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

Tom ripped open the bag and dove inside. “Excellent. I was feeling a bit hungry.”


“And you can keep your paws off them until we have coffee,” Cliff said, coming down the stairs and taking the bag from a dejected Tom.


“When are we having coffee?” Tom whined.


Cliff looked up at the grandfather clock in the hall. “Now, I suppose.” 


Tom regained custody of the paper bag and stuffed one of the gingerbread men into his mouth.


“Crumbs,” Cliff scolded, but I could tell he didn’t mean it. 


We went into the kitchen and Cliff started setting out a tray.


“You had coffee at Tim’s,” Cliff said more than asked.


“I decided, after talking to Sam, to get their meal ready for them for when they get here,” Cliff said, adding water to a coffee machine. It must have been new as I hadn’t seen it the last time I’d visited. I began to regret declining Cliff’s offer of a drink


Chapter 17