J.D. Walker

Coming home is not something Kayle Grimes ever envisioned for himself. He left this town of bigots behind without regrets and made a good life elsewhere. Now he’s back again, hiding in his parents’ old house and licking his wounds.<br><br>Asher Knox, the reason Kayle disappeared in the first place, is the last thing he needs. But the boy who broke his heart is now the mayor, and won’t take no for an answer.<br><br>Asher Knox has to find a way to get Kayle to forgive him and see he’s no longer a coward hiding in the closet. He’s out and proud, and ready to publicly claim Kayle as his own. It doesn’t help that the Kayle who has returned home is stubborn and prickly, and Asher knows he’s going to make a fool of himself, but it’s worth it, all the same.

Nowhere But Home

I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about what Asher had said and working on sketches of him, instead of finishing the painting. Sure, I’d been through hell growing up, but to witness a heinous act like that being done by a friend must have turned Asher’s world upside down. Then to face his parents? And come out in a town that had always thought of him in a certain way and accepted him as such? That must have been scary. He could have coasted through life, gotten married to a nice local girl—they’d all been after him—and had kids. But he didn’t.


Dali snuffled in his sleep on the nearby makeshift doggy bed, legs twitching as he dreamed. Should I go to the LGBT meetup tomorrow night? I’d need to get a haircut, at least. And no, I wasn’t doing it because Asher would be there. Of course not. I could get a trim after I went to check out the spot for the proposed mural. I suppose if Asher could change and this town could change, maybe I could cut everyone some slack.


Chapter 9