by
keeping my distance”? Just the thought of talking about it made his palms sweat
and his stomach churn.
“I don’t blame you for feeling like you couldn’t tell me,
not with the way I was acting,” Caleb replied.
“I just wish….” Once again, Hal trailed off, but this
time there was no doubt what he meant, because Caleb also felt it.
“I know; me too.” He wished they had more time. He wished
he had the courage to say what was in his heart, to hear what Hal had to say.
He wished they could be free to be themselves without the world trying to
dictate who they should be friends with, who they should love.
“Hal? Hal! I know you’re up there.” Lily’s voice called
from the clearing. “Dad’s pitching a fit. He wants to go.”
Caleb closed his eyes as his heart thumped painfully
against his ribs. “I’ll write you.”
“I know,” Hal whispered, his voice lost.
It wouldn’t be the same. If Caleb had something he wanted
to share with Hal, or if he’d had a bad day and needed to confide in him, it
would be days before those letters would get to Hal and even more days before
he got a response. Caleb wanted to comfort him with words, but his throat had
tightened too much for speech. He hadn’t cried in years, but the aching in his
chest and eyes warned him he was perilously close.
“Hal?” This time Lily’s voice floated up from the base of
the tree. “Please don’t make me go to New York without you.”
Tears pooled behind Caleb’s eyelids. He kissed Hal’s
cheek and let his arms fall away. Hal stared at him for a long moment and then
his lips brushed near Caleb’s, like the breath of a ghost, leaving them
tingling. Before Caleb could react, Hal swung down through the trapdoor.
Contests:
I’m giving away a signed free copy on Goodreads. The contest ends the 18th.
Also, next month I’ll be running another contest and
giving away a beautiful Charleston sweetgrass basket. Check back later for more
details.
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