Brand hugged Zach tighter. “It means a lot that you trust me with something like this. I won’t let you down, and I won’t do a half-assed job. What’s the timing?”
“As soon as possible. I want my story heard. I want the others that bastard took advantage of to hear it so they’ll consider speaking out.” Zach finally set his fork down, the food uneaten. He turned and leaned in to kiss Brand. “Are you okay with that?”
The lighthouse in the storm.
“I’ll talk to Kendra and get approval,” Brand said. “She’ll agree. Hell, there’s no way upper management would pass on a story like this.” Brand pressed his lips together and frowned, mortified to realize how that sounded.
“You aren’t taking advantage of me.” Zach rubbed his thumb over Brand’s lips. “This is my call. It’s my choice to talk publicly about what that bastard did and why I didn’t take my dream job. I get that WCBN management will salivate when you tell them about it, but that’s okay. They’ll get a juicy story that’ll sell, and I’ll get what I want. It’s mutually beneficial.”
“But when it comes to you, the making-money part of the equation feels weird.”
“If you didn’t feel like that—” Zach leaned in and kissed Brand. “—I wouldn’t love you as much.”
Brand sighed as their lips parted. “Thanks for trusting me.”
“I didn’t really have a choice, did I?” Zach joked. He pressed his lips together and his eyes shimmered. He blinked before looking briefly away, then rubbed the back of his neck. Brand knew it would take Zach more time to feel entirely comfortable sharing his feelings.
Brand took Zach in his arms.
“Sorry. This is hard. You know I didn’t really mean that, right?” Zach whispered against Brand’s ear. “I had a choice. I put you through the wringer too, but I chose to trust you.” He sighed and added, “I’m lucky.”
“How so?” Brand needed to hear the answer, even if he already knew it.
“Because you didn’t think less of me for leaving New York. You helped me find the strength to stop running and move forward.” Zach pulled gently away, then smiled at Brand through his tears. “I love you.”
Chapter Forty-One
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Kendra raised her glass and grinned. “Don’t be too depressed, Brand. Thirty isn’t old.”
“Says the woman who turns thirty-five next year.” Jesse winked at her, garnering a playful scowl in reply.
“Happy birthday.” Zach raised his glass and touched it to Brand’s and the others’, then leaned over and kissed Brand.
Kendra sighed. “Can I just say how seeing the two of you together makes me grin like an idiot?”
“You do,” Brand said. “And often.” He glanced at Zach. “I don’t mind, though. Makes me grin too.”
“I hear your new reporter starts Monday,” Jesse said after they’d put in their food order.
Zach nodded. “Reed and Justin got back from their sailing trip last week. My admin’s back this week from maternity leave. Life is good.”
“No more late nights working on ad copy. What are you going to do with yourself?” Brand took a long pull on his beer and waggled his eyebrows, causing Zach’s face to warm. Why did Brand make him feel like a lovesick kid? Probably because he’s the most over-the-top romantic you’ve ever met.
“I’m going to buy the paper.” Zach had been considering breaking the news that night, but he guessed he’d spoken the words a little too offhandedly, since it took a long beat for the others to react.
“You… what?” Brand’s lips parted and his eyes were as wide as the Cape Fear River.
“You heard me right.” Zach smiled and picked up his drink. “BeaconCorp accepted my offer to purchase the River Watch.”
Brand grabbed him in a bear hug. “That’s the best news ever.”
“Ever?” Zach teased.
“Good enough to warrant a story on WCBN.” Kendra smiled and raised her glass. “Congratulations, Zach.”
“Thanks.” He took a long breath, his emotions dancing on a razor’s edge, and did something he never thought he could. “I wouldn’t have done it… no, couldn’t have done it without Brand’s support.”
Brand stared at him, smile blooming like the sunrise. “Me?” Brand seemed as surprised at the compliment as he’d been at the announcement.
Zach nodded. “You.” He inhaled slowly, taking in the feeling of warmth that rose from his chest and spread over his body. I’m happy. I’m happy like a fucking idiot. He leaned in and hugged Brand like he never wanted to let him go.
BRAND TOOK Zach’s hand as they walked down Market Street toward the Riverwalk a few hours later. Snow fell in soft white flakes that melted as they hit the pavement. “I miss snow sometimes.” Brand sighed wistfully. “Not that we got much of it on Long Island, but still….”
“Maybe you’ll make it back there someday.” Zach didn’t want to think about the possibility of Brand being transferred to the northeast, but as talented as he was, it was inevitable he’d be offered a promotion to a larger market.
“Nope.” Brand didn’t hesitate. “I’m happy right where I am. Kendra says one of the station’s anchors may be offered a spot in Atlanta. She’s going to recommend me for the job if it comes open.”
“They’d be crazy not to hire you. But eventually someone’s going to see you and you’ll be looking at Atlanta or a bigger city.”
“Not happening.” Brand smiled and squeezed Zach’s hand. “I like it here. With you.”
“Brand, it’s not that I want you to go, but—”
“Zach, when I first met you, you were the coolest guy in the room.” Brand smiled. “Still are. But tell me something?”
“Sure. What?”
“Why are you here? In Wilmington?” Brand asked.
“Because I ran away from my life in New York.” He wouldn’t varnish the truth. Not anymore.
“Fair enough.” Brand was still smiling. “But tell me, why did you stay here?”
Zach watched as tugboat headed toward the port. “Because I love this place.” He loved the water, the beach, and the way the city felt like home.
“You aren’t the only one who loves it here.” Brand pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him.
“But your career wi—”
“I love my job. But I didn’t become a reporter because I had a dream about climbing my way up to a bigger market with more pay. I have everything I want—everything I need—right here.”
Zach felt warm in spite of the cold wind. With Brand holding him close, he could almost imagine what it might be like to have a future together—something more than just the next few years.
“Move in with me?” Brand asked against Zach’s cheek. “My place or yours… even a new place… I don’t care.”
“I come as a package deal, you know.”
“I want you and Arlo to live with me.” Brand pulled slightly away so Zach could see him grin.
A year ago Zach would have laughed at the thought of dating someone. If someone had predicted he’d fall in love, he’d have told them they were fucking crazy.
“Yes.” Zach didn’t hesitate. He didn’t need to think about his answer.
“Yes?”
“Yes.” Zach laughed. “Arlo likes you better anyhow.” It was true, but Zach didn’t mind at all, especially when Arlo settled onto Brand’s chest to sleep instead of his own. Zach slept a lot better without eleven pounds of cat on top of him.
“I love you.” Brand brushed an errant snowflake off Zach’s nose, then kissed him with enough heat to melt any other stragglers.
A single thought flitted through Zach’s overwhelmed brain: When happiness hits you like a ton of bricks, you need to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
NEW YORK (AR)—The New York Police Department announced late Thursday that they were preparing a warrant to arrest Richard L. Greenburg. Early Friday morning, Greenburg surrendered to police. The former BeaconCorp CEO faces charges of assault, rape, an
d attempted rape involving allegations made by five former employees following a five-month-long investigation. If convicted on the most serious charges, Greenburg could spend the rest of his life in prison. Greenburg was released on a $1.5 million-dollar cash bail and, as a condition of his release, surrendered his passport and will wear an ankle monitor restricting his movements to New York. His lawyer told members of the press that Mr. Greenburg “intends to vigorously contest his innocence.” The trial will likely be held sometime in 2021.
More from Shira Anthony
A Coastal Carolina Novel
The first step is the hardest. After a scandal, New York political reporter Reed Barfield is lying low at the North Carolina coast, writing a story about the seafood industry. But it’s the harbor pilots on the Cape Fear River who capture his interest—men who jump across ten feet of open ocean to grab a rope ladder and guide huge container ships into port. Men like sexy but prickly Justin Vance.
After surviving an abusive childhood and a tour in the Navy, Justin isn’t fazed by his dangerous job—it’s certainly easier to face than Reed’s annoying questions. Justin isn’t out at work, and he doesn’t need Reed digging into his personal life or his past.
But Reed’s no stranger to using his considerable charm to get what he wants, and as he wears Justin down, they realize they have a lot in common—and that they like spending time together. Moving beyond that, though, will mean Justin confessing his sexuality and learning to trust Reed with his secrets—if Reed even decides to stay. Both men want a future together, but can they find the courage to take the first step?
Their marriage was supposed to be all business….
When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!
Jesse’s in a pinch. To keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal: in exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million-dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?
It’s dangerous diving for secrets.
When a megacompany threatens to take over his family-owned business, programming prodigy Adam Preston escapes the stress with a much-needed vacation in the Dominican Republic. There he meets attractive, intelligent, insightful Jonah James, a scuba dive instructor, and what starts as a holiday fling soon blossoms into much more.
But Jonah has a secret: ten years ago he woke up on an island beach with no idea how he got there… or even who he is. Their paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. When Jonah’s memories come crashing back like waves on the sand, will it be Adam clinging to the proverbial life raft, or will the two men find a safe harbor to ride out the storm?
Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?
Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten—until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.
Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.
Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is—and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….
Lights, camera, action! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be ex, movie star Sander Carson.
Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life. Sam lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel.
Convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than Sam’s apologies and reminders of good times past. If Sam wants Wesley back, he’ll have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together—a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.
Readers love The First Step by Shira Anthony
“With a strong and interesting plot, a good set of secondary characters and two heroes that I found engaging and deliciously complex this was a great story.”
—Long and Short Reviews
“…the writing was smooth and effortless and the plot was kept tight and focused.”
—Joyfully Jay
“…the author takes the reader on a journey through the lives of these two men… It was fun to read and there was more than enough action to keep me engaged.”
—Paranormal Romance Guild
“They could have went a different direction with how their pasts tried to shape them, but they turned out to be wonderful men. It’s a good story.”
—Love Bytes
SHIRA ANTHONY was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. You can hear Shira sing an aria from a live performance of Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: “Vissi d’arte” (http://www.shiraanthony.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tosca-visse-darte-exceprt1.mp3)
Shira’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. When she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. Her favorite place to write is at the Carolina coast aboard Prelude, a 38’ catamaran sailboat, with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.
Whether contemporary romance, high fantasy shifters, or time-traveling vampires, Shira writes what she loves and never writes a story without a HEA. Her Mermen of Ea trilogy book Into the Wind was named one of the best books of 2014 by both Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and Hearts on Fire Reviews, and was a finalist in the 2014 Goodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Awards. Her Blue Notes series of classical-music-themed gay romances was named one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ best series of 2012, and the most recent book in the series, Dissonance, was named one of the best books of 2014 by Hearts on Fire Reviews. Her book A Solitary Man, coauthored with Aisling Mancy, won a 2016 Rainbow Award Honorable Mention for Best Gay Mystery/Thriller.
Shira can be found on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: www.shiraanthony.com
Email: [email protected]
By Shira Anthony
The Dream of a Thousand Nights
Once Upon a Time in the Weird West Anthology
With Aisling Mancy: A Solitary Man
Take Two
With Venona Keyes: The Trust
BLOOD
Blood and Rain
Blood and Ghosts
Blood and Eternity
BLUE NOTES
The Melody Thief
Aria
With Venona Keyes: Prelude
Encore
Symphony in Blue
Blue Notes
Dissonance
COASTAL CAROLINA
The First Step
CHASING THE STORY
DREAMSPUN BEYOND
HEART’S GATE
Finder’s Keeper
DREAMSPUN DESIRES
First Comes Marriage
&
nbsp; Forgotten Paradise
Swann’s Revenge
MERMAN OF EA
Stealing the Wind
Into the Wind
Running with the Wind
With EM Lynley
A DELECTABLE NOVEL
Lighting the Way Home
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chasing the Story
© 2020 Shira Anthony
Cover Art
© 2020 L.C. Chase
http://www.lcchase.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
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