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I have finished my next story, After The Past. It's in editing right now and I hope to start posting it mid-October. I hope you enjoy this short excerpt. From After the Past: The day things started to change for the worse began with Jae chopping wood. I sat out on the back porch prepping some green beans while I watched. His muscles moved under his sun darkened skin. It was warm and soon he was sweating freely. I didn’t mind, it was a nice view. He stopped and propped the axe against the old stump we chopped on. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he walked to me, grinning broadly. “Need some water.” I dipped the chipped mug into a bucket of water and held it up to him. Jae drank it all down then he bent down and kissed me. It started off as a peck but developed into something more, hotter and more intense. He moved the basket of beans onto the porch and pulled me up. Now his arms were around me, pulling me against his hard body and his tongue pressing against mine. We were both panting when we broke apart. He pulled me back though and nuzzled my neck. Soft as a breeze on a hot summer day I heard him whisper, “I love you, David.” I pulled away a little and looked at his sweet face. “Do you?” Grinning, he just nodded. How did I feel? We’d become so very close. I reached up and stroked his cheek. “I love you too.” Jae just grunted and smiled. He pushed me back down, picked up the green beans, handed them to me, and gave me a peck on the cheek. He walked back to the stump, picked up the axe and started to chop again. Huh. I finished the beans and had taken them into the kitchen when I heard voices. Not raised, just conversation, but it scared me—we rarely saw other people. I’d been stupid the last time we’d been out in the truck, and left the rifle there. Then I heard Jae swear, I quickly grabbed another axe that sat in the mud room, and went out into the yard. Jae was talking to a man who sat astride a large yellow-coloured horse. It was a pretty thing. The man looked at me and the axe, and Jae saw the concern on my face—he held up a calming hand to me and the stranger. “David, it’s okay. I just got stung by a bee. It’s okay. This is Jim, he’s passing through but wondered if he could share some water. He’s got some berries to trade.” Not taking my eyes from the man, I told Jae to go ahead. Jim dismounted and led his beast to water. The animal drank deeply, now and then raising its streaming muzzle from the trough. Jim left the horse to graze under a tree in the yard, returned to Jae and gave him a bag full of blueberries. Jae and the stranger walked toward me, and Jae said he’d make some coffee. The man didn’t seem to be more than what he was, so I invited him to sit on the porch. “Thank you. I’ve been in the saddle for a few days now. I’m heading north up to Canada.” “Why is that?” “I stopped for water but also I have news. There’s a large gang of men, burning and thieving, coming this way. I saw them and what they can do, and it wasn’t pretty. I’m tired of trouble mister, so I saddled Pedro there and started on my way. I saw your smoke and thought maybe you might share a little water and I’d share the news. Sorry it ain’t better.” Thanks for reading this little snippet! tim