Fires are blazing across southern Utah, and Aaron Meyers, volunteer firefighter, knows he should be concentrating on the flames. Unfortunately, he's too distracted by former crush, and current New York City fireman, Xander Wescott.
Xander returns to Utah to help battle the flames threatening his hometown. He remembers Aaron as the gangly kid who used to follow him around, and he's unprepared for just how much he wants to know the man Aaron has become.
Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza have been writing and publishing together as Jamie Craig since 2006. They have published with Juno Books, Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, and multiple titles with Amber Quill Press.
Pepper Espinoza has been writing and publishing erotic romance since 2005. She grew up in Utah and lives there now, where the landscape and history provide a great deal of inspiration for her work. Besides writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going to concerts.
Vivien Dean returned to writing in 2005, and has published with Liquid Silver Books, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Quill Press. She currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
They knew each other as kids with Xander is brother's buddy. Now, Xander is back to help with wild fires that are burning up the countryside. But there is plenty of heat going on between these too.
It has been ten years since Aaron last saw Xander who left for a new life in New York without looking back. They have been reunited by dangerous circumstances, a wildfire that is threatening their hometown of Cedar City, Utah. Growing up, Xander was friends with Aaron's older brother and, being five years younger, Aaron naturally was always tagging along. He idolized Xander and followed in his footsteps thanks to years of listening to Xander's plans to become a fireman. What Xander doesn't realize is that Aaron developed a boyhood crush that he has never quite outgrown. The men reconnect while battling the raging wildfire and over time Aaron realizes that his attraction to the man has bypassed a simple childhood crush and developed into an intense attraction on both a physical and emotional level.
Aaron and Xander have a familiarity with one another that is borne out of having spent so much of their childhood together. However, neither one is aware that their deepening feelings are mirrored by the other. They each are unaware that the other is gay, and are trying desperately to maintain a safe distance in order to preserve their friendship. As they spend time together, they realize they have even more in common than either ever thought possible.
Scorched is a wonderfully romantic and engaging story about boyhood friends rediscovering one another. The characters of Aaron and Xander are realistic and pull the reader in from the beginning. They have both had similar experiences, having grown up gay in a small town of Utah but each has dealt with it differently. Xander got out of town as soon as possible in order to be himself. Out of a sense of duty to his family, Aaron has stayed in his hometown, which has forced him to hide who he truly is from everyone. When he discovers Xander is gay as well it is a surprise and a relief. He finally has someone that he can talk to, "someone who would understand."
Aaron knows that coming out to his family will change things, possibly irreparably. In particular, Aaron has a confrontation with his older brother Eddie that is difficult and unfortunately familiar to so many. For so long, Aaron has wished that they could be closer, that Eddie could be the older brother he always wished he had. Watching Aaron to find the courage to be who he is, to stand up to his family and to live his life for himself is wonderful and captivating.
Scorched is one of my favorites of the Calendar Boys stories that have been released so far. Wonderful characters, a touching romance, and even an adorable dog make this a recommended read!
I thought this was a nice short story. Aaron has had a crush on his brother´s best friend Xander since forever. Xander moved from Utah to New York, but has returned to help fight wild fires. He also realizes that Aaron has grown up and is much more than his friends little brother. I like the attraction between the two and how Aaron struggles with where he is going next. He wants to follow Xander to NY, but also he is reluctant to leave Utah, which has been his home as long as he can remember. That he has had this ongoing attraction for Xander, but still doesn´t just uproot his life without any thought makes it feel very real.
The fourth story in the Calendar Boys series that I read (after October, February, and April). I enjoy the idea of falling in love with your best friend's kid brother. Since it's a short story, it happens pretty fast -- and while I don't usually like quick "I love you" thing, but at least the couple has history, so it's not like they're jumping the gun. I also love the description of fighting fire. Firemen = love :)
A short, uncomplicated and sweet contribution from the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. This the second Calendar Boy novella I've read and it isn't much different from the March one, Kiss Me. Just change the names and professions and you've got essentially the same story.