Compensations: Life Lessons 3.5

By Kaje Harper

*This is a free Life Lessons short story, which takes place a week after the events in Home Work - Life Lessons book 3. (This story CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS FOR Home Work - BOOK 3.)*

Mac, Tony and the kids have had a long complicated year. Each of them has dealt with fears and losses, joys and triumphs. As December 31st approaches, it's time to look forward to the new year, and what may be in store. Mac and Tony figure whatever happens, they can handle it, as long as they go through it together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaje Harper
• Release date: Dec 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301832088

Kaje Harper

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.I was born in Montreal but I've lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi...) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published, including Amazon bestseller "The Rebuilding Year" and Rainbow Award Best Mystery-Thriller "Tracefinder: Contact." A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.wordpress.com/books/.I'm always pleased to have readers find me online at:Website: https://kajeharper.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarperGoodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4769304.Kaje_Harper

Book preview

Compensations

Compensations

Life Lessons # 3.5

Kaje Harper

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright © 2012, 2022 Kaje Harper

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KajeHarper

Proofreading by Becca Waldrop

Cover art by Kaje Harper

Formatting by Beaten Track Publishing – beatentrackpublishing.com

License Note: Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy. Thank you for your support.

Content warning: contains strong language and explicit sexual situations between two men.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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This story takes place right after the events in

Home Work – Life Lessons book 3, and *contains significant spoilers* for that book.

Mac, Tony and the kids have had a long, complicated year. Each of them has dealt with fears and losses, joys and triumphs. As December 31st approaches, it’s time to look forward to the new year, and what may be in store. Mac and Tony figure whatever happens, they can handle it, as long as they go through it together.

This is a Life Lessons short story, occurring a week after the end of Home Work – Book 3 (*contains significant spoilers for Home Work*).

Contents

Dedication

Compensations

About the Author

Other Books by Kaje Harper

Dedication

This one is for all my wonderful readers— your enthusiasm about my writing,

especially your affection for Tony and Mac, is what makes publishing my work worthwhile.

Compensations

Tony heard Oliver knock on the apartment door and set his book aside. He detoured around a couple of foam lightsabers and a stuffed rabbit as he crossed the living room, and resolved to make the kids clean up when they got back. Their Christmas toy bonanza was out of control.

At the door, he hesitated and peeked through the peephole, just to be sure that it really was Oliver. Mac’s partner had buzzed the downstairs door a few minutes ago, but there’d been another reporter just yesterday…

Through the fisheye lens, Oliver was visible standing with his head down, his expression serious. Tony cracked open the door and looked at Oliver’s face. The surge of nausea in his stomach was pure conditioned reflex. Fuck! What now?

Huh?

The last time you looked like that Mac had been shot. Although, as Tony took a calmer look, he decided Oliver’s expression wasn’t quite life-and-death grim. So what now? Did Brittany escape? Or no, she tried to accuse Mac of police brutality, right?

Oliver sighed. Since she claims she wasn’t even in her townhouse when Mac was shot, she can hardly accuse him of anything. Is Mac here? Can I come in?

Oh, yeah, sorry. Tony pulled the door open and stepped aside. Oliver walked past him, shrugging out of his coat. Tony eyed him while relocking the door. Oliver might not be bringing Brittany-disaster news, but there was definitely something. He looked unhappy and exhausted.

Hey, can I get you some coffee? You want to sit in the kitchen or collapse on the couch?

Kitchen’s fine. Oliver headed that way, pulled a folded envelope out of his coat pocket and tossed his coat over one kitchen chair, while he dropped