Two romances set around a firehouse in the tiny town of Montgomery.
Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter
To help out his sister, Scott moved to the small town of Montgomery, where there isn't much to do and no one for him to date. Well, there's one other openly gay man in town-Henry 'Cole' Porter, a widower who runs the school library, but after one drunken night together, Cole has kept his distance. Scott is used to that. He spends a lot of time working out to look good, and from the slow way he talks and the frat house atmosphere at the fire station where he works, it's easy to assume he's stupid. Most people are happy to admire his body and assume that's all he wants from them, and deep down, Scott is too afraid to try asking for more.
Which is why sweet, romantic Scott has been secretly pining after Cole for months when some of the town's nosier residents decide Cole has been single long enough. They have a plan to throw every successful, smart, professional gay man in a thirty-mile radius Cole's way, whether he likes it or not. Their list of candidates doesn't include Scott, and Scott's insecurities prevent him from stepping forward-even when it seems as though Cole is asking him to.
Cole is everything Scott isn't; highly educated, stylish, with refined tastes. He's also stubborn and sarcastic, and not nearly as smart about the workings of his own heart as people might think. It might take a lot of the wrong men for him to realize the right one has been in front of him all along.
For Better or Worse
To the other firefighters in Montgomery, Javier is a quietly heroic figure with a reputation for staying calm and doing what needs to be done. To the small town gossips, he's some kind of mysterious ladies' man, despite how he hasn't dated anyone in years. Truth is, Javier's demisexual-it takes him a while to feel desire for someone, and most people don't want to wait for that to happen. Tired of being hurt, he gave up on dating. He gave up with such determination that two years into spending nearly every free evening making dinners with his best friend, Jimmy, he's only just realized that he's in love with him.
Jimmy is noise where Javier is silent. He expresses his thoughts and feelings about every subject imaginable-except the reason he moved thousands of miles away from his family to start a new life in Montgomery. He spends his nights with Javier, cooking and jointly taking care of his rescue dog. If he's noticed that he and Javier have been all but dating each other for the past two years, he hasn't said, and Javier isn't going to risk upsetting him by asking.
That is, until the very public romance between their fellow firefighter, Scotty, and school librarian, Cole, leads Jimmy to reveal more about his past. Suddenly, Javier has hope. If he has to change the minds of the entire town in order to woo his best friend, then so be it. He's not someone to let a little fear get in his way, especially when it means a chance to make their date nights real.
Cooper, R.: -
I'm a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love. Also known as, "Ah, yes, the one with the dragons."
You can find me on in the usual places, or subscribe to my newsletter (link through website).
www.riscooper.com
I can also be found at...
Tumblr @sweetfirebird
Facebook @thealmightyris
Instagram @riscoops
Pillowfort @RCooper
Patreon @ patreon.com/rcoops
Bluesky @ rcooper.bsky.social
