When they graduated from high school in 1962, best friends and secret lovers Jim McCutcheon and Ronnie Mayer had high expectations for the rest of their lives. Six years later, both are back in the small Nebraska town they called home, and worse, no longer together.<br><br>Once the golden boy, Jim now works on his grandfather's farm, away from the town's disappointment he didn't end up at NASA. Ronnie lives in his parents' basement, recovering from the blast that sent him home from Vietnam. Neither is where they want to be, but it takes a special request from Ronnie's mom for Jim to swallow his pride and visit.<br><br>Though it doesn't go well, it opens the door for the two young men to start communicating. One question haunts them, though. Have they changed too much to find their way back to each other again?

Silences of Fallen Stars

He anticipated more from Jim, maybe admonitions about being so hard on himself, or promises about what was to come, or even a joke about other ways Jim could stop the hurting. None of it came. They stayed like that, wrapped up in one of the snug silences that had filled their hours in the days they’d spent together, breathing in the other’s scent, taking quiet relief from the other’s presence.


Beat by beat, he felt his muscles relax, like he was draining the strength away from Jim through the touch of their skin. Jim remained strong, though, not softening in his grip, not bending beneath his weight. Perfect Jim, just like he’d always been. Whether Jim believed that or not.


“I want to kiss you.” Jim’s whisper added to the spell rather than broke it. “But I have no idea if it’s the right or wrong thing to do right now. Or ever.”


His head felt clearer. He credited Jim more than the drugs. He had no qualms admitting, “I’ve missed you.”


Chapter 18