Page 3 of Beyond the Rainbow (Pride Camp 2025 #11)

Scouting the Horizon

C olin turned his key in the lock and stepped into the living room.

His face was lit with a huge smile, anticipating the warm embrace and tender kiss that were always his from the moment he walked through the door.

But to his surprise, the living and dining rooms were uncharacteristically dark, and Joshua was nowhere to be seen.

“Josh?” he called, noticing light streaming from the kitchen.

“I’m in here, babe.”

He dropped his briefcase onto the couch and strode to the kitchen, where he stood for a moment, leaning on the doorframe and smiling. “Hey there, hot stuff. Missed your usual greeting at the door.”

“Oh God, Colin, I’m so sorry,” Joshua said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been buried in Camp Pride research all afternoon and completely lost track of time.”

Colin waved away his apology. “Baby, it’s fine. Any luck finding a location?”

“I looked at several,” Joshua said, getting to his feet. “But I think we’re going to go with the one you recommended.”

“Verdun?”

“They provide the largest camping area, and, as you mentioned, they have some activities of their own that we might want to add to our program.” He moved to Colin’s side and wrapped both arms around his neck.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t even start dinner.

” He pressed a long, damp, hungry kiss to Colin’s lips, then slid his wet tongue slowly along his lower lip before kissing him again.

“You hungry?” he asked, carding his fingers through Colin’s thick, sandy waves.

“Well, yeah. But after that greeting, food doesn’t exactly top my to-do list.”

Joshua gave a soft laugh, lowering his face to Colin’s shoulder. “Well, make up your mind because I’m good with whatever you decide.”

“Let’s sit for a bit,” Colin suggested, leading Joshua to the couch. “Then we’ll grab takeout.” He drew Joshua down beside him. “Hey, did you bamboozle David and Nate into signing up for this thing?”

“I did not. I was waiting until we could approach them together since that task demands your gift of gab.”

“Did Verdun mention how many kids we can take?”

“Yeah. Fifty.”

“That’s a lot of kids, Josh.”

“They said their staff could pitch in if we get overwhelmed.”

“Who’s signed up as counselors other than the four of us? Well, provided you can get David and Nate to agree.”

“So far,” Joshua replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice, “it’s just us.”

“I thought you said Rainier was partnered with other therapy centers? No one from any of them signed on?”

“Not yet.” He glanced toward Colin, who shot him a wide-eyed look.

“Fifty kids? For four people, Josh?”

“Well, so far, it’s only two people.”

“Babe, we’re good, but not that good!”

Joshua’s sigh seemed to come from the soles of his shoes. “David and Nate will sign on.”

“Well, they’d better, or we’re going to go broke paying babysitters.”

Joshua lowered his head.

“Are you worried?”

“It’s a huge responsibility. What if I let them down? What if I’m not what they need?” He winced and lifted his head. “They’ve already got enough to deal with just being young and gay.”

Colin wrinkled his nose. “It’s not like it was when we were young, Josh. People are more accepting now.”

“Well, some people are,” Joshua muttered.

“But homophobia’s far from dead—especially in this political climate.

There’s still a lot of ugly out there.” For a long moment, he sat in silence, staring out the window.

Then his gaze shifted to Colin, and his voice grew quiet.

“Is this too much for me? Should I rethink this?”

“No!” Colin shot back. “You’re exactly the right person to lead this, Josh.

You’re kind and gentle, and you understand better than most what it’s like to be a young, gay person who’s struggling.

” He wrapped his arm around Joshua’s shoulders and drew him close. “Those kids will be lucky to have you.”

Joshua’s brows furrowed in doubt. “When I was a teen, mom sent me to a camp. You know, for troubled youth. “There were people there—counselors—who I believed were there to help me. But even though I trusted them, I was still painfully shy and introverted. In the end, I felt like they cared more about their own egos than about helping me. I remember thinking—they’re here to help, but the moment I pulled back, they walked away. It felt like I failed some invisible test.”

“You could never be like that!”

“I know I don’t want to be.” He swallowed hard, a heaviness weighing on his chest. “Those moments still linger in my mind, like a shadow that can’t find the light.

I was an abused child and always quick to blame myself anytime an authority figure abandoned me.

I spent years trying to be perfect for everyone, thinking if I could do or be enough, they wouldn’t leave.

But it never worked. That weight … it’s something I still carry. ”

Colin’s arm tightened, drawing Joshua’s eyes to his husband’s face. “Josh, I understand the pain of abandonment. I understand it deeply. You know what it did to me when my sister committed suicide. That wound has never fully healed. And for years, I carried the weight of believing it was my fault.”

He leaned toward Joshua. “You taught me that it wasn’t my fault.

That I didn’t have to earn love by pretending to hold it together.

You showed me that being broken didn’t mean I was unworthy.

You lifted that weight from my heart. You taught me that it’s OK to feel lost sometimes and that true strength rests in the ability to share those feelings.

My darling, all you ever have to do is lead with your heart.

You’re a great therapist because you care .

It’s not in you to walk away. It’s just not in your DNA. ”

Joshua leaned forward into Colin’s arms, and for a long moment, they sat quietly, wrapped in each other’s warmth. “You think ?” Joshua whispered at last.

“I know ,” Colin said. “We went through that pain for a reason. Maybe now we have the awareness to help them transform their pain into hope before their scars run as deep as ours. And …” Colin continued, raising his eyebrows.

“Aren’t you the therapist who’s always telling me that stressing over an event that’s months in the future is the very definition of wasted energy? ”

Joshua breathed out a soft laugh. “Hoisted on my own petard.”

“Come again?”

“You first,” Josh quipped, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Smart-ass,” Colin shot back with a quick wink.

His gaze softened as he absorbed Joshua’s expression—his handsome, angular features taut with worry, his top lip caught between his teeth.

He recalled his own struggles after being critically injured in the line of duty.

He remembered the pain, the humiliation, and the paralyzing fear of permanent disability.

But even more vivid was the memory of Joshua’s steadfast faith in him.

His unwavering support and enduring love shone a constant, healing light into that soul-deep darkness.

Now, he longed to embody that same healing light for the one he loved.

“Please, don’t fret, mo chroí ,” Colin begged, his voice gentle. “Right now, we’re just scouting the horizon. We can’t see what’s waiting for us at the end of this journey. Let’s focus on the here and now and tackle it one step at a time—together.”

“Thank you, my yedid .”

Colin bent and kissed him. “You’re welcome,” he said, then got to his feet, drawing Joshua up with him. “Grab your jacket and pick a place.”

“Burger Bach?”

“Ah, god, yes ,” Colin crooned, pressing his hand to his heart and rolling his eyes in fake ecstasy. “Honey mustard dipping sauce, here we come!” He pressed a kiss to Joshua’s cheek. “You’re a treasure.”

“You’re lucky, because ‘Roots’ was on the tip of my tongue," Joshua teased with a sly grin, referring to a popular vegan restaurant.

“But knowing the deep and abiding …” Colin gave a pretend cough, “... affection I have for vegan cuisine, you took pity on me?”

“Something like that.”

Colin locked the door behind them while Joshua shrugged into his jacket.

“Let’s grab our food and take it to David and Nate’s,” Joshua said as they moved toward Colin’s car. “We’ll pick up something for them too . Knowing they’re in will cut my anxiety in half.”

Colin grinned and pressed a kiss to Joshua’s temple. “Call them and take their order.”

Half an hour later, they were seated in David and Nate’s spacious living room. On the coffee table in front of them, lay a massive pile of Burger Bach burgers, numerous containers of French fries, and several chocolate shakes.

“OK,” David said, eyeing the mound of food with suspicion. “It’s obvious that we’re being bribed. Can we cut to the chase here? What do you two want?”

“Because we brought you hamburgers ?” Colin asked, incredulous. “Hell, Davy, if I really wanted to bribe you, I’d spring for dinner at The Ivy Inn.”

“Ah, small potatoes,” David scoffed, rejecting Colin’s suggestion. “A real bribe would have to include a lifetime supply of caviar and an all-you-can-eat pastry buffet—heavy on the Gateau St. Honoré.”

Colin snickered and tossed a French fry in David’s direction. “Eat up, Professor.”

“You gonna share your famous honey mustard dipping sauce?” Nate interrupted, stretching his French fry towards Colin’s condiment.

“Back off, brat!” Colin snapped, slapping Nate’s hand away. “My dipping sauce is off limits!”

Joshua laughed and held out a small plastic container. “Here. In anticipation of this ongoing squabble, I got you one of your own.”

Nate stuck out his tongue at Colin and grabbed the sauce. “Thank you, Josh. You’re the nice one!”

Colin dismissed Nate’s insult with a wave of his hand. “Like that’s news!”

“Exactly what has brought you two here today?” David asked, reaching for a second hamburger.

Joshua explained the situation. “And … we want you two to run this thing with us.”