The Tin Star Read Online Free PDF

nodded. “John’s no bigot. Never has been.”
    Jamie seemed to mull that over a bit. He was quiet for several moments, then he whispered, “I couldn’t ... I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t continue to pretend.” Those baby blues looked like they were pleading with him to understand.
    Ethan sighed. “I get that but, hell, you knew people here would never accept it, right? We live in the freakin’ Bible belt, complete with bigots, racists and chauvinists. If you aren’t a straight, white, Baptist male, you do your best to pretend you are and blend in.”
    Jamie stood up abruptly. “Putting your head in the sand don’t make it right! How are people’s attitudes ever going to change if they aren’t forced to deal with it? I just don’t get your and John’s attitudes!” Fred ran from the laundry room to him, stared at him, then at Ethan, then back at Jamie, clearly trying to decide if there was a threat or not.
    “Sit down.”
    Jamie shook his head, but he sat down anyway. “You just don’t get it! It’s easy for you to criticize me . You won’t ever have to worry about hiding who you love. Hell, you can even get married! I can’t! At least not legally and not here.”
    Ethan dropped his head into his hands. Shit! He did not want to get into this. Some other time and another place would be more appropriate. He knew where the kid was coming from. He did. He just didn’t agree. Didn’t make the kid’s opinions wrong necessarily, just ... not his. He looked up at Jamie.
    “I see what you are saying, I do. Believe it or not, I even understand. But you ever heard of the path of least resistance? The question you need to think about is, do you really understand what you’ve done? We live in a little hick town. You will now be fighting this prejudice until the day you die ... or until you move away. Some people will accept you immediately, some will accept you in time, but the majority of people hereabouts never will. The attitudes aren’t going to change overnight or even in the next few years. In fact, I doubt we’ll live to see the day when gay men can walk hand in hand down Main Street without taking a whole heap of shit for it.”
    “They have to be made to accept it. You don’t get it! You and John will never have to hide what you feel for your wives in public.”
    Had he ever been this young and idealistic? Damned if the kid didn’t bring out his protective instincts. He wanted badly to keep him safe and shield him from the hatred he was going to face. And that, almost more than anything else about this whole situation, bothered the hell out of him. He’d never been stirred quite this way before.
    Ethan finally held out his hand to Fred, who was still glancing back and forth between them uncertainly. “’S okay, girl. We aren’t going to start slapping each other around. Go lie down.” She did -- after she went back to Jamie -- settling down beside her master’s chair. That was one smart dog.
    He faced Jamie. “Drink your coffee, kid. We’ll agree to disagree. I may not see eye to eye with your methods, but I’ll stand behind you. You have my word on it. I’ll be damned if I let you get your ass kicked or get run out of town. You have a place here and a job as long as you want it.”
    “Thanks, Ethan ... for everything.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    They sat there drinking their coffee in silence. Ethan wanted to pull Jamie into his lap and comfort him, then felt like kicking himself for the impulse. But the image of Jamie in his lap wouldn’t go away. His cock evidently liked the idea, too; he groaned and shifted a little in his seat. That was one of the worst ideas he, and his cock, had ever had. Not only was Jamie a good eleven years younger than him, not to mention his best friend’s kid brother, but he had also outed himself.
    “You okay?”
    He looked up into a set of curious blue eyes. “Huh?”
    “You groaned. Did you pull something fighting? You probably aren’t used to