Red Roses

By W.S. Long

Ward Gabriel was devastated when his husband died unexpectedly, leaving him to care for their young son. Ward didn’t expect to meet Paul, one of the teachers at his son’s school, and the feelings Paul stirred up.

Paul Kowalczyk wasn’t expecting the hot lawyer he met in passing would agree to go on a date. But he does, and as their relationship gets more serious, Paul gives Ward a dozen red roses, not realizing Ward’s husband used to give him roses every week.

When Ward’s son discovers the roses, should he tell his son he’s dating Paul, who isn’t out at school? Will Paul choose his feelings for Ward over his desire to remain closeted at work?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jul 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685502188

W.S. Long

Raised in a military family, I lived in different places. This peripatetic life forced me to take refuge in books at a young age. I can't tell you how many books I read. But in middle school and through high school, I loved reading Victor Hugo, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, and Jules Verne. Books were an escape.I eventually left home at seventeen to join the military and thought my issues with same-sex attraction could be solved.But, I was wrong. Luckily, I found someone in my life after undergoing trials and tribulations.Why do I read and write male-male romance? Frankly, we all need love and romance in our lives.You can never have too much love, or romance. Right?

Book preview

Red Roses

By W.S. Long

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2022 W.S. Long

ISBN 9781685502188

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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To my husband, who brings me red roses.

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Red Roses

By W.S. Long

Chapter 1

Ward Gabriel eased his foot off the brake, and moved his Subaru Forester up a few feet, then stopped. The car line for school pick-up was two blocks long, snaking behind him out into the main road that was Celebration Avenue. He grabbed the purple placard that was in the front seat and put it on the dashboard so Benji could easily pick out their silver SUV from the others. He sighed as he lowered the volume on the Billie Eilish song that was playing. He’d been in this queue for thirty minutes but at least there was something to look at to kill the time: Paul Kowalczyk, who doubled as the school’s soccer coach when he wasn’t teaching math, was on line duty and waved the vehicles to separate into two lanes.

It was a week away from Christmas and the beginning of winter break but the temps were still in the eighties in Central Florida. Ward was tempted to roll the driver’s window up, and turn on the a/c but he stuck it out, hoping to time a fortuitous exchange.

Paul blew his whistle, moved his face mask back up, and pointed at Ward. He moved forward and then Paul was inches away from the open driver’s door window.

Ward smiled. Hello, Coach Paul. Ward tried to appear nonchalant. But the very handsome thirty-two-year-old teacher standing next his car made it difficult.

You know your placard is supposed to have the number facing out so the monitor up there knows this is Benji’s SUV.