Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Christmas Throwaway
    The Christmas Throwaway
    The Christmas Throwaway
    Ebook133 pages2 hours

    The Christmas Throwaway

    By RJ Scott

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    For Zachary Weston Christmas means sleeping on a churchyard bench in the freezing snow with nothing better in his future. Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go.

    Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.

    Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRJ Scott
    Release dateNov 21, 2012
    ISBN9781301826797
    The Christmas Throwaway
    Author

    RJ Scott

    RJ Scott is the author of the best selling Male/Male romances The Christmas Throwaway, The Heart Of Texas and the Sanctuary Series of books.She writes romances between two strong men and always gives them the happy ever after they deserve.

    Read more from Rj Scott

    Related authors

    Related to The Christmas Throwaway

    Related ebooks

    Gay Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Dustin Lance Black.

      Jun 4, 2019

      Dustin Lance Black.
      8 min read

    • Article

      Remains

      Sep 1, 2017

      THIS IS what you think your mother’s remains will look like. The ash will be black, like all that soot in the fireplace. It will be heavy, like wet sand. There will not be too much of it. It will fit in a small urn with intricate designs on the borde

      6 min read

    • Article

      Six Million Reasons

      Jul 9, 2021

      Six Million Reasons
      6 min read

    • Article

      Reach

      Apr 10, 2021

      Jack Benson stands dissolved in an ocean of strangers, humans he couldn’t have known existed until forced to jostle with them for space and share odors. He recoils imperceptibly with each touch, eager not to offend or stand out any further. As a mass

      10 min read

    • Article

      Reach

      Dec 10, 2023

      Jack Benson stands dissolved in an ocean of strangers, humans he couldn’t have known existed until forced to jostle with them for space and shared odors. He recoils imperceptibly with each touch, eager not to offend or stand out any further. As a mas

      10 min read

    • Article

      Restless Souls

      Mar 6, 2018

      Restless Souls
      8 min read

    • Article

      Just Passing

      Aug 17, 2020

      Zoe cracks the curtain in the bay window and watches as he bounces from one foot to another in the cold. Tap, tap, tap, he goes at the letterbox. But she shouldn’t even let him in. He’s trouble. He throws his arms out and shouts through the glass: “S

      5 min read

    • Article

      Getting Up

      Oct 15, 2022

      Getting Up
      20 min read

    • Article

      Playing God

      Apr 10, 2023

      After Jack was abducted by the alien spaceship, and after the round vessel had vanished into the Milky Way, he found himself walking down a tubular corridor with white vibrating walls, escorted by a sinuous blonde who smiled graciously and said her n

      13 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      May 1, 2019

      We found ourselves to be quite fondof the ad campaignundermining late-stage capitalism: how the sprightly old womankept bursting into private conversationsat the candlelit restaurant and shouting, You can’t eat nickels!!and then doing that little hip

      3 min read

    • Article

      Suspicious Minds

      Apr 7, 2022

      Suspicious Minds
      5 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Money Box

      Jun 10, 2022

      This is not a morality tale. It’s simply a story. It began innocently enough, over a lunch of beef pho in the Financial District, when my friend Paolo first mentioned the Money Box. Paolo was a pupa of industry then, waiting to emerge as a titan. He

      19 min read

    • Article

      They Got Their Show

      Aug 10, 2021

      It is midnight in Ponderosa and Nick Velasquez can’t sleep. The public doesn’t want him to sleep. It’s been like this ever since it hit all the big streaming platforms. The viewers stay up bingeing and he… well, he has been bingeing in his own way. W

      14 min read

    • Article

      Six Dart Out

      Sep 10, 2023

      Marc figured the girl was a vegan. Her puke had overflowed the sink and run onto the floor—tomatoes and rice marinated in microbrew lager. He’d told Vegan Girl to slow down, but her friends had won the turning-21-peer-pressure battle. Admittedly, Mar

      9 min read

    • Article

      Pleasure Palace

      Sep 1, 2022

      Pleasure Palace
      15 min read

    • Article

      Decluttering

      Dec 9, 2020

      Decluttering
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Hard Man To Forget

      Jan 8, 2024

      A Hard Man To Forget
      4 min read

    • Article

      Begin Again

      Jun 14, 2022

      My grandfather came to live with me. There was nowhere else for him to go. What had happened to all his children? Death, decay, exile—I hardly know. My own parents died of pain. But I must not be too gloomy, at the beginning, or you will leave me, an

      6 min read

    • Article

      The King’s passion

      Aug 11, 2021

      The King’s passion
      11 min read

    • Article

      The King’s passion

      Aug 11, 2021

      The King’s passion
      11 min read

    • Article

      We Don't Talk About That Here

      Nov 4, 2021

      We Don't Talk About That Here
      4 min read

    • Article

      Dirty John: Escape

      Oct 8, 2017

      Dirty John: Escape
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Duplex

      Jun 9, 2020

      I moved to Los Angeles to sing. When was this? August? June? I was twenty-nine, and those were shapeless months, when the days blended together and I refused to pull them apart. My landlord was unusually close to her adult son. His name was Jeffrey,

      21 min read

    • Article

      Echo

      Jan 10, 2024

      Once, during a depressive episode, Stanley cut out thirteen small paper stars and taped them to the ceiling of his cluttered bedroom. They were made from the construction paper left over from his youth, stored away in a basket on a shelf in the basem

      14 min read

    • Article

      The Silhouette Artist

      Jul 25, 2019

      The Silhouette Artist
      6 min read

    • Article

      Always In Memory

      Sep 1, 2022

      Always In Memory
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Christmas Throwaway

    4/5

    96 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Zach has been thrown away. Ben is drawn immediately to Zach but he is a caring man who doesn't want to mess things up or cause more hurt to Zach. It was neat to see Zach heal and thrive as well as take charge of the relationship too. It is great to see a character overcome so much. I saw this recommended during a recent blog tour and I'm glad I took a chance on it.
    • 4/5
      A heartfelt story about the true spirit of Christmas. Ben finds a young teenager asleep in a doorway on a cold, snowy Christmas Eve. Ben decides to bring him home to his Mother's house for a hot meal and a warm bed. Little does Ben know that Zach will turn his world upside down and work his way into his heart.I just wish it were longer and gace more detail about Zach's home life and his abusive Father. I felt it a little rushed.But, a great story of hope and love.
    • 5/5
      This (144 page) novella takes place over a two- year time period that packs lot of heart into its short self. Zach is 17 years old...soon to be 18 just before Christmas. He's been thrown out of his home because of his sexuality and also has suffered almost daily beatings from his father. Zach was turned out of his parents' home with just a small amount of money in his pocket and no clothing that was fit for winter's cold and snow. Ben, a cop, finds Zach on Christmas Eve sleeping on a church bench. This young man's life is about to change for the better if he can only find it in himself to simply trust Ben and Ben's big, warm family. When Ben takes him home to his mother...the entire family comes together on Christmas Eve to show Zack that he is worthy, and that there are so many options that can be opened for him to explore, including justice for the way he was treated at home. Ben is more than willing to help him find everything that he deserves...which he is starting to hope will also include himself being a part of that bargain. The book, as I said is short, but it's a fantastic stunningly crafted tale of humanity, hope, and love. A perfect little offering for the Christmas season. On a more somber note...if you are reading this, please be aware that even though this is a book it doesn't change the fact that the world is full of "throwaways"...some much younger than Zach, and not all of them are lucky enough to find someone like Ben and his family.
    • 5/5
      Oh, this story tugged at my heartstrings! The opening scene alone, with Zach sleeping on an icy-cold bench in a church graveyard made me shudder in sympathy and wonder what had happened to him. It immediately pulled me into the story, and there I stayed, watching his life's drama unfold before my eyes. I was totally fascinated by both Zach and Ben, the cop who finds and rescues him, as well as Ben's amazing family and friends. It all makes for a wonderful story – Christmas or not. For me, the special atmosphere added by the holiday was wonderful, but I'm just saying, the story stands on its own and would be pretty awesome even without that added magic.

      As sad as Zach's background story is, and it's pretty brutal, he never lets it get him down. Yes, the fact that he's been kicked out of his family home depresses and saddens him, but he is determined to run to the ends of the Earth before letting his father regain power over him. Luckily, he turns eighteen in three days, so he hasn’t got long to hold out. That is when Ben finds him, and he realizes two things. One, he was at the end of his rope, with no money, no food, and out in the freezing cold. Two, if this seemingly nice guy decides to arrest him, he is done for. The temptation of spending a night in a warm bed proves to be bigger than his fear though, and things develop from there.

      Ben is an amazing guy. He is a professional about rescuing Zach, and controls his feelings for him admirably well, even though he is sorely tempted. But he understands that Zach needs help, after the brutal beatings from his father that he's endured for years, and that the much younger man needs to find his feet before anything more can develop between them. Yet he manages all of that without pushing Zach away, which is quite a feat!

      The rest of Ben's family (his mother and sister, and after some hesitation his brother) deserve a mention as well. They all pull together to give Zach something he's never had: a loving family. Even Ben's best friend and some of his cop colleagues get drawn into the cause to help. Simply perfect! The pace of the story and Ben and Zach's developing relationship were realistic, as were some of the things Zach went through (like panic attacks) as he recovers and makes a life for himself.

      If you like stories about lost boys who become amazing men despite a lack of support from their biological parents, if you enjoy a "rescue" story set around Christmas and the special atmosphere that can add, and if you're looking for a sweet story about two men who are deeply in love before they even realize it themselves, then you will probably love this story as much as I did. I think it's adorable and just the thing to make my inner romantic purr!

    • 3/5
      A sweet tale. three Stars A boy running from an abusive home life finds a new family and friends in a sleepy town with a cute new police officer.
    • 4/5
      The story was pretty good, although it was a slow builder.
    • 5/5
      From the moment I first read the synopsis and excerpt of The Christmas Throwaway, I was drawn into the story and wanted to know more. I was almost positive I would enjoy it, even though at the time I had never read a male/male romance, and I have to say it did not disappoint. The Christmas Throwaway is the heartwarming holiday tale of a young rookie cop and his mom who willingly take in a teenage throwaway who he found half-frozen, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on Christmas Eve. Is this a story that would likely happen in real life? Probably not, or at least not often, but it certainly is the type of story that we should, in my opinion, hear about all the time. In this day and age, taking in a stranger can be an understandably frightening prospect (even Ben's brother initially thought that Zach might be a drug addict or in some way dangerous to his family), but The Christmas Throwaway gently challenges the reader to look beneath the surface and see the individual. It is also the truest expression of the Christmas spirit, yet at the same time heartbreaking, because I know that there are teens out there who are experiencing the same kind of rejection that Zach did. If there were more people like Ben and his mom in this world, it would certainly be a much better place.Zach was a sweet young man who was extremely polite and kind. He was wary of Ben and his mom at first, but still treated them with the utmost respect and was very grateful for everything they did for him. He had been a straight-A student who had never been in trouble for anything. The only thing he did “wrong” in the eyes of his family was being gay, and as punishment for this “transgression” he was denied the school he enjoyed, was no longer allowed to associate with his friends, was regularly beaten by his father, and ultimately, thrown out of the house at gunpoint when he refused to enlist in the military. As a result, he ended up on the streets in the dead of winter, cold, hungry and nearly freezing. What Zach's family did to him was utterly sad and appalling, but it allowed Ben and his mom to show Zach the true meaning of Christmas not just at Christmastime but all year round. Zach's wonder over spending Christmas with these strangers who treated him like he was one of the family was deeply heartfelt, and yet I could still sense his fear. It was like all his dreams were coming true, but he dare not believe it.Ben was an extremely well-brought-up young man whose mother has always loved and accepted him for who he is. He obviously adores his mom, and even though he has his own house, he can't resist coming home frequently to visit and get some of his mom's good cooking. He also loves his small hometown and serves them faithfully as an officer of the law, cheerfully doing all that was asked of him as the rookie, including working the holidays. I thought it was great that Ben had chosen to specialize his training by learning more about teens in trouble, especially throwaways. I loved the way that Ben felt so protective of Zach right from the moment he met him, and it was readily apparent that looking out for Zach meant more to him than just a job. All he wanted to do was keep him safe and ease his pain, both physical and emotional in whatever way he could. I also liked that even though Ben was strongly attracted to Zach, he acted in a very professional and adult way by not allowing things to go any further between them than a hug or a tender kiss until Zach was of age and had time to sort through some of his problems. Overall, The Christmas Throwaway was a lovely story of redemption and new beginnings. My only complaint and the only reason I didn't give it the full five stars is that it wasn't quite long enough to suit me. The bulk of the narrative takes place over about a week's time, but toward the end, the author quickly advanced the plot by about six months and then again by about a year. I realize that Ms. Scott did this to allow time for Zach to age and work through some of the emotional turmoil from all he'd been through before he and Ben gave into their feelings for one another, and I truly respect her for that. However, I couldn't help wondering what Zach and Ben had been doing during those big time jumps. Obviously, they were falling love, but we don't really get to see much of that. I would have loved to have a few more romantic interactions building up to the consummation. I also would have liked to see more of Zach's metamorphosis. As is, he goes from being a frightened teenager just trying to survive to a more confident young man in charge of his life in a matter of a few short chapters. Otherwise, The Christmas Throwaway was a well-written story that I very much enjoyed. It really tugged at my heartstrings. This was my first book by R. J. Scott, but definitely won't be my last. I look forward to checking out some of her backlist titles soon.Note: This book contains scenes of explicit sensuality between two men which may offend some readers.

    Book preview

    The Christmas Throwaway - RJ Scott

    Chapter One

    The First Christmas

    Hey! You can't sleep here.

    Zachary Weston had closed his eyes and let sleep pull him under. His sheer exhaustion meant he physically couldn't stay awake any longer. Sleep came quickly, the sleep of the desperate man, despite the furious aching pain in his lower back. He had pushed on through the pain for the last week. Ironically, the ice and frigid temperatures, while freezing his extremities, helped ease the aching.

    Behind his eyes he saw a crackling fire in an iron grate, the red and gold flames casting a beautiful light throughout a room decorated for Christmas. A tree stood tall in the far corner, its sparkling fairy lights, colored tinsel, and baubles catching and glinting random colors.

    You can't sleep here.

    Presents were scattered and piled, haphazard and thoughtless in their arrangement, for there were so many. Books and songs and warm clothes sat in wrapped paper festooned with silver and gold bows, his name scrawled in gold on a fair share of them.

    Hey, you can't sleep here.

    Outside the window it was snowing—not a blizzard, but soft fat flakes that fell in a mesmerizing dance to join the soft shapes already hiding the mature garden from view. The cold meant the outside of the windows were frosted with creeping white tendrils that drew random patterns on the icy glass and reflected the colored lights from the tree.

    Hey…

    Zach bent down, picking up the first present, looking back at his mom. She was smiling and happy to see her son so excited, sharing nods of understanding with his dad. They both had so much love in their eyes.

    Hey!

    Someone was speaking to him from outside the room, but he couldn't see who. That didn't matter, because if he concentrated hard, he could focus on the gifts. He shivered, cold seeping into him, and unconsciously he moved himself closer to the fire, frowning when, if anything, the heat near him diminished. Stupid fire. He took his next gift, pulled at red and silver paper and uncovered the softest of sweatshirts, thick and warm and smooth, in a startling blue that his momma said matched his eyes. Despite the fire, he was still so damn cold, and quickly he pulled it over his head, the heat of the soft material on his frost-chilled skin comforting and warm. He smiled as he was as wrapped with affection and love and the sparks of a family Christmas as he was with the sweater.

    You can't sleep here.

    Zach started. The voice from outside the room was suddenly right in his ear and the last vestiges of his dream nothing more than suggestions in his head. Abruptly, his eyes snapped wide open and, after a second, focused on the source of the words. Zach actually saw very little beyond the sudden blur of a silver badge and the navy blue uniform, but then he focused on the speaker's eyes. They were flinty hard in the streetlight, and there were small puffs of white hanging in the air created by the man's breath. Shit! Somehow someone had seen him and reported him, or the cop had spotted him. He was being moved on again. He pulled at the thin jacket that covered him, a memory of soft blue material flashing into his head and disorienting him momentarily.

    Zach had so hoped to avoid the law, cautiously optimistic that the churchyard might be a place of sanctuary on Christmas Eve.

    Sorry, he said quickly, scrambling to his feet as fast as he could manage, which wasn't entirely that fast considering the aching cold that seemed to split his very bones in two. He cursed as his blanket fell from his numb hands and landed in the snow at his feet. That was the only warmth he had, a threadbare piece of material he had stolen from Goodwill when the woman in charge turned her back. And now the damn thing was going to be wet.

    Still, there was no time to worry about that; the cop wanted him moved on. He leaned down to pick it up, only to see the ground spinning up to his face at an alarming speed. Strong arms stopped him from face-planting in the snow, but he twisted out of them quickly. The man might be a cop, might wear a badge, but no one touched him. Zach knew what men could want from the child he still was. He wasn't stupid, and he had dodged enough of it in the city.

    How old are you? the cop asked, looking concerned and very much in charge.

    Eighteen, Zach lied quickly. He took a step back until his thighs hit the back of the bench he had been resting on. The cop stepped with him, looming large despite being a few inches shorter than Zach, his face creased in a frown.

    How old are you really? the cop persisted, his expression calm, his voice low and curious.

    Zach bit his lower lip, feeling the hot blood against his tongue, the shivering inside him starting to manifest in shakes he knew even the cop would see. Carefully Zach lifted the blanket, damp and ice cold, trying to create a barrier between himself and the police officer with the intense gaze.

    Seventeen, Zach finally said, willing his teeth to stop chattering, but I'll be eighteen in a few days. He added the last bit, giving the cop an out. He wanted to add just leave me alone, I won't hurt anyone.

    Ben Hamilton, the cop said softly, holding his hand out as if he wanted to shake Zach's. Zach was confused, waiting for the glint of cuffs, uncertain, and he dug his hands deeper in the wet blanket he was holding. The cop, this Hamilton, didn't move his hand, just held it firm and steady. Finally Zach thrust his cold hand out, the texture of the officer's leather gloves soft and strange beneath his touch.

    Zach, he introduced himself softly, remembering not to mention his surname. The cop didn't push him on it, just nodded and pulled his hand away.

    So, Zach, what's happened to you? Why are you lying on the bench at the Church of St. Margaret on Christmas Eve?

    The officer wasn't shouting; he was asking quietly, but Zach immediately started to go on the defensive. There was a concerned twist to the cop's mouth, and he had narrowed his eyes as he asked.

    I… Zach stopped, assessing the lies he could spin, thinking of the stories he had used to persuade people to leave him alone. Nothing crystallized as right for this moment in time. There was something about this cop, a man who seemed not much older than he was, an officer who wasn't a city cop, but a small town cop. He wouldn't be part of the system the same way as the cops in the city who said he should go home. I don't have a home. Maybe… maybe he should tell him the truth?

    I can't be at home right now, he said finally, wincing as the cop's gloved hand traced the bruises over his left eye and down his jaw line.

    Who did this to you, Zach? Did this happen here in this town? The officer's words spun a safe haven for sharing secrets, soft, insistent, and not very cop-like. Zach shied away instantly from the gentle touch, an icy blade of uncertainty pinching his skin as he contemplated being in the dark church grounds on his own with this man. He seemed friendly enough, but what if it was just another act? Cautiously, and trying to not reveal his intentions, he looked to his left and then to his right. If he was going to run he needed a head start, and being held or cornered would take that head start away. To the right, dense foliage blocked an exit; to the left was the gate to the churchyard and the shadowy grave stones. That was his best bet. He shifted his weight to his right foot, ready to push himself away and to vault the gate. His leg shook with the added pressure, and he knew he would probably fall at the first hurdle. Still, any plan offered more hope than no plan.

    I fell, he said firmly, the same line he had used for most of his life, the same line that earned him looks that ranged from pity to doubt. When he had said those words to people from organizers at the soup kitchen, to cops on the corner, to the owner of the homeless hostel, he had been sworn at, propositioned, cried at, or pushed away in disgust. He wasn't expecting much from another man in authority.

    Uh huh. The officer didn't push for any more information, just nodded at the simple statement and took a step back and away. He spoke directly into his radio. I'm heading home now. It was nothing to worry about at the church. Static broke the calm of the snow-deadened air, and a tinny voice acknowledged the radio message with a series of codes and a single name—Ben. The cop looked back at Zach, and Zach gauged that now that the cop was two steps away from him, heading for the gate would be easier. You can't sleep here. I'll find you a room for tonight, and we'll deal with the rest in the morning.

    Zach's eyes widened. He wasn't going anywhere with any stranger, not unless he was under arrest. This cop was going to find him a room? Probably some out of the way no-tell motel. Shit. No way this side of never was that happening. He had barely gotten away with his life two nights before from a proposal far more wrapped in the suggestion of hope than what the cop was giving him. Zach was so past being gullible.

    Pulling himself to his full height, he thinned his lips in determination. He was not swapping one hell for another, not a chance.

    "No. Thank you, but, no,

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1