Briar County Series by Riley Hart

Briar County Series by Riley Hart – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:13:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Briar County Series by Riley Hart – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Covington Acres (Briar County #4) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.books2020.com/covington-acres-briar-county-4-read-online-riley-hart Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:13:14 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/covington-acres-briar-county-4-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: Briar County Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)

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Colby Covington has no clue if there’s anything in the world for him beyond Briar County. His family assumes he’ll do as they do: work Covington Acres, get married, have kids. Colby doesn’t want children, and seeing as he’s never felt even an inkling of romantic love for another person, he sure as hell isn’t interested in marriage.
In his mid-forties, Vincent O’Brien is starting over in the small town of Harmony. After being cheated on, again, he’s sworn off ever falling in love. As fate would have it, Vince needs a place to stay, and Colby has a spare room.
With an immediate connection that shakes up Colby’s sheltered world, neither man expects their friendship to blossom so fast…or for a semi-public hookup to make Colby realize he’s bi. Friends with benefits is perfect. It’s easy, it’s fun, they trust each other, and neither Vince nor Colby wants anything serious.
But the more their lives intertwine, the more Colby starts to feel something he’d thought himself incapable of. Something like love, with Vince…the man who will never feel—or want—the same.

Covington Acres is a small-town, bisexual/demiromantic awakening, friends-with-benefits romance with mature characters, home-brewed beer, and secret kisses.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Colby

Two and a half years ago

Pinks and oranges started peeking out of the skyline behind the shadows of trees, barns, and the house Colby had lived in his whole life until he got a place of his own in his mid-twenties. He was thirty-seven now, so that had been a long time ago, but in every way that mattered, Covington Acres was his home. It was the place that held his most cherished memories. Where his family lived and where he worked. And looking out at it right now as dusk began to lead them into night, Colby knew it was one of the most beautiful places in the world.

He loved it…

But he also didn’t.

No, that wasn’t true. He completely loved it but sometimes resented it. Sometimes he didn’t know if it was what he wanted, mainly because he’d never had anything else. He’d never been given the chance to see if there was anything else out there for him, to find his passion or even if he had one. The older he got, the more that weighed on him. The more he wondered if this was who he was or if he was just really fucking sad and didn’t have a damn clue about himself.

Colby sighed, hating those feelings that had been growing for years. The ones that made him restless and added fuel to the fire of all the other confusing feelings he’d been having lately.

He didn’t feel right…didn’t feel “normal”…as if he wasn’t built the same as his parents and his siblings. His dad had been given this farm by his own father, and it was all he’d ever wanted. Colby’s dad had started dating his mom when they were in high school. They got married at nineteen and had been happy ever since. They had four kids, Colby being the baby of the bunch, all close in age, all working this farm, raising their families and being happy. A family and Covington Acres were all his parents had wanted.

Colby’s brother Dennis and his sister, Jackie, both had spouses and kids. They worked the farm too. Dennis lived and breathed Covington Acres just like their parents.

His oldest brother Roe was the only one who wasn’t married, but he had a teenage son with his best friend, and now was in a committed relationship with Holden. Roe had been the only one to leave Harmony, in Briar County, North Carolina. He’d left right after high school. Roe was gay and wanted to experience life outside their hometown, and their parents had supported him. But Colby figured everyone knew Roe would come back. Roe was a family man, this town was in his blood, and maybe it was in Colby’s too, he just wasn’t sure.

Even though Roe had left, it had always been assumed Colby would stay. That he would want exactly what his parents did—the farm and a family—and that’s just the way it was because that’s what Covingtons did. He thought maybe his parents had understood more with Roe than they would with him due to Roe’s sexuality—there hadn’t been much of a chance for Roe to find a partner here all those years ago.

But what they didn’t realize, what no one knew, was that Colby was pretty sure he was broken. That he didn’t know how to be in love with someone at all.

That truth was making it harder and harder to keep things going with his girlfriend, Lulu. She was getting anxious, wanting to settle down, get married and have kids. Colby had hoped she would be different, that he would feel for her and want to give her all those things, but it wasn’t happening.

It was wrong of him to keep stringing her along, which meant tonight he would be breaking Lulu’s heart, and tomorrow, when his mama found out, he’d be breaking hers too…and disappointing his dad and brother Dennis. How many times had they told him that at his age, it was high time he settled down? That by the time Colby had kids, their cousins would be much older than Colby’s kids. The idea that he might not want them at all never crossed their minds.

With a sigh, Colby stood from the picnic table where he’d been sitting and went to his truck. Even after a hard day of work on the farm, he didn’t go home to shower before heading to Lulu’s. He’d put this off long enough. He might not be built like the rest of them, but he wasn’t the kind of man who wanted to hurt anyone, and the longer he tried to feel something for Lulu that he couldn’t feel, the harder it would be on her.

He knocked on her door, and she opened it with a huge smile on her face. Lulu was a beautiful woman, with long blonde hair and curves in all the places he loved. She was kind and funny. He enjoyed talking to her, spending time with her, fucking her. Why couldn’t he be in love with her?

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Advertisement The Creek (Briar County #3) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.books2020.com/the-creek-briar-county-3-read-online-riley-hart Wed, 26 Oct 2022 19:50:13 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-creek-briar-county-3-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: Briar County Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)

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Divorced for two years, August Reynolds needs a change. He and his teenage son, Reese, pack up and move to Briar County, the home August left at fourteen. He’s hoping it’ll help him and Reese connect again, that Reese will come into his own there the way August did. For him, it was all because of Clint Jones, his childhood best friend and first crush.

At forty-two, Clint figures he’s probably never going to find the one. He’s dated on and off, but he’s never fallen in love. He has his business, his dogs, his friends and family. Most of the time, that’s enough, but then August moves home—Clint’s first kiss and bisexual awakening—making him realize he might be lonelier than he thought.

Clint and August fall back into an easy friendship. Some of their best childhood memories are the days they spent at the creek: talking, laughing, and learning about who they were. But now they’re adults, the attraction palpable between them. It’s not long before they’re tumbling into bed, stealing moments for secret kisses and spending days exploring each other.

They can’t move too fast, though. Reese misses his other father, and sometimes August worries Reese would rather be with him. They’re just getting their life on track, and the last thing August wants is to shake it up by telling Reese he’s with Clint. But as it turns out, that’s not the only obstacle in their way…

The Creek is a small-town, second-chances, friends-to-lovers romance, with mature men who talk about their feelings, stolen kisses, and nights spent beneath the stars.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Clint

Thirty Years Ago

The middle school backed up to the woods. There was a fence they weren’t supposed to cross, keeping the students in. But Clint knew a spot in the far right-hand corner where the fence was messed up and kids climbed through it, mostly eighth graders going to smoke and stuff like that. Oh, and kiss girls. He’d heard about boys and girls going there to make out, but it wasn’t usually someone like Little August Reynolds (that was literally what people called him because he was so scrawny).

Clint frowned, sitting in class, watching out of the window, as the smallest boy in the sixth grade sneaked through the fence and ran for the woods when he was supposed to be in class. August was a good kid. He was super smart, never got in trouble, but he didn’t have a whole lot of friends. Actually, when he thought about it, Clint couldn’t think of any friends August had at all. Skipping class, risking getting in trouble, didn’t seem like something he would do, but Clint saw with his own eyes that he’d just done it.

He didn’t know why he cared so much. Well, part of him didn’t, but school had never been his thing, and staying present wasn’t always easy. Now he had something to focus on. But the other part of him kind of did care because it was weird. Clint wasn’t a troublemaker, but he also wasn’t a goodie-goodie like August, and he’d never sneaked through that fence and into the woods. Why was—

“What do you think, Clint?”

His attention snapped to Ms. McDonald. Shoot. Now he’d done it. He hated when he was distracted and got called on. He had no idea what they’d been talking about. “Um…”

A few people in class snickered.

“You weren’t listening again, were you?” Ms. McDonald asked. No, he hadn’t been. He knew he could get out of this quickly if he said he saw someone sneaking through the fence, but Clint would never do that. He wasn’t a nark. But he also hated it when he didn’t know what to say, and now everyone was looking at him.

“History always puts me to sleep,” was what he landed on. Some of his classmates gasped, some chuckled.

“That’s not funny, Mr. Jones. You can stay after class today to get your work done. Maybe you won’t want to fall asleep then.” She continued with her lesson, and he popped against his skin the rubber band he kept on his wrist. That helped him concentrate, at least for a little while.

He stayed after class like he was supposed to and listened to Ms. McDonald give him a lecture on not being a smart-aleck, and how smart he was, and how much better he’d do if he just focused. It wasn’t like he was a bad student. He got Cs, and that was okay with him. His older brother was the smart one in the family.

He was still curious about Little August Reynolds, though.

Two days later, he noticed Little August Reynolds a second time. They weren’t friends or anything like that, so usually he wasn’t aware of August’s doings.

That day Clint was walking with one of his friends to the school bus when he saw a group of kids toward the back fence, and he noticed August right away. Four guys surrounded August, and Clint couldn’t say how he knew something was wrong, but he did. Maybe because sometimes people thought it was funny to tease August. Clint didn’t get it. How cool did it make you to pick on someone smaller than you?

“I gotta go,” he said, and jogged August’s way.

“You’re such a dork,” he heard one guy say, then in a high-pitched, mocking voice, “Pick me! I know the answer! I know everything about animals!” They all laughed. Clint recognized the bullies. He had classes with all of them, but they weren’t his friends.

“Ass-kisser,” someone else added. “I betcha he really is. He’s so gay!”

“Screw off!” August replied, which Clint had to admit, was really brave of him. Stupid but brave.

“I bet he’s gay because he doesn’t have a daddy around. He’s just got his mama and sister. Maybe he’s really a girl too.”

The group laughed again, and Clint noticed August’s fists balled up. The odds were not in his favor.

“Hey, leave him alone,” Clint told them.

Everyone turned to look at him, including August. “Why are you sticking up for this loser, Jones?”

“Why do you guys think four on one are fair odds? You scared to do anything yourself?”

“Fuck you,” Ted Smith answered.

“No, fuck you,” August returned. Clint had to give it to him, August didn’t back down. Ted was practically the biggest guy in their class.

Clint went over and stood beside August. His sandy-blond hair was styled neatly in a way most of the guys Clint knew at school didn’t do.

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Advertisement Sundae’s Best (Briar County #2) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.books2020.com/sundaes-best-briar-county-2-read-online-riley-hart Thu, 09 Dec 2021 07:26:48 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/sundaes-best-briar-county-2-read-online-riley-hart Genre: M-M Romance, Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: Briar County Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)

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Read Online Books/Novels:	Sundae's Best (Briar County #2)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Riley Hart
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B09DBRNGW5
Book Information:
Grady Dalton is in a rut. He’s thirty-eight, without a boyfriend, and has yet to find the place that feels like home. The closest he ever got was his best friend, Nathan. But it’s been seven years since he passed, and life isn’t getting easier. That’s how he ends up in Briar County, hoping to grow roots in the place Nathan had loved. Deacon Sharpe spends his days serving homemade ice cream at Sundae’s Best and his nights alone, pretending he’s getting by after his wife’s death better than he is. His world is rocked when a man shows up, claiming he’d been his brother-in-law’s best friend, and who seems to miss Nathan as much as Deacon misses Patty. Their losses connect them, but soon, the weight of their loneliness eases with laughter, making ice cream, and Grady reminding Deacon what it feels like to be held again. Deacon tells himself it’s platonic. How can it be more when he’s forty and has never been with a man, never even been attracted to one. But then, he’d never felt those things about anyone other than Patty either. And when Grady touches him…kisses him…nothing else matters and the rest of the world melts away. Together they can deal with family drama, small-town gossip, and Deacon’s newly discovered feelings. But as it often does, life has one more curveball to throw their way… Sundae’s Best is a small-town, bi/demisexual awakening romance, with characters who like to be held, swoony moments, a dog named Moose, and lots of ice cream. Sundae’s Best can be read as a standalone.
Books in Series:	Briar County Series by Riley Hart
Books by Author:	Riley Hart

Chapter 1

Grady

Grady Dalton was afraid he was becoming a stalker.

That hadn’t been his intent, of course. He couldn’t say exactly what his actual plan had been. What he knew was that after breaking up with yet another boyfriend, in yet another city, he’d needed a change. He also needed to put down roots. At thirty-eight, it was high time.

That was how he’d found himself in Everett, a small town in Briar County, North Carolina. It was where Nathan grew up—Nathan, whom Grady had met his first day of basic training and who became his best friend. They’d looked at each other, eyes catching, and…well, the motherfucker had given him a cocky grin before beating his ass in one of the exercises. In the beginning, Grady had thought he hated him, but really, he was pretty sure he’d always known he hadn’t. Even from that initial, brief glance, he knew Nathan would be an important part of his life.

They’d become friends right away—though always in competition with each other.

They’d admitted to each other they were both queer. Nathan was the first person to know Grady was gay, and Grady was the first person Nathan had told.

They’d spent four years in the army, then moved to DC together.

They’d learned to be okay with who they were together. They’d gone out and danced and met men. They’d had a second sort of growing up together, one where they’d been authentically themselves.

Nathan had been Grady’s family when Grady came out to his own and they turned their backs on him.

Then Grady had supported Nathan when he’d made the decision to come out to his own family at thirty years old. Only Nathan hadn’t had the chance. He’d been driving to Everett to see them when he’d gotten into the car accident that had taken his life.

He and Nathan had never been lovers, not once, but the man had been his brother, his confidant, a part of his soul.

And now, seven years later, Grady was in the town Nathan had told him so much about, while stalking his dead best friend’s sister’s husband.

Stalking was maybe a strong word to use. Following? That was just as bad. Interested in talking to him? Though he didn’t know what he would say. He didn’t plan on outing Nathan. But while Nathan had been nervous to tell his family, he’d always said that out of everyone, he knew his sister, Birdie, wouldn’t care.

Sadness washed over him. Grady had known the man for twelve years and didn’t even know Nathan’s sister’s real name. He’d always called her Birdie. He knew Deacon’s, though—he’d listened to stories about her husband and Sundae’s Best, the ice cream parlor Deacon owned.

Grady had yet to see Birdie, but he’d seen Deacon, hence the whole creeper vibe he had going on. What did a guy say to the family of the man who’d known him better than anyone in the world, when said family likely didn’t know Grady existed?

He watched the brick ice cream shop across the street, taking in the old-fashioned facade. The black awning over the glass door and the large window out front provided a nice contrast to the inside of the place, which was painted in white, pinks, and other bright colors.

He’d seen Deacon enter earlier, before Grady had gone to lunch. It was fall, but he noticed they still stayed busy. It wasn’t cold yet, but he had a feeling the winter months wouldn’t slow down people’s clear love for Deacon’s ice cream.

He needed to get his ass off the bench, approach the man, and ask him where Grady could find Deacon’s wife—in the least psycho way possible.

He also needed to get a job if he was going to stay in Everett—or hell, regardless. He had a bit of money saved after leaving Richmond, where he’d settled for the last year, but if he didn’t put down roots in Briar County, he’d have to somewhere, and that would require the money to continue to come in and not just out. For now, he’d rented a small house in Everett. It wasn’t his dream place by any stretch of the imagination, but it would do. He was an easy guy. He didn’t need a lot.

It was stupid, coming here. He didn’t know what he’d thought would happen—that Nathan’s family would welcome him with open arms? That they’d be to him what his own family hadn’t been? Did he think he’d find here what he couldn’t find with any of the men he’d dated either—connection, something real, something more than how much fun they had being naked together?

Fuck, he was being mopey today.

He stood up, walked down Wildflower Street and away from Deacon.

There was a part-time job available at a place called Covington Supply Co in Harmony, a small town not far from Everett. The store was a one-stop shop for feed, farm and gardening supplies, and the like.

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Advertisement Firefly Lane (Briar County #1) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.books2020.com/firefly-lane-briar-county-1-read-online-riley-hart Wed, 08 Sep 2021 08:01:30 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/firefly-lane-briar-county-1-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance, Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: Briar County Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)

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Read Online Books/Novels:	(Briar County #1) Firefly Lane
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Riley Hart
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B099X9859X
Book Information:
At forty-three, Holden Barnett is getting along just fine. His job as a pilot keeps him from getting restless, and he’s got a man who doesn’t want promises for the future. One phone call from his estranged sister changes everything. She needs his help, so Holden drops everything and heads to Harmony, a small town in Briar County, which represents everything he’s tried to avoid in life. Monroe Covington is forty-five and happy. He loves his life—running his store, helping at his family’s farm, and spending his days with his best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt. Sure, half the town likes to forget he’s gay, and he’d love for the queer population to be bigger, but Roe makes do. He misses dating, relationships, and a man to hold at night, but at least he gets new eye candy when Holden, the brother of the woman who’s renting his cabin, shows up. The attraction is instant, the friendship not far behind, but between Holden’s initial relationship status, family complications, and the two of them wanting different things, they’re a disaster waiting to happen…only it doesn’t feel that way, not with how much time they spend talking, laughing, and eventually, tumbling into bed, a field, or the back of a truck together. The closer they get, the more Holden realizes that just being fine isn’t enough, and Roe begins to see that his life isn’t as complete as he thought. Now, if they could only sort out the rest of it… ***Firefly Lane is a small town, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers summer romance with no cheating, mature characters who talk out their problems, like to work with their hands, and have amazing chemistry. Did I mention they watch movies in the company of goats?
Books in Series:	Briar County Series by Riley Hart
Books by Author:	Riley Hart

CHAPTER ONE

Monroe

“We need to figure out a schedule for movies with goats. The season starts in a few weeks,” Dad said as they sat down for a Covington family Sunday dinner.

Like always, the whole crew was there: his parents, his three siblings—two with their spouses and children—and, of course, Roe’s best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt.

They all lived in the same town and saw each other all the time. Hell, whether it was full-time, part-time, or simply helping out whenever they could, most of the family worked at Covington Acres Farms. Still, they made their way to Mom and Dad’s house often to share a meal. To break that rule was to break Mama’s heart, and no one wanted that.

“We can talk about it after dinner,” Mama scolded.

“I have some movie ideas,” his sister, Jackie, replied.

The others jumped in with their thoughts on the goat activities—movies, yoga, and things like that—which was what the farm was known for.

Roe’s head spun just trying to keep up with everyone. It was always like that. They were quite the bunch and he loved it.

“Movies with goats is my favorite,” Lindsey replied from beside him. They’d been inseparable since they were kids. Everyone thought they’d grow up and get married, but once high school rolled around, Roe realized he was into the same kind of guys she was. Lindsey was the first person he’d told he was gay. He came out to his family his senior year, but she’d already known for two. Still, it didn’t matter that he was forty-five years old and had been openly gay since he was eighteen—most people still thought he and Lindsey would end up together.

Sometimes he thought his family believed it as well.

One might argue that was partly his and Lindsey’s fault since they’d had a child together, who was now thirteen. Really, though, they were just the closest of friends, who’d wanted to be parents and decided to make that happen together.

“Wyatt can help with whatever y’all need over the summer,” Roe said. When his son opened his mouth to respond, Roe cocked a brow. Wyatt grumbled but closed it again.

Roe gave his attention to Colby, his youngest sibling, as he rambled about the goats. He was the baby while Roe was the oldest. They were the two Covington kids who weren’t married, though Colby’d had a girlfriend for about a year and Roe figured they’d tie the knot soon.

That was just what you did in Harmony.

“Your mama can work on a schedule—ouch, woman.” Dad added the second part when Mama popped him on the hand with a spoon.

“I said after dinner. This is family time.”

“And this is a family farm,” Dad insisted, but he knew better, so he ended the conversation after that.

Once the food was on the table, they closed their eyes to say grace. It wasn’t something Roe did at home, only partaking during their family meal. Dad said the prayer, and then there was a chorus of amens around the table before they dug in—roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and all the fixins.

Dinner was loud. There was no way it couldn’t have been with fourteen of them. While some days it felt a little over-the-top, he’d missed it when he’d lived in DC.

Roe had left Harmony, North Carolina, right after high school, wanting to prove he wasn’t a small-town boy—well, and wanting the experiences of being a gay man in the city, but it had gotten old after a while. He’d made a good career for himself in finance, and he’d experimented with lots of men, some for a night, some long term. He’d even fallen in love, but he’d never forgotten his roots, the ones burrowed deep in Harmony, luring him back home. It was the decision to come back that lost him the man he’d thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

They finished dinner, then had the kids clean up—they knew not to fuss too much about doing chores—while the adults moved into the family room and finally got down to farm business.

Covington Acres had grown a lot from what his granddaddy had passed down to his dad. They had small crops, mostly sweet potatoes and other vegetables, and apple orchards behind the property. His brother Colby took care of most of that. The other men ran the livestock, while the women were responsible for all the family-oriented goat activities.

People purchased tickets to come out and watch older flicks they set up on the eastern pasture. It was like a drive-in, only visitors brought chairs and watched movies on the projector while feeding and playing with the animals. They ate that shit up, even came down from some of the bigger cities to watch a movie with a damn goat. Roe didn’t get it.

It was almost nine before they started to head out. They said their goodbyes, and he walked Lindsey and Wyatt to her car. Wyatt went back and forth between their places. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than it had been when he’d lived in DC and had only gone to Harmony a couple of weekends a month.

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Read Online Books/Novels:

Sundae's Best (Briar County #2)

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

Riley Hart

English

B09DBRNGW5

Riley Hart

Read Online Books/Novels:

(Briar County #1) Firefly Lane

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

Riley Hart

English

B099X9859X

Briar County Series by Riley Hart

Riley Hart