Free Ellery Mountain 1 -The Fireman and the Cop by RJ Scott Page A

rest supported by unmoving metal and stone. It had a porch area overlooking the tips of tall pine trees and was clad in wood. Max’s inner fireman wished it wasn’t wood, and his inner lover agreed, but he had to admit, it fitted Finn’s personality to a ‘T’.
“This was my parents’ place but Mom moved down into town and I kind of inherited it early. Actually, it belongs to me and my brother Josh, but he’s at college,” Finn said, fumbling with keys.
Max finally took them off him and opened the front door. The darkness inside had him blinking after the daylight until at last he could make out the interior. Very much Finn. Simple, sturdy and pretty, everything was placed just so and the place was tidy. A great room opened to the kitchen with the dining table further in. Finn excused himself to use the bathroom and told Max to look around. He did, his fireman’s eye picking out escape routes. His ‘potential partner’s eye’ picked up no sign of anyone else in the house.
“There’s beer in the fridge,” Finn said as he hobbled from his bathroom and made his way to the kitchen.
Max waylaid him halfway there and placed a hand flat on his chest. “Sit. I’m technically on call. I’ll make coffee.” He found everything to make coffee then moved back into the main room with coffees in hand.
Finally next to each other on the large red, wood-framed sofa they sipped the hot brew and sat in silence. Max wondered what was going through Finn’s head. Twice in the space of a week he had been trapped somewhere—it couldn’t be a good place inside his thoughts.
“Tell me about this guy at college,” Max said. He only asked for something to say but when Finn cast him a ‘what the fuck’ look Max backed down. “Sorry,” he said.
“Nah, I haven’t thought about him in a long time. Happened way back and I haven’t seen him in years. Kind of put me off relationships for a while. Well, actually, more than a while, I’ve not really dived in head first since. Not until you.”
Max’s chest tightened. They were so much the same. He’d not really had a relationship ever. Not one he wanted to invest time in, and he was six or seven years older than Finn. Being gay and having a partner when you were in the world of first responders wasn’t easy. Maybe Ellery would be different. Finn was certainly out and Max wasn’t exactly closeted— just more careful whom he told.
“In the city, when I was training, and where I was stationed I had some real shit laid on me,” Max said bluntly.
“For being gay?”
“And some. For being a big guy who was gay, for a guy who liked football who was gay, for being a fireman who was gay. Being gay defined me in so many people’s eyes.”
“I was lucky. I’m not saying Ellery doesn’t have its share of bigots but everyone has known about me since I was, jeez, sixteen I think. I have more supporters here than detractors, and it’s a good life.”
Silence hung in the air as Max digested this.
“How are you feeling?” Max asked. He itched to touch Finn but he wouldn’t if Finn was in pain. He just craved the touch that meant his man was okay. He hadn’t been lying to Finn’s friends, he wanted more with Finn and identifying him as ‘his man’ out loud was enough that Finn would know now.
“Bit sore and I probably need to have a nap,” Finn said.
Max pushed aside the need for connection and instead stood, then offered a hand to help Finn stand up. Their hands stayed entwined even when Finn was solidly standing and, with a gentle tug, Finn pulled Max with him.
“I need my man to come lay down with me,” Finn said mischievously. With a smile that could topple the strongest man’s resolve, Finn sat on the edge of the large queen bed covered in a navy blue comforter. “I’ll need some help getting these scrubs off since the hospital cut my jeans to shreds again.”
Max immediately crouched next to Finn and helped the other man to wriggle out of the loose pants. He was