Middle-aged teacher David Grover is traveling home from a conference, but fatigue and bad weather force him to stop at a motel for the night. Unfortunately, the Marine ahead of him at the counter snags the last available room. But despair soon turns to elation when the studly Master Sergeant Bud Williams offers to share. Sharing a room also means sharing a bed, and their one night together turns into much more. Only later does David discover Bud is keeping secrets from him. Once these secrets come to light, their regular weekend trysts end, and David finds it hard to move on. Then David learns Bud volunteered for a tour in Iraq, only to be returned stateside after suffering extensive injuries caused by a roadside bomb. Forgiveness and healing doesn't come easily, but just as things start looking up, Bud's past threatens to pull them apart again. Both men face painful decisions if they hope to find a life together. It's a rough road to happiness -- as much as the rest of the world struggles to keep them apart, all Bud and David can do is battle to get back together since neither is complete without the other.

Rough Road to Happiness

Parking on the street instead, the two men got out of the car. When they drew level with the strange vehicle, a heavily pregnant woman eased herself out of the driver’s seat.


Bud asked, “Lisa? What’re you doing here?” 


Shit, it’s déjà vuall over again,David thought, quoting a baseball coach he was unable to name. He would have laughed at being able to repeat something a sports personality had said if the situation hadn’t been so serious. 


Why did she have to show up now? Was the child she was so obviously carrying Bud’s? Counting on his fingers, David reasoned that if the child was conceived when Bud and Lisa were in Palm Springs back in mid November, she’d be eight months into the pregnancy. Bud had said he and Lisa had spent most of the time arguing, so maybe the child was created later. 


Chapter 25