Excerpt of The Last Execution by Jerrie Alexander

Ethan turned his head sideways as he studied J.T.'s face. Wide eyed, the boy pointed at the scar with his index finger. J.T. wasn't surprised. The kid was probably curious.

"How'd you get that?"

"A piece of shrapnel—" He paused and considered Ethan's age. "I was in the war. A bomb went off and a piece of metal smacked me in the face."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." J.T. marveled at the innocence in Ethan's eyes.

"Can I touch it?"

"I guess so." J.T. breathed in and waited. Ethan hesitated, leaning closer.

"I'm not supposed to talk about your scar."

"Who said?"

"Mama."

"It's okay. I won't tell."

J.T. turned his head to the side. No one had outright asked to touch the constant reminder of a day when his best friend caught the worst of an IUD. Hell, people shied away from his right side. Except Leigh, she looked him square in the face. He lay still while Ethan poked a finger into the scar a couple of times. After a few seconds of investigation, the kid cupped the scar with his small hand and patted lightly. The oddest thing happened to J.T.'s heart. It swelled inside his chest and then clenched.

"Mama said you were a brave soldier."

Alien emotions swirled through J.T. and an unexplained urge to hug Ethan put a weird lump in J.T.'s throat. Unable to cope or understand, his mind raced for an idea, anything to end the moment.