Simon Peters and his partner Mark Smith face a number of challenging life events in the fourth and final volume of this heart-warming saga. Because of his time working on the streets after being kicked out of home by his father, Mark worries he may have contracted HIV. Despite knowing the lack of treatment options if he were to test positive -- this is the late 1980’s before the age of retro-viral drugs -- Mark is determined to know his fate. Things become complicated when Mark receives a letter from his father wanting to re-establish contact. Roy entering their lives presents further challenges, ones which ultimately threaten Simon and Mark’s continued happiness. Gay teens Sam and Billy play an increasingly important part in Simon and Mark’s lives, often regarding the older men as surrogate fathers/big brothers. Can this unconventional family pull together and become stronger, despite all the world has thrown at them?

Fireside Romance Book 4: Glowing Embers

Tuesday evening—the day before he was due to head back up to Scotland—Steve paid us a visit. We all had a glass, or should that be wee dram, of the bottle of single malt he’d bought us for Christmas. 


“I’m not much of a whisky drinker normally,” I told Steve, staring into the glass of amber liquid. "But I could get used to this. It’s so smooth.”


Steve nodded. “I like a small glass at the end of a busy day. It helps me to relax.”


Mark and I had our own ways of relaxing. There was still half a bottle of lavender massage oil in the bathroom and I planned on using some of it to relax with later. 


“Hello, Noel,” Steve said, bringing my mind back from thoughts of sliding my hands all over Mark’s slick body.


I covered my bulging crotch with the arm that was holding my whisky glass and watched Noel accepting a back scratch from Steve.


Noel seemed to like this as he arched into Steve’s touch. 


Chapter 4