After Dark Content

Fraser Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and bright, the kind of day that felt like frost, family time, and football. Inside the Sunshine Corner, it was warm with the scent of turkey, roasting vegetables, and fresh bread. Ennio Frant, the owner and chef, had opened...

Calloway The moment the door closed behind Fraser, the protective walls I'd spent years constructing felt all too fragile. I’d thought I was safe, that I had protected myself to prevent from ever getting so deeply hurt ever again. And yet here I was. Alone in the...

Fraser The call came while I was admiring the backsplash in my kitchen, which I had just finished replacing. The old one had been some vague mustard-yellow that had reminded me of vomit, and now I had a gorgeous white and dark blue pattern that matched the shade of...

Calloway The weight of Fraser on top of me, solid and warm and real, sent electricity through every nerve ending. My body, dormant for so long, had awakened with a vengeance. Every kiss, every touch, every breath against my skin felt magnified, like I was...

Fraser The Friday night after the storm, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror trying to tame my beard into something presentable. At least I didn’t have to worry about my hair, one of the benefits of being bald. Back when I’d discovered my hair was thinning...

Calloway My phone rang at exactly nine o'clock that Sunday morning after the storm, like it had every Sunday for the past few years. I stared at it from across the room, my coffee mug frozen halfway to my lips, and let it go to voicemail. I knew who it was. I knew...

Fraser The afternoon dragged by with agonizing slowness. I'd checked my roof again (fine), replaced that one shingle (didn’t take more than a few minutes), cleaned up the minimal storm debris in my yard (fifteen minutes, tops), and even reorganized my tool shed...

Calloway I woke slowly, consciousness returning in gentle waves. The first thing I noticed was warmth—not just the ambient temperature, but the solid presence of another body against mine. The second was the absence of fear. For the first time in seven years, I'd...

Fraser The weather alert on my phone woke me from my afternoon nap, its shrill tone cutting through the darkness. I fumbled for the device, squinting at the screen through sleep-blurred eyes. SEVERE WEATHER WARNING: High winds and heavy rain expected. Power outages...

Calloway My kitchen had never felt smaller than it did with Fraser in it. He sat at my little table, leg stretched out carefully, watching me move between stove and counter with those patient green eyes. I'd insisted he rest while I cooked. His leg had been...

Fraser   The Fall Festival hit Forestville like a friendly invasion. When I arrived at the town square early Saturday morning, vendors were already setting up booths, stringing lights between lampposts, and transforming our quiet streets into something out of...