In the darkness the dog began to bark and a light came on in the house beyond the fence. Now Wes twisted out of his embrace. Catching Nathan’s hand, he pulled him farther down the street. “Come on,” he said as a porch light flicked on, illuminating the yard and the dog, as black as the surrounding night.
Nathan stood his ground. “Wes—”
A door opened, hinges creaking, then a woman stepped out on the porch. “Hey! You kids get the hell outta here!”
With a laugh, Nathan broke into a run, tugging Wes along behind him. “Race you,” he panted, but he didn’t let go of Wes’s hand and, as the woman yelled after them, they chased each other down the street, their laughter streaming out behind them in the faint autumn breeze.
A few yards from Tom’s house, Nathan stopped and caught Wes around th
