Page 6 of Beyond the Rainbow (Pride Camp 2025 #11)
Dreams: Under Construction
C olin mumbled into his pillow. Still half asleep, he stretched out his hand, searching for Joshua’s smooth skin.
But when his fingers encountered only cool bedsheets, his eyes fluttered open, squinting against the early morning light filtering through the blinds.
He shifted onto his back, one hand running through his messy hair, frowning as he glanced at the empty space beside him.
“Josh?” His voice came out groggy, still thick with sleep.
The faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee caught his attention, and a small smile crept onto Colin’s lips. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the hardwood floor chilly beneath his feet.
After pausing in the bathroom, he strolled down the stairs, the gentle pat of his footsteps mingling with the sound of muted humming drifting up from below.
He paused at the bottom of the steps and let out a soft, affectionate laugh.
Joshua stood next to the dining room table, humming one of Colin’s favorite Irish folksongs.
He was barefoot, dressed in jeans, and had donned one of Colin’s oversized T-shirts.
As he hummed, he sipped from a coffee mug held in one hand while he moved sheets of paper into various piles with the other.
“You’re up early,” Colin murmured, his voice low and warm with love.
Joshua turned, his smile brightening the room like the morning sun. “Couldn’t sleep. So I thought I’d wrangle this mess and make us some coffee.” He pointed to Colin’s mug. “I figured you’d come looking for me eventually.”
Chuckling, Colin moved to his side, wrapped an arm around his waist, and pulled him close. “You know me too well.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Joshua’s temple. “Next time, wake me up—I’d rather organize with you than wake up without you.”
Joshua leaned into him, the comfort of their embrace chasing away the last remnants of the morning chill. “Deal.” Then he pointed to a chair. “Sit and drink your coffee. I’ll be done with this in a minute, then I’ll make you some breakfast.”
“What is all this, bud?” he asked, indicating the stacks of printouts.
“Various schedules, lists of things we need to purchase, papers from the UVA grant process,” Joshua replied, then pointed. “And that pile, my darling, is yours.”
Colin leaned forward and peered at the stack of papers Joshua had indicated. The top sheet was a parental/guardian consent form, and Colin could see a liability waiver peeking out from underneath. He groaned and fell back in his seat, causing Joshua to snort out a laugh.
“Can I please finish my coffee first?” Colin begged.
“If I try to read legalese before having my morning coffee, my brain is sure to explode.” Colin’s smile faded slightly as he stared down at the stack.
This wasn’t just paperwork—it was a safety net.
A shield. A promise that no one would be hurt on their watch.
Joshua chuckled and pressed a kiss to Colin’s cheek. “Take your time. But … that’s probably the most important pile, and we are on the clock for getting them signed and validated.”
Colin’s nose wrinkled, and he waved his hand. “Nah, we’ll be fine—these are all standard forms. We’ll compile them into packets that’ll mostly go to the parents or guardians for signature.”
“I do want you to look them over, though. Make sure they’re accurate. This is a sensitive area.”
“Oh, I’m definitely going to review them! I want to be sure all the key areas are covered.”
“Make sure our asses are covered,” Joshua corrected with a snicker.
“Damn right!” Colin said, then pushed the pile of legal papers with a finger, scanning the titles.
“Hmm,” he murmured. “I want to check that media release form for sure. Make sure we have a comprehensive opt-out policy. Some of those kids—or their parents— might not want their faces on social media. We can’t risk accidentally outing anyone. ”
“And that is why it’s your pile!” Joshua dropped into a chair and sipped his coffee.
“How are we on scheduling?”
“Since Jeff and Trent have signed on, we’re in good shape. Maybe Trent can help coach the baseball team—it’s sort of his thing, and he’s got the skills.”
Colin narrowed his eyes, a low growl rumbling from his throat. “Watch it, bud. You’re dangerously close to treason.”
Joshua chuckled, undeterred. “Just saying, two heads are better than one.”
Colin leaned closer, mock menace in his eyes. “Well, we’ve got two heads! How about I challenge you to a one-on-one ‘head’ game?” He grinned. “With you giving all the head.”
“Gee! What a scary idea,” Joshua teased, leaning into his arm.
“I’m just kidding about Trent,” Colin told him with an easy smile. “I love the guy. I owe him a lot.” He paused for a moment, gazing out the dining room window to the Rivanna River beyond. “Maybe he could lead some warm-up stretches before practice.”
“He could even lead the whole camp in morning calisthenics.”
“He’d love that!”
“And Jeff is going to do a botanical scavenger hunt and terrarium-making activity. He’s going to lead the campers on a nature walk around the campgrounds, teaching them to identify local plants, mosses, trees, and flowers.
He’ll hand out a scavenger hunt sheet with pictures of various plants and their names.
The campers would need to find and check off as many as they can, and Jeff will give interesting facts about each plant, like which ones are edible or medicinal.
Then they’ll head back to camp and create a mini terrarium using jars, soil, small plants, moss, and decorative stones. ”
“He’s going to do that? I mean, I knew he loved plants. His place is full of them.”
“He called me about it yesterday, so excited he could barely speak.”
“Are they allowed to pick flowers and things while they’re out there scavenging?”
“Nope!” Joshua told him. “No killing of plants is allowed. It’s against Verdun’s policies. Jeff is providing all the plants and other supplies they’ll need for their terrariums.”
“My god, Joshua,” Colin said, his voice tinged with wonder. “Are we actually going to pull this off?”
“It’s starting to look like it.”
The following week, Colin and Joshua threw a dinner for the ‘Evol Gang of Six’, Jeff’s name for their group of close friends. The purpose, of course, was to eat one of Joshua’s delicious dinners, but beyond that, the six friends planned to discuss ongoing preparations for Camp Pride.
Schedules and legalities were nearly solidified, though Colin was still grinding his way through some of the more obscure legal requirements. The goal of that night’s get-together was to bring everyone up to speed and to catch up with each other’s lives.
“So, I’m co-coaching your baseball team!” Trent teased, handing Colin a six-pack of Murphy’s Irish Stout. “Fan-fucking-tastic! Happy to help, buddy! And don’t worry: I know I can improve on your outdated coaching strategies.”
Joshua rolled his eyes. “Please, don’t start, you two. We have important items to discuss tonight, and I don’t have time to referee.”
Colin and Trent both snickered as Colin pulled a can of stout from the six-pack. “I suppose we can refrain from tormenting each other,” he said, then nudged Trent’s shoulder. “For tonight anyway.”
Jeff, who had followed Trent into the house, edged him out of the way and moved to sit on the living room couch. “Just ignore them, Josh. They only act that way because they crave attention. Couple of damned show-offs.”
Joshua smiled, then closed the door behind their guests. “Relax, everyone. We’ll eat as soon as Davy and Nate arrive.” He took the stout from Colin and walked toward the kitchen. “I’ll put this in the fridge.”
“Take it easy,” Colin encouraged, guiding Trent toward the couch where Jeff sat waiting. “David and Nate are on the way. How’s everything going?”
Trent and Jeff exchanged a sharp glance, and then Jeff shrugged. “Going pretty good. Work’s been busy lately, what with … well, you know.”
“With everything going on politically right now, it can’t be easy for guys in your profession,” Colin told him. “Camp Pride will be good for you, Jeff. Spend some time with nature instead of all that CIA bullshit.”
Jeff nodded but gave no reply, and when Colin glanced at Trent, he quirked his mouth and shrugged. “What’s going on with you two?” Colin demanded, setting his stout on the coffee table. “You’re both pissy. What’s going on?”
“We’re not fighting,” Jeff insisted. “Just … not happy at the moment.”
“No. I’m not happy!” Trent snapped. “I just went two whole days and nights without even seeing him! Goddamn CIA, won’t even let him come home nights!”
“Trent, it’s not that they …” Jeff began, then sighed and let his voice trail off, staring down at the floor. “It’s not like that,” he mumbled finally, then turned to face Trent. “And you damn well know it.”
“OK, OK,” Colin soothed, then turned to Trent. “Buddy, can’t you have a little flexibility?” He nodded toward Jeff. “It’s not like he wants to spend his nights there.”
“But god forbid he say no to the almighty CIA!” Trent huffed.
Jeff opened his mouth, then closed it. His shoulders sagged. For a moment, he looked like he might say something—then he sprang to his feet and stalked toward the kitchen.
“See?” Trent said, pointing.
“Well, you’ve kind of been all over him. He’s got a tough job, Trent.”
“Colin, I get that. But the goddamn place is killing him!” He leaned toward Colin. “Did he tell you he’s on medication for heart arrhythmia?”
Colin glanced toward the kitchen. “No. He didn’t.”
“Multifocal atrial tachycardia,” Trent muttered. “That’s the diagnosis.”
“Jesus!”
“And that goddamn place has him working eighteen-hour days, forty-eight hours on end!” Trent’s voice cracked. He scrubbed a hand over his face like he was trying to wipe the fear and frustration off his skin.
“I know that’s hard on you.”