All Comments on 'Hot as Sun'

You write so well, getting straight to the point and telling the story earnestly. But most of all, I really respect your message about what makes a man and what doesn't. Bitterness and hatred can be as infectious and damaging as staph infection. The difference is with a staph infection the sick person can see the need to heal and overcome.

I like the ordinary guy as unlikely hero. A message there as well, should one be blessed enough to see it.

A good action piece, combined with demonstrating the difference between a real man and one who is not.

Any fool can grab a weapon, create mayhem for revenge against a wrong. The very human urge to lash out against a cheater is difficult to deal with.

A real man stands against the pain, does what is right and just goes on.

Thanks,

MGM

You took him from self loathing and added a good woman (Laura) and let him stand up and be the man he always was. Great Job and a very good read jrj

Tugged at my heart strings. Now Diane will spend the rest of her life knowing what she gave up and what she can't get back, because someone else recognized a good man and snatched him up. The best revenge is being yourself and living well. Thanks for reminding us of that.

Good read! It was good, honest revenge, similar to what you put in your other story, "Carry that Weight" a few months back. Sweet! It would be interesting to see how the cheating ex-wife's marriage plays out. Hopefully, she'll suffer a good case of "buyer's remorse" with her new asshole husband.

Thanks for your stories HDK! I look forward to your next.

Five Stars

thanks for the story. since dgs1 and slirpuff are not posting much it is particularly good to see more postings from you as you are one of the few good writers out here, thanks again.s

Just when I thought the world did not have a new angle to offer us in Loving Wives HDK changes the rules of the game... If anyone dreams that he is capable of even touching HDKs shadows - he needs to be institutionalized.

Wow, far more action than I had expected, and not the sex kind. It's good to see that even with the deep dislike Jeff had for Morgan Jr, he tried NOT to show it.

What's more, he even tried to rescue the boy from a raging fire, and almost killing himself by doing that. Granted, if he saved the woman and two other kids, he'd be a ratbastard if he didn't save Morgan Jr as well. Basic human decency.

The kicker is that he didn't even INTEND to "one-up" the man who stole his wife from him. Jeff wanted to save lives, not get revenge.

It's a great contrast to Hanson who just griped and blamed everybody else, while standing there with his hands in his pockets. Great show of character here.

The ending of the story works, but I for one would've LOVED to actually see the aftermath concerning Diane and Hanson. Yeah, I'm evil like that. XD

And re-reading the bit where Laura says Jeff saved their (Diane and Hanson's) son...what would Morgan Jr think of his parents when he grows up and discovers the circumstances behind his conception? Knowing fully well that the man who had been hurt so badly by his parents, had saved his life? Wow.

In short, good story.

A great virtue story. Always look forward to your stories HDK

A new beanchmark has been set by one of the master story tellers!

You should be ashamed. Almost all the stories in Loving Wives are pure garbage. Then, you come along and write a GREAT story. I'm afraid you have set a good example (make that, GREAT, example) to the other writers who don't even come up to your boot strings! How they must hate you. Hey other writers..see how a great writer writes!

I really think you should have expanded the ending, even if only with a few paragraphs. I know, strange thing for me of all commenters to be recommending since I'm usually a fan of letting the readers fill in their own blanks. Still, here we have a completely self-centered, narcissistic pair of adulterous slimeballs who, truth be told, probably won't really be able to see how much better the hero is than they are. Sure, Laura gets that Jim is the far better man, but let's face it, he was the better man before he saved Morgan Jr. because he wasn't the one who betrayed his marriage and shit all over his wife.

Morgan Sr and Diane, though, are two completely different characters. They care only about themselves. Thus, regardless of how correct Laura is that Jim was a hero and the whole town now knows it--and also now knows what pieces of shit Diane and (especially) Morgan Sr are--that doesn't mean the adulterous pair will ever really get the picture.

Just sayin', it would've been nice to see them really get the picture.

Otherwise, 2 stories by HDK and 1 by Ohio in the past week? Really, does it get any better than this? Maybe if someone can talk Blue88 and Longhorn07 into coming back for a quick guest appearance?

...from other HDK stories. Original. Thanks for writing.

Now thats the way to get revenge on a cheating wife. Would like to see a little more added on to reward the hero, but you did it well

A man that was down and almost out bounced back big time. As others have said Morgan jr might have a different view about Jeff when he grows up. Thanks for the story and as others have said keep them coming.

The master does it masterfully.

Again, as great as it is it, there is so much more available to it. I like all the other stuff; buildup, emotion, background...the details!

The basics are just killer and I can feel some of what's going on, but as with the best stories, I love reading it all. I feel it is but an outline for one of the greats.

I love your stories, don't get me wrong. It isn't that you can do better, it's that I'd like more in one story.

Just my opinion, Rob

Just proves again that you are the master! Your stories are the best! Thanks

Simply shows that a good guy can get shit on and, with the right people in his corner, can recover and be a great person. Another case of living (and behaving) well as the best revenge. I would have liked a bit more at the ending as well but it was a really good story, original and well thought out.

The storyline was well thought out, and well written. The tempo was perfect along with being smooth flowing, and it is an exciting story with a happy ending.

Thanks

Even better than your last one, which was great. There was no revenge here, just a man being a man. Laura was the real winner here. Morgan gets a cheater, and Diane gets a pompous asshole. Jeff and Laura get what they deserve, each other. Poetic justice. Thanks. Paul

Would I be too shallow to want to read the reaction from his ex

Wife within the story. It would have been the cherry on the cake to read what those two actually thought of Jeffs actions rather than Lauras take on it. Either way your still the best author and I always keep an eye out for your stories

Outstanding!

I'm glad your back writing !!! I have to say I could only give 3 stars . I thought the ending was very weak and way to subtle . I didnt see any real revenge . I would have liked it better if he rescued all BUT the little bastard , and let him burn . Then the wife and the lover would always know , that it was in the end their actions that killed their own kid . They would have also know that the kid was not saved on purpose , however they would never be able to prove it .I love your stories but some just seem to be lacking the bite , and dark sword of vengeance . Letting the kid burn as revenge would have made for a powerful end . Like having him say to the slut as he goes into the ambulance " I tried , I really did ( WINK ) " and leaver her there knowing that . Etc.

To people that live their life and act like diane and morgan this act of bravery would mean nothing. The same as most people who cheat they just don't care about anybody but themselves.

That people who'd screw your wife, or cheat on their husband and have someone else's baby, have a conscience. They're not going to think of you, at least in that way. They're never going to think of anyone but themselves. They're probably going to get up tomorrow trying to figure out a way to sue everyone involved for something, to try to make a buck off someone else's misfortune, and then wish that Jeff had died in the fire so his existence would no longer inconvenience them. Assholes never change, except to get to be bigger assholes. Doing the right thing is always best, though. At least Jeff can live with himself since he does have character. 1 star.

I am a retired fire fighter and have been in situations like the one described several times. The ending was a bit weak and abrupt, thus only 3 stars. I was tempted to give it more because the story hit home, and I enjoyed it. I would love to have read an ending where the first wife left the asshole she cheated with in an attempt to reconcile and then the hero told her to get lost. It would have been even better if the little boy favored Jeff over his father after all that. But, I guess this was closer to the real world. Good story.

Yes there’s always a but, like some have said, Diane and Morgan won’t think twice about what Jeff risked to save their son. People like them are too self-centred to care about anyone else but themselves.

I liked the way HDK, made Jeff not understand what it all meant, true heroes, never see their actions as such.

The good news is, the townsfolk will, I’m sure take action. If justice is to prevail, then it’ll be they who will wreak vengeance on Morgan and Diane. I see his car dealership falling onto hard times, with him slinking away like rat leaving the sinking ship. Diane left to fend for herself, now minus a husband, trying desperately to care for her young child.

Laura and Jeff taking his daughter, Rachel's little brother once it’s deemed by the social services that Diane is incapable of looking after him. Morgan may have taken his wife, but Jeff has taken Morgan’s child and left him a destroyed wreck. Well, that's how I feel the story ends. lol

Good work HDK

I like most of your stories, this one’s no different.

Amanda

you write very well. kIller writing style.

As somebody else mentioned, two HDK stories in one week! And the second one is the cherry on top, the really different one. What's always made HDK stories is the humor, sometimes a sly humor that makes his stories different. But he can also write straight out dramatic stories and this is one of the best examples. It's also a character piece. The main character isn't saving the little boy to make a point, to rub his rival's nose in it. He's doing it for his daughter but he's doing it more because he's the kind of man he is. A lot of comments have mentioned that his cheating wife and the man who took her from the hero aren't the kind of people to be embarrassed by his heroism. The cheating wife might have an epiphany and realize she made a mistake, but really, who cares. The hero has found a new love and a new life. Whatever pain she goes through in realizing what she's lost, it shouldn't matter to the hero. He might get a little satisfaction from her pain, but when you've got a new love in your life, you can stop looking back. The old bit about the best revenge is living well is a cliche because it's true. And it's a lot more satisfying, and adult, than beating the crap out of the guy who took his wife. You heal from a beating, but as someone noted, the new husband is going to have to live with the results of the ex's heroism in a small town for a long, long time. Great story.

Hard to know what else to say, besides Bravo! A crisp and exciting read, one that makes us hold our breath and read faster to see what happens next.

Diane and her asshole husband probably won't be very moved by the irony of the situation, but fuck 'em. As others have said, it's not about them--it's about a man behaving the way a man should behave. A happy situation all around, and a great story.

Thanks, HDK! ohio

A deep fried kiddie Mc Nugget would have been best . dark but the ultimate payback . " Hey dude ! how's your kid !? ... .Oh shit ,..... I forgot . Sorry man , at least you can always have another . I might even save him next time around "

...the ex and sluggo but not really necessary to get poignant message across. I guess most got it.I guess! Thanks.

Very Nice Story! Two in one week by HDK,maybe a new trend? More stories? Anyway,how did Rachel get home? Not with Diane or Morgan or even Laura? After all of the saving they lost Rachel? LOL!

Also, why did Jeff have himself snipped? Was it a mutual thing? Or did he just do? Obviously she wanted more children. I am not excusing the cheating, I'm just saying...

2 in one week; wow! Both good, but I liked the first one better. HDK always come through; he's almost as good as Ohio. Ooooppps!! Just kidding, dude, just kidding.

If his ex does develop a heart she will look at her son and think of her ex at least half of the time. Thats pretty fucked up. I love it.

Very nice story, gave it 5 stars. Other than a typo or two, it was all tied together, neat and trim. Thanks for writing.

Nice touch, the ultimate revenge perhaps?? But I still like the idea of using a nailgun on the bastards balls though.

Thank You, for another good story.

Glad to see you got over your whining about Q. In your last story someone commentated you were second only to Ohio on Lit. I don't think I would rate you that high considering there was no part for me in WWWM.

Told by a master craftsman. I gave it a five.

Bravo! Excellent story, Keep up the good work!

I thought this was a site containing erotic stories....would hardly catagorise that as erotic.

It has already been said!!!!!!!! Great story. "Thank You"

Whoa! Great Story Master HDK .... writes again.

Thanks for sharing on Lit.

I have have GOT to Vent. I am hoping that I can get across my point here without sounding like complete madman but I will probably fail.

This story is essentially a new version of the old premise that we see here in LW stories many times: ***That the BEST revengee is a life living well. ***

I am sorry BUT if you believe that well then you are a moron. The phrase "Living your life well".... in this context refers to moving on.

I am all for moving onto the next thing in life be it putting Bad experiences such as a cheating spouse or a lousy career choice behind one's self. I GET that.

But please stop telling us that moving on is the same thing as revenge. Stop changing the meeting of words.

God I fucking HATE that. No I mean I really fucking hate that.

Revenge is revenge.

Revenge is not moving on.

Again there is something to be said for letting things go. You cannot hold onto hate and rage and revenge for prolonged periods of time. It will destroy you the from the inside.

But that being so..... it does not mmean that the meaning for words change. Revenge is not moving on.

It never will be.

Please for the love of god can some you authors stop shoveling this bullshit down our throats???

Great story...suspenseful, thoughtful, and very interesting.

absolutley perfectly written, a GREAT story by a great author

Technically this story is very well written and I have y no complaints about it in that regard. But this story is getting way to high marks because it's based upon several idiotic assumptions.

I mean I know this IS a fantasy and it is not a serious story but we do have to assume certain things are still functional like... Gravity and Money...amd the nature of Humans.

The ending is just well laughable. I am sure Laura means well but the idea the ex wife and her new husband are suddenly going to see how great Jeff has become is well absurd.

Self centered assholes and bullies which is what those two are do not suddenly develop a sense of conscience.

The only way to stop a bully is to stop him.

Asking him to "please stop" or ignoring him and hoping he goes away is not going to get HIM/ HER to change his behavior. It doesn't work with people... That doesn't work in the business world... And it doesn't work geo-politically either.

And the same goes for the entire town. HDK has a very positive view of the nature of humans which has little to do with reality. Most people going to see Jeff as a BIGGER wimp and a schmuck for saving that kid that caused the break of his marriage.

....good for me I'm just another nitwit with a keypad. The fucking "BULLIES" (or whatever) aren't going to VENERATE the guy but on planet earth where fucked soulless assholes worship money and the earth rotates west to east they WOULD have to (gee, maybe with great bitterness) face the hero's actions. Forever. So what if they never,"come around". People rarely have the sociopathic ability to deny reality COMPLETELY.

The slut ex and m.sr won't be moved by his bravey. They are nor good people. He'll they moth even sue him some how. I think the story would have had a stronger ending if it turned the town against Morgan forcing him to lose his business and new wife. At the ams time the town would rally around the hero denying him nothing. In time Morgan sr and the sout might be killed while trying something shady leaving jr alone. The hero would step in saving jr, witty sout and sr dead and gone.

I really hate cheating spouses of any gender. There is a hot nasty special place in hell just for them.

absolutely your best work! I really enjoyed it. thanks.

he wouldn't know a decent story if it bit him on the ass. There has been quite a dearth of quality stories in LW over the last 6 months and it is good to see HDK deliver something new. I won't waste time in detailed criticism, its a pointless exercise rather akin to navel contemplation. I would say however that I found the ending truncated and a little disappointing BUT I'm not going to let that spoil my comments. Nice one HDK.

but hardly erotic.

DQS1 liked it, so it must be bad.

Laura could have destroyed Morgan in just a single sentence with the interview by saying is this the kind of dealer that you want to do business with & mention that the man inside is the guy the 2 of them cheated on.

Ending seemed a little lacking, and the story was entirely devoid of sex and comic relief. I can do with out the comedy, but sex is an important component on a web site entitled LitEROTICA. I'm sure the ex slut wife and her replacement husband appreciated Jeff's efforts to save the little bastard, and I doubt that they lost a lot of sleep over the fact it was Jeff, the slut wife's ex, that did the saving. The revenge angle was way too subtle to be appreciated. I'm not sure it would be possible survive a structure fire, in the furnace fire box. Fire tends to super heat and use up all the available oxygen in the area, it also can contaminate the air with noxious and poisonous gasses created during the burn. Suffocation actually kills more people trapped in burning buildings than fire. But I digress and apologize, it was a good story and I enjoyed it.

Another great work from you. Keep them coming. In my opinion this story could have used more sex but the story itself was a winner even if the hero got hurt in the end.

Short, sweet and eminently readable. About time I saw you writing here again! But , refresh my memory; what Beatle song was that?

Best of Regards,

C

Nothing else to say.

To the poster above. See "Let it Be"

Mike in Missouri

"Hot as Sun" is an instrumental written by Paul McCartney and included on his 1970 album McCartney coupled with "Glasses" (which also contained a snippet of "Suicide", an unreleased McCartney tune). In the album's press release, McCartney described "Hot as Sun" as a "song written in about 1958 or 59 or maybe earlier, when it was one of those songs that you play now and then". The Beatles did so during the Let It Be sessions. McCartney performed the song live with Wings in December 1979

Total Crap---You are not up to par--Beatles nut case.

for awhile. Although I'm sure that Jeff wouldn't need Laura to explain the implications of the situation, just imagine: how could you have a better revenge than to have two people who have treated you very badly, owe you a debt of gratitude that they can never repay — and EVERYBODY in town knows it! Just a thought, HDK - imagine a scene in which Rachel brings Morgan Jr. by to thank his savior at the hospital, or when (as they would HAVE to) his ex and her husband would have to try and say thank you. The mind boggles.

Another great one.

On the revenge angle. I'll have to go on a bit of a tangent here.

Is it really true that living well is the best revenge? That DEPENDS.

For example, your boss is an asshole. He makes you do all the crappy work, and steals the credit. Suddenly you're promoted, and you're higher up than him. He grows resentful, and tries to ruin you. It doesn't work, and you do "live well". In this case, revenge IS living well.

Example two. Imagine that you've been bullied in school. You graduate, find work, a good partner, kids, all the works. You're "living well". Then you go to your school reunion and see your old bully. Will your "living well" have ANY impact on him or her? Nope. He'll probably have FORGOTTEN you. Who cares what happens to some nerdy idiot, right? That's not revenge in any way, shape or form.

And if, for some inexplicable reason, he felt guilty for "teasing" you, seeing you "living well" will make him feel LESS guilty. "Hey, he turned out well despite my teasing! So no harm done!".

No, in this case, actually getting revenge on him would be, well, revenge.

In the case of this story though, like with Carry That Weight, HDK assumes that the "bad guys" will feel guilt. I don't think they will. Maybe I'm too cynical, at best Diane will feel a tiny bit guilty, but as far as I can see, she's happy(ier?) with Hanson. And she'll feel only relief that her son didn't die. She won't feel guilt that it's her ex who saved her kid.

There IS an inkling that Diane doesn't like some of Hanson's actions.

"Two reporters heard Hanson's outburst and rushed to his side with microphones as their camera men followed. They managed to catch about two minutes of Morgan Hanson berating the local fire department and promising the wrath of hell in the form of litigation against the volunteer group. Rachel and Diane were horrified as they watched the scene unfold. They knew most of the men and their families in the department by their first names. How could anyone doubt the men had done their best? The misery in their hearts increased."

Here, Diane doesn't like it when her husband tears into the fire department, so that's at least something. She is not completely uncaring.

Hanson won't feel guilty at all. He might even get angrier and upset. "Oh, so now he's a fucking hero? Who cares, I got his wifey from him. Haha! The stupid idiot. He should've died in the fire."

To get back to the point I actually wanted to make. Jeff's revenge is far more subtle.

With reporters broadcasting Hanson's tirade, Hanson won't be forgotten soon. And definitely not by the fire department. The firefighters will hate the guy. They'll think "what an asshole", and consequently, remember the hero of the day, Jeff.

If it is a small town, people will know that Hanson had "stolen" Diane away from Jeff.

With Hanson's tirade, they'll be "against" Hanson, and "for" Jeff, the hero. They'll remember "wifestealer" and "cheating slut".

If it really is a small town, Jeff himself won't need to lift a finger, OTHERS will get revenge for him, if only by snubbing Hanson (and his business?) and Diane.

It IS revenge in a way, by way of others.

OK, this is all assumption, since the ending doesn't show any of that. XD

I disagree with you about one bit in your post, Harry.

"And the same goes for the entire town. HDK has a very positive view of the nature of humans which has little to do with reality. Most people going to see Jeff as a BIGGER wimp and a schmuck for saving that kid that caused the break of his marriage."

I don't think that's true. Usually, people root for the underdog, the "wronged" party. Case in point, why do readers get upset when in a story the wife cheats on her husband? Why do they feel sympathy for the hubby? Why don't they side with the cheating wife? Because they'd get angry if something similar would happen to them.

And the kid wasn't the cause of the break of the marriage, it was a symptom of Diane's cheating that let Jeff know she WAS cheating.

What if Jeff HAD let the kid die in the fire? Not my kid, so I ain't gonna save him?

If he doesn't cover that up, or actually admits letting the kid die in the fire, Hanson and Diane certainly would feel pain over losing their son, but...Diane would think that she was right in cheating and divorcing the asshole who lets children die in fires.

Jeff would have gotten revenge, yes, but by showing that he's WORSE than Hanson and Diane.

How would the townsfolk react if they knew he had let the kid die in the fire? "Well done! Great way to get revenge!"?

Uh, no. They'll think him an asshole for letting a kid die in a fire.

Anyway, I'll cut this short, it's gotten way too long already.

Harry is absolutely right on this one . The story was good , HDK is one of the greats in this category but there was no revenge to speak of . All of Harry's points are valid and correct . I'm not a liberal either and would rather see the swing of the sword and spilling of blood .

... self professed "non liberal" scorched earthers who absolutely know zippo, nada, zilch about reality. Harry is dead wrong or off course on all counts, as even a simple-minded first year psych student could tell you,but hopefully, since he at least has a brain cell or two left he'll try to defend his statements which I can destroy in my fucking sleep. The people who can't see revenge in this ending ruin real opportunities for harsh justice with their inability to discriminate or understand the word "Nuance".

comment on the story . If he had let the kid die , he would have gotten the ultimate revenge . No other person was in that building , any story he decided to tell could not be proved or disproved . He could let the 2 scumbags know that he could have saved their kid but decided not to after what they did . He at the same time could have told everybody else that he simply didn't see any other people in the building .Any accusations from that point on from the two jerks would make the towns people think it was nothing more than sour grapes from 2 cheaters . After all the guy did save more than one person , if he says he didnt see the kid ,thats the way it was . Only the 3 people would know the truth . would have made for a more powerful story on several levels .BUWahahahahahah

Either way , HDK writes some damn good stories .

I've read the comments suggesting that Diane and Morgan Sr. are too self absorbed to realize that "Jeff Won".<p>

So who cares. <p>

The fact remains that Jeff did the one thing that is most important to him. He reaffirmed his daughter's faith in him. And that is why he is the big winner in this.<p>

I agree with some of the other writers who suggested that it would be interesting to see what happened over the next few years. My thoughts are that Rachel is going to be over the top in talking up her dad to Morgan Jr. and before long Morgan Jr. will be looking up to and respecting Jeff more than his own Dad.<p>

And that is the true revenge on Diane and Morgan.<p>

HDK, thanks for another great story

Superb story without pushing the envelope.

Thanks

CCM ... wrote this which is just ANOTHER way of saying the Best revenge is Living well.

"....My thoughts are that Rachel is going to be over the top in talking up her dad to Morgan Jr. and before long Morgan Jr. will be looking up to and respecting Jeff more than his own Dad. And that is the TRUE revenge on Diane and Morgan....."

BULLSHIT.

Behaving is such stellar ay amd outstanding way as Jeff does in THIS story is GREAT. And Rachael is going to be extremely proud of him.

And yes Maybe the cheating wife will finally begin to see what a disaster choice she made. Granted. Again I am NOT arguing those points.

But that is NOT revenge.

REVENGE is an intentional act.

Being of good character is of course very important. And it OFTEN does pay off in the end. The cheating spouse one day will come to realize that the other spouse didnt deserve THAT kind of treatment.

But having a spouse apologizing to you years later is NOT REVENGE. It is Nice I suppose but it aint Revenge.

in the first example you gave RE: the asshole Boss at work. In your hypothetical....once youare promoted and your former boss is still trying to ruin you and you stop him... that is DEFENDING your self. Its NOT even close to revenge.

In the 2nd case... High school bullies.... many here I am sure can Indentify with this one. The perspective of Moving on.... and all that entails... is of course a way of not letting "THEM" still affect you after all these years. But again THAT is NOT revenge.

Moving on is GOOD and there is a LOT to be said for it... but that is NOT revenge.

Living well and Moving on is NOT revenge.

snow is NOT rain

water is NOT dry.

cease fire is not the same thing as Peace

Your view about Hanson the Pig and Diane is of course 100% correct.

By defintion the terms "asshole" and "Bullies"-- which is what Diane and Hanson are --are NOT capable of seeing the world out side of their own testicles or pussy.

Sure Hanson's Tirade on TV about the fireman is going to make him very unpopular. BUT that is Hanson's doing.... JEFF did not force or trick or cause Hanson to erupt... so how is THAT revenge?

If folks start avoiding Hanson's Business or if folks start doing mysterious things to his car etc that is NOT because of Jeff. It is because of Hanson's big mouth.

I am NOT arguing that Jeff SHOULD of let the kid die in the fire!!!! In fact I am NOT saying JEFF should of TTB (torch the Bitch). What I am saying is that such an action -- saving the kid and showing your great qualities is NOT revenge.

This was too damn short. Heck of a good story. Really enjoyed it.

Living well and demonstrating some character and class IS an intentional act. It does not come naturally, one must reach for it and grasp it. It IS the very HEIGHT of revenge for in it's very essence it says; "You are too insignificant to bother with. You are no more important than the ant that stole the bread crumb from my plate." That is the very best revenge one could ever hope for.

Perhaps you're confusing Revenge with Vengeance, another intentional act, that was also present in this story. To see it, one would have to be able to extrapolate and grasp nuance, as Pistolpackinpete so wisely suggested.

You can tell if the story is good by the fights that follow in these comments. And this was quite a fight. So....It had to be quite a story. Thanks HDK for another one Jim LOL

There is no vengeance in this story. You should hold on to that tree root really hard, you are about to fall off that cliff.

You have penned a story with more moral implications than most reader realize.

I was fortunate to be raised in a small town and understand how people in that enviornment think. You can rest assured when Morgan Jr reaches the age of majority he will be well educated in all the facts surrounding this incident and all the events leading up to this terrible disaster. Small town folks seem to have extremely long memories and a great sense of moral obligation to make sure things are put right.

The "revenge" will be Morgan Sr having to live with his son knowing what kind of man he is and what kind of man Jeff is.

I get nuance , but this is a story , a good one but still a story . And dark multi layered stories involving pre meditated revenge , even as I suggested about letting the kid burn on purpose makes for a better read as it goes into the dark side of all the peoples lives on several levels . Would he have had remorse for it ? probably , nightmares ? most likely .but it would have been done and only 3 people would know the truth about it . the only ones that needed to know , to the towns people , he would still be a hero . You could have also had a twist of the 2 cheaters trying to burn him alive later in his own house only to get caught and going to the joint for attempted murder and arson adding insult to the ultimate injury . etc. etc . etc. How he lives with himself after is another avenue . Point is THAT kind of story would have stirred up 250 comments instead of 30- 50 ! it is a story . nuance is fine , grit hits where people live . no denying that . Again , HDK is one of the greats , his stories will always have high marks because of his skill , but pardon the few of us that think that this one was just a tad bit weak ! The guy was a victim and at the end of the story .... he still IS . Nothing changed for him really . HDK keep on writing , I hope DG Hear posts something soon as well .

Harry made a damn good point in his last comment. Everything that happens after the fire is a by-product of good intentions, not revenge. It is KARMA. The hens have come home to roost.

HDK

This was an excellent story. Having read nearly all you've written on this site I've got to commend you on this one. Bravo.

The story was a great drama right up till the end. It's preposterous to think that two people with the morals and ethics that allowed them to commited adultery would think in such abstract terms to be able to come up with the notion that Jeff was a better man than Morgan. The town's people, yes. But people like Morgan and Diane would not even make the connection. Once more, they would go as far as saying that what he did means nothing as far as who is the better man. Morgan took his wife and family, that's tangible. Courage, strength of character, bravery and other noble deeds is not. I'm sure they are extremely grateful for saving their son but no way would admit to themselves that he is the better man. This is what's called a defense mechanism. In order for them to be able to live with themselves after what they did to Jeff they merely think that Jeff wasn't man enough to keep Diane. Therefore it was Jeff's fault. We don't even know why Diane chose Morgan over Jeff. Believe me, Diane is not beating herself up for leaving Jeff because he saved her son. If anything she and Morgan are trying to figure out why he would risk his life for their son after what they did to them. Morgan and Diane are not righteous and have a hard time understanding such abstract concepts. Those concepts are associated with maturity. Let's fade it. Some people never grow up. They live in the here and now. They are controlled by short term consequences and have a hard time delaying gratification. Good story HDK but you better go back to Mr. Pebody and get the true moral of the story.

What a ride!

could have used a bit more...

The unrealistic turnaround to tie everything together at the end of the story left a bitter taste in the mouth; ultimately, this story had a faulty premise to set up an even more farfetched "revenge". Having a poorly developed side character delivering the last message only added to the farce.

Fun story thanks

I have read this story serveral times and enjoyed it every time. I have read the comments of many others and am struck by the praise you have garned from many fellow contributors. This is the ultimate feel good story because no body dies. The evil are punished and good triumphs. I would like to see a follow up of the aftermath in which Morgan Hanson really gets his due.

I love your work HDK! Even if I don't agree with the how the story ends, I always enjoy the trip! Keep them coming!

Great story from a great author.

but that bully shit about being even is just that , BS. He still lost his wife and she is a cheating slut. Their kids is fine while he is in the hospital and will have the marks to so from it. If he would have gotten his kid back maybe that would be revenge, but as it sits. He is just another man that took the high road.

THAT IS THE WIN people - the right choices, the right life is not always the easy one the best people do it the right way simply because it is right and that is why they do win -

They don't necessarily get the "best" outcomes but they are the winners Laura knew that - Jeff should - the rest of us need to understand it.

HDK, you are one of the top tier authors on Lit in this genre as I'm sure you know based on the comments I've perused. So, first of all, thankyou.

Secondly, while Jeff's actions point out his character as opposed to that of Diane and Morgan, I'd have to agree with the commenters that doubted whether self-centered Diane and bully Morgan were truly impacted by Jeff's actions or not.

There was also an interesting comment about revenge being totally different from "moving on." I'm still thinking about that one.

Thanks again and please keep writing!

While in general I loved this story, I'm not happy with the way it ended. I don't like that the Morgans appeared to have so little concern about the man who almost died saving the life of the child of the adulterous relationship that ended his marriage. I would dearly loved to have seen the Morgans humbled and come crawling to beg forgiveness and show some appreciation. I would also have preferred Rachel to have been prominent in the end expressing how much she loved and idolized her Dad, heaping further ignominy on her Mother and the prick she married. Maybe I would just like an even more happier ending. It's just a bit too abstract. :)

For years Diane bad-mouthed Jeff by calling him a jerk and even worse since that is what all divorced women do. Now, if she did, people would spit on her. Therefore, to be able to hold her head up in the community, she is going to have to say nice things about Jeff and hold her tounge when anyone reminds her what she said in the past.

Other commenters have covered everything. Harry gets too much attention. The opposite of love and hate is indifference. Thats how I view Harry. Who cares what he thinks.

Yeah, I too would like something to have happened to Dianne and Morgan Sr. Like they went bankrupt, or Morgan gets caught cheating on Dianne and fathering another child with his new secretary...or Dianne having another man's baby. But...

Yep, there is no revenge in the story. Jeff is not even thinking about the subject. Revenge has to be a conscious act. The fact that Laura makes her statement does not mean that Jeff buys it. Rachel will feel even happier about who her father is. But that can cause problems. What I think bothers everyone is not the fact that Morgan Jr and Jeff survived their ordeal, though it seems unlikely. But that no one forced Dianne and Morgan Sr. to express their thanks, an even unlikelier event.....

Thanks HDK

I think when you look at this story and Carry that Weight together you see that the concept of not connecting living well with the idea of revenge is important. In this story the assertion was a bit more palatable because it was made by Laura and not the hero himself. In Carry that Weight when we see that it is the hero's own viewpoint that his heroism is going to somehow hurt the wife and her lover, it seems just childish, passive aggressive, and diminishes the hero in the readers eyes. When you think about it, if you are still interested in revenge in the first place, you really aren't living that well. I think the main character in this story seems to be much further along that road than the guy in carry that weight simply because he is living his life and not allowing his feelings about the betrayal to effect how he lives his life. He may still carry those feelings but they don't have anything to do with the choices he makes. Now if only Laura can grow up. . . I do want to add that this story is a wonderful read. So while I agree with the point about revenge that it does mar the stories ending I still enjoyed the ride and thanks for sharing.

Excellent read - well paced and straight forward. The character Laura's conclusion is correct; Harry's is not. Well done once again HDK.

There are those people that feel revenge can only be a physical act of retribution. But for a bully, the best revenge is taking away his manhood and showing the whole town that he is a self-centered asshole.

That's what Jeff did to Hansan in this story.

It amazes me that certain people on this website hold so much anger and shortsightedness that they cannot understand subtlety.

The same kind of thinking that engendered so much anger at HDK's story Carry That Weight had a similar form of revenge, but in that case only two people understood the nature of revenge. In Hot as Sun, the revenge is on display for the whole community.

That's pretty good revenge.

What the fuck are you going on about?!?!?

HDK, well done dude. Another top rated story.

ONLY GOOD MEN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT AT THE PROPER TIME. TK U MLJ LV NV

Only decent people would feel as his wife described. Those two self-absorbed assholes probably consider Jeff a Schmuck for his effrots...or did you forget how Morgan talked shit about the Fire Dept.?