Charles and Philip Barnett have settled down to raise their children, but their domesticity is disrupted when Philip's nephew Steve is delivered to their doorstep early one morning after being beaten senseless by his homophobic father.<br><br>So the family grows, but of course, that's the easy part. A rabidly fundamentalist sheriff and a gay-bashing incident leave Steve and his new boyfriend in legal hot water and at the mercy of the deputies' harassment, and Charles must once again take up the fight for justice for his loved ones.

Triumph

AS THE FIRST Monday in October drew closer, Steve began to show a few signs of nervousness, but he seemed to be handling it well. Charles was all set to fly the three of us down to Louisiana for the trial, and we planned to arrive just in time for Steve to testify, and fly out again that same day. None of us, least of all Steve, had any particular desire to linger in Monroe.


Dr. Butcher had been deposed on videotape concerning Steve’s physical condition on the morning after the beating. Because of the distance involved, the deposition was handled through the technology of a videoconference, which gave both the prosecutor and defense attorneys in Louisiana ample opportunity to ask questions.


Marie was waiting for us at the airport when we landed. She greeted Steve with a hug, gave him a worried look, and said, “Are you all right?”


“To tell the truth, Mom, I’d rather not be here, but I’ve gotta do this.”


Chapter 39