Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | (Briar County #1) Firefly Lane |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Riley Hart |
| Language: | English |
| ISBN/ ASIN: | B099X9859X |
| Book Information: | |
At forty-three, Holden Barnett is getting along just fine. His job as a pilot keeps him from getting restless, and he’s got a man who doesn’t want promises for the future. One phone call from his estranged sister changes everything. She needs his help, so Holden drops everything and heads to Harmony, a small town in Briar County, which represents everything he’s tried to avoid in life. Monroe Covington is forty-five and happy. He loves his life—running his store, helping at his family’s farm, and spending his days with his best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt. Sure, half the town likes to forget he’s gay, and he’d love for the queer population to be bigger, but Roe makes do. He misses dating, relationships, and a man to hold at night, but at least he gets new eye candy when Holden, the brother of the woman who’s renting his cabin, shows up. The attraction is instant, the friendship not far behind, but between Holden’s initial relationship status, family complications, and the two of them wanting different things, they’re a disaster waiting to happen…only it doesn’t feel that way, not with how much time they spend talking, laughing, and eventually, tumbling into bed, a field, or the back of a truck together. The closer they get, the more Holden realizes that just being fine isn’t enough, and Roe begins to see that his life isn’t as complete as he thought. Now, if they could only sort out the rest of it… ***Firefly Lane is a small town, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers summer romance with no cheating, mature characters who talk out their problems, like to work with their hands, and have amazing chemistry. Did I mention they watch movies in the company of goats? | |
| Books in Series: | Briar County Series by Riley Hart |
| Books by Author: | Riley Hart |
CHAPTER ONE
Monroe
“We need to figure out a schedule for movies with goats. The season starts in a few weeks,” Dad said as they sat down for a Covington family Sunday dinner.
Like always, the whole crew was there: his parents, his three siblings—two with their spouses and children—and, of course, Roe’s best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt.
They all lived in the same town and saw each other all the time. Hell, whether it was full-time, part-time, or simply helping out whenever they could, most of the family worked at Covington Acres Farms. Still, they made their way to Mom and Dad’s house often to share a meal. To break that rule was to break Mama’s heart, and no one wanted that.
“We can talk about it after dinner,” Mama scolded.
“I have some movie ideas,” his sister, Jackie, replied.
The others jumped in with their thoughts on the goat activities—movies, yoga, and things like that—which was what the farm was known for.
Roe’s head spun just trying to keep up with everyone. It was always like that. They were quite the bunch and he loved it.
“Movies with goats is my favorite,” Lindsey replied from beside him. They’d been inseparable since they were kids. Everyone thought they’d grow up and get married, but once high school rolled around, Roe realized he was into the same kind of guys she was. Lindsey was the first person he’d told he was gay. He came out to his family his senior year, but she’d already known for two. Still, it didn’t matter that he was forty-five years old and had been openly gay since he was eighteen—most people still thought he and Lindsey would end up together.
Sometimes he thought his family believed it as well.
One might argue that was partly his and Lindsey’s fault since they’d had a child together, who was now thirteen. Really, though, they were just the closest of friends, who’d wanted to be parents and decided to make that happen together.
“Wyatt can help with whatever y’all need over the summer,” Roe said. When his son opened his mouth to respond, Roe cocked a brow. Wyatt grumbled but closed it again.
Roe gave his attention to Colby, his youngest sibling, as he rambled about the goats. He was the baby while Roe was the oldest. They were the two Covington kids who weren’t married, though Colby’d had a girlfriend for about a year and Roe figured they’d tie the knot soon.
That was just what you did in Harmony.
“Your mama can work on a schedule—ouch, woman.” Dad added the second part when Mama popped him on the hand with a spoon.
“I said after dinner. This is family time.”
“And this is a family farm,” Dad insisted, but he knew better, so he ended the conversation after that.
Once the food was on the table, they closed their eyes to say grace. It wasn’t something Roe did at home, only partaking during their family meal. Dad said the prayer, and then there was a chorus of amens around the table before they dug in—roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and all the fixins.
Dinner was loud. There was no way it couldn’t have been with fourteen of them. While some days it felt a little over-the-top, he’d missed it when he’d lived in DC.
Roe had left Harmony, North Carolina, right after high school, wanting to prove he wasn’t a small-town boy—well, and wanting the experiences of being a gay man in the city, but it had gotten old after a while. He’d made a good career for himself in finance, and he’d experimented with lots of men, some for a night, some long term. He’d even fallen in love, but he’d never forgotten his roots, the ones burrowed deep in Harmony, luring him back home. It was the decision to come back that lost him the man he’d thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with.
They finished dinner, then had the kids clean up—they knew not to fuss too much about doing chores—while the adults moved into the family room and finally got down to farm business.
Covington Acres had grown a lot from what his granddaddy had passed down to his dad. They had small crops, mostly sweet potatoes and other vegetables, and apple orchards behind the property. His brother Colby took care of most of that. The other men ran the livestock, while the women were responsible for all the family-oriented goat activities.
People purchased tickets to come out and watch older flicks they set up on the eastern pasture. It was like a drive-in, only visitors brought chairs and watched movies on the projector while feeding and playing with the animals. They ate that shit up, even came down from some of the bigger cities to watch a movie with a damn goat. Roe didn’t get it.
It was almost nine before they started to head out. They said their goodbyes, and he walked Lindsey and Wyatt to her car. Wyatt went back and forth between their places. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than it had been when he’d lived in DC and had only gone to Harmony a couple of weekends a month.