“Nothin’ wrong with exploring your sexuality. There’s beauty in both men and women.”

Even though Braden obviously couldn’t see him, Cooper nodded. “I guess…though I can’t see feeling that toward any other man, but Noah.” And he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but figured it didn’t really matter. All he knew was he did go wild when he looked at Noah and he loved the man. The rest of it was just labels.

“Look at you, you’ve turned into a romantic. So you get why I want Wes’s number, or where he lives. I’m not adverse to showing up.” Even though Braden laughed, Coop had no doubt the man was completely serious.

“So you spent one night with the guy and you’re in love with him?”

“Fuck no. I’m in lust with him. Big fucking difference. And…I don’t know. There’s something about him. Like he’s completely alone.”

The seriousness in Braden’s voice tugged on Coop’s guilt. All he wanted to do was talk to the man. What was the harm in that? And since Wes was losing his sister, maybe spending some time with Braden would do him some good. At least help him forget for a few hours.

“I don’t have his number but I’ll talk to Noah again when he gets home from California tonight. I’m pretty sure his last name is Jensen though. Not sure if that’ll help.”

“Hell yeah. That’s a start. What ya up to? Wanna go play some basketball or something?” Braden asked.

I wish. “Can’t. I’m heading out to my uncle’s. Shit, man, I’m going to tell him about Noah.” Cooper’s tires hit the gravel a little as he took a corner, but he corrected it quickly.

Braden was silent for a minute before asking, “And that won’t go well?”

“No. It won’t. Partly because he’s going to have a huge problem with his nephew being with another man, but the fact that it’s Noah, won’t help.”

“Sorry about that. You need to go out for a beer or something after, let me know. I thought you grew up with Noah. Your family doesn’t like him?”

“They did, that’s what I don’t understand. Noah was always at my house but after they left, their family was off limits for Vernon.”

Cooper’s heart dropped when the smell of smoke hit his nose. It wasn’t something he could ever forget. His eyes ran over the mile marker sign before landing on a house off the side of the road, red flames engulfing it.

Coop slammed the breaks, jerking the wheel so he didn’t miss the driveway. “House fire. Thirty-two mile marker off Old Stage Highway. Ah, fuck this thing is huge, Braden. Call it in.”

His foot slammed down on the break as he skidded to a stop. Just like every time he saw a fire, his heart became a battering ram, slamming against his ribs.

Coop rushed out of the car as a little girl ran up to him. “Help! You have to help! My big brother!”

Cooper didn’t hear anything else.

“Wait, Cooper. I just called it in on my other phone. Don’t you fucking go in there!” Braden yelled.

But he had to. This is what he did. “And you wouldn’t?” There was no doubt in his mind he would do the same thing.

Braden didn’t reply and Cooper didn’t have time to wait. He ended the call and put the phone in the little girl’s hand, dirt and ash covering her. “You call your family if you can. I’m going to get him, okay? Is he the only one in there?”

“Yes!” she wailed.

“Where?”

“He was listening to his headphones upstairs. I was scared.”

“What’s his name?”

“B—Billy.”

He touched the little girl’s hair. “It’s okay. You did real good. I’m gonna go get your brother. I promise you. Stay out here, okay? No matter what.”

Without another word, Cooper ran for the house, determined not to fuck up this time. Determined not to run, not to leave someone else to die.

Heat scorched him the second he stumbled through the doorway. Holding his breath, Cooper went straight for the stairs. He knew he had to get in there, get the kid out and go. He didn’t have much time. Couldn’t take many breaths.

Smoke billowed around him. The fire had obviously started up there, he just hoped like hell it wasn’t in the same room as the kid.

Instinct took over as he hit the landing. The heat, the smoke, none of it mattered as much as finding that fucking kid.  He took a breath. “Billy? Can you hear me?” He yelled as he went in the first room he came to. It was on the front side of the house, the fire all along the far wall, spreading, crawling through the walls.