Page 1 of Beyond the Rainbow (Pride Camp 2025 #11)

Partners in Pride

“ J eez, bud, this is some dinner.” The scent of spiced couscous and buttery biscuits lingered in the air, cozy and rich.

A soft clink of cutlery on ceramic echoed as Colin dragged a fluffy biscuit across his plate, chasing every last drop of gravy.

He arched a brow at his husband. “Is this a thank-you for something I did, or a bribe for something you want me to do?”

Joshua laughed. “So suspicious! Is that your lawyer mentality leaking out? Does everything need a motive?”

Without a word, Colin leaned back and gazed intently at his husband.

“Want seconds, sweetums?” Joshua teased, reaching for Colin’s empty plate.

Colin pulled the plate back, shaking his head. “Now I’m really worried! Spill, Josh. Did you wreck the car? Break a family heirloom? Flirt with some dude behind my back?”

“Flirt with some dude? Really , Colin?” Joshua’s brows furrowed as he yanked the plate from Colin’s hand.

“OK, OK. Apologies. Just sit down and tell me what’s going on because Couscous Royale on a random weeknight is setting off all my cop instincts. Something’s brewing in that overactive brain of yours.” He stood, took the plate from Joshua, and pointed to a chair. “Sit.”

Joshua sat.

“Talk.”

Joshua settled back, drawing a deep breath. “Did you ever go to camp as a kid?”

“Camp?” Colin asked. “Like … camp- camp?”

“Yeah. Boys camp. Or even boys and girls. Out in the woods. Y’know. Tents, trails.”

“Does baseball camp count?”

“Was it in the woods?”

“No, on a baseball field.”

“Did you sleep in a tent?”

“No, in my bed.”

Joshua sighed. “Then it’s not camp.”

“And why not?”

“Because you weren’t camping.”

Colin laughed, waving his hand for Joshua to continue. “OK, OK. Is there a point hiding anywhere in here?”

Joshua took his hand, his voice softening. “Rainier Clinic is teaming up with several therapy centers across Albemarle County to host Camp Pride this summer—a weeklong camp for LGBTQ+ boys. Activities, socializing, crafts, classes....”

Colin raised a brow, sensing more. “Aaaaand …?”

“And I want us both to be counselors,” Joshua said in a quick rush.

Colin’s fingers tightened around Joshua’s. After a pause, he leaned forward. “Is that it ?”

Joshua’s grin contorted into a comical grimace. “Yep. That’s it.” He gripped the front of Colin’s shirt, pulling him close. “What’d you think? Will you do it?” He pressed his lips to Colin’s cheek. “Hmm? Pretty please?”

Colin scowled and backed away from Joshua’s nuzzling. “Oh, stop it! Of course, I’ll do it. You don’t have to schmooze me.”

“I know,” Joshua said, smiling. “But schmoozing you is fun . So, I can officially add you to the roster?”

“Absolutely. I want to coach baseball, though. Is that on the agenda? And what about the girls?”

“The girls are getting their own LGBTQ+ camp. Aaand … about the agenda.”

Colin eyed him, suddenly wary. “What about it?”

“Um … you and I will be setting it. In fact, we’ll be designing the whole Camp Pride experience.”

Colin’s eyes narrowed. “My finely-honed legal mind has deduced two facts: One, you signed up to run this thing. And two, you’re now trying to um…. beguile me into co -running it.”

Joshua grinned. “And that is why I love you so much,” he said, tapping gentle fingers on Colin’s temple. “That finely-honed legal mind.”

“I know how to follow a trail of clues. Especially when they’re this fucking obvious.” He covered both Joshua’s hands with his own. “And you can stop your blatantly transparent attempts to manipulate me.”

“Who, me?” Joshua protested.

“I’ll do it because it’s a good cause, not because you’ve seduced me with your boyish charm.”

“Think we could get David and Nate to help out?”

“Good luck with that,” Colin said, leaning back in his chair. “David’s got his hands full at UVA, and Nate won’t leave his students for a week without a fight.”

Joshua shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt to ask, does it?”

“Well, you could bat your eyes at them,” Colin told him. “’Cause you know that’s a proven winner.” He got to his feet, pulling Joshua up with him. “Do we have a location? We’ll need permits, insurance … a ton of boring legal papers will have to be signed…”

Joshua sighed. “Big, fat ‘no’ on location.”

Colin led Joshua to the living room and drew him down onto the couch.

“All right. Item one on the agenda: find a spot to host Camp Pride.”

“Well, we live in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Must be campgrounds available for lease.”

“And I assume that you and I will be developing all the activities for this undertaking?”

“Depends on which campground we pick. Some of them have staff-run programs we can add to our own agenda.”

“For a price.”

“Well … yeah.”

“What’s our budget look like?”

“That part is still being worked out. There are three other therapy centers taking part, and they’ll all kick in a portion of the cost. Plus, we’ve applied for a grant from UVA. If that comes through, it’ll cover a chunk of the expense.”

“How many kids? What’s the limit?”

“Again, it depends on the campground.”

“Any dates set for this thing?”

“Nope.”

“When did you find out about it?”

Joshua squinted at his watch. “About four hours ago.”

“Wow. Sure didn’t take you long to throw a rope over me.”

“You were number one on my list,” Joshua muttered, then shot him a wavering glance. “You don’t have to do it, you know. You can say no.” There was a pause—just a breath too long. Joshua’s gaze dropped for a heartbeat, like he was bracing for rejection.

Colin tilted his head back and laughed. He half-turned on the couch and swept Joshua into his arms, spinning him until he lay cradled across Colin’s lap. “You think I don’t know that? You think I feel coerced?”

“ Do you?” Joshua queried, carding his fingers through Colin’s thick hair.

“Seduced maybe, but not coerced.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Always, my darlin’. Your seduction strategies are top-notch.”

“I want it clearly understood that I never laid a hand on your dick.”

“You were thinking about it though, I can tell.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean anything. I’m always thinking about it.”

“We need to check out Verdun Adventure Bound,” Colin told him, then drew him closer and breathed out softly against his neck.

“Campus police used them for a youth campground thing we did years ago. Their facilities were great, and, as I recall, they had several built-in, staff-run activities available.”

“See? Now, that’s why I wanted you to be my partner.”

“Ah!” Colin scoffed. “You just didn’t want to be alone in the dark, scary woods.”

“Well … there is that!”

“You scared of bears?”

“Who the hell isn’t ?”

“Good point.”

“Verdun Adventure Bound?”

Colin nodded, leaning back from their embrace. “You should call them first thing tomorrow. We can’t develop a schedule of any kind until we have the location nailed down.”

Joshua touched his cheek. “Babe, you don’t feel coerced, do you?”

Colin grimaced and shook his head. “Oh, stop it! I was only kidding. Of course not. I’d be hurt if you didn’t ask me to partner with you. And I do want to coach baseball.” He squinted one eye and gazed over Joshua’s head. “And maybe rowing or some other outdoor activity.”

“You got it.”

“You ever made love in a tent?”

“No.” He snickered and brushed his lips against Colin’s cheek. “Have you?”

“Nope. But I bet I’d be good at it.” He gave Joshua a quick kiss, then gave his arm a nudge. “Up, you. I have things to do.”

But Joshua refused to budge. His arms tightened around Colin’s neck, and his face lost itself against his husband’s broad shoulder.

He drew in a deep breath and felt his cock twitch as the scent of Colin’s skin, clothes, cologne, and sweat filled his nostrils—earthy, familiar, intoxicating.

The cotton of Colin’s T-shirt, soft and warm beneath his cheek, worn thin in places from years of wear.

He let out a low whine of resistance. “Don’t wanna move.

” He heard Colin chuckle and felt one of his arms tighten while his other hand slid up his back and into his dark curls.

“I get it, bud. I really do. But one of the things I have to do is pee, so you’re going to have to move. Uh, unless you want a wet couch cushion.” He leaned back and smiled. “However, once that chore is done …” His words trailed off, and he arched his eyebrows, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Joshua clambered off the couch and reached to take both Colin’s hands in his. “OK. You pee. I’ll go upstairs and, um …”

“Get undressed?” Colin suggested with a snicker as he moved toward the stairs.

“Unless you’d prefer I didn’t.”

Colin’s head gave a half-turn, and his face twisted into an incredulous grimace.

Laughing, Joshua trudged up the stairs behind him. He rested both hands on Colin’s hips as they climbed, and when they parted at the bedroom door, he pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Don’t dawdle.”

When Colin entered the bedroom, Joshua was lying on his side, watching the door as if anticipating Colin’s arrival.

The air inside was warm and faintly sweet with the scent of their shared cologne, still lingering on the sheets from the night before.

The overhead fan spun, stirring the heavy summer air.

As he had promised, he was naked, and the sight of his smooth, olive skin against the white of their plush comforter took Colin’s breath away.

“My god, you get more beautiful every day.”

Joshua smiled at him. “Just tryin’ to keep up.”

Colin scoffed as he yanked his T-shirt over his head and tossed it to one side.

His eyes never left Joshua as he bent to remove his jeans and briefs, and Joshua lowered his head, half embarrassed by the smoldering intensity of Colin’s gaze.

His cheeks flushed a soft pink as he tucked his chin, but he couldn’t suppress the grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.