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

“Oh, my,” Angela said after she’d taken a sip, “that’s wonderful. What is it?”


“It’s a Chateau Margaux 1994,” I said. “One of the first growth Bordeaux wines.”


“What do you mean by first growth Bordeaux?” Steve said.


“It refers to what is known as the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855,” I said. “For an exposition in 1855, the Emperor Napoleon III requested that Bordeaux wines be classified as to quality because they were going to be on display to visitors from around the world. The wines were ranked from first growth down to fifth growth. Originally, there were only four first growth wines, but in 1973, Chateau Mouton Rothschild was elevated from second growth to first growth status. This wine is one of five wines considered to be the best of the best that Bordeaux has to offer.”


“Do you like it, Steve?” Philip said.


“Oh, yes,” Steve said. “It’s tasty.”


I raised my glass and said, “To the success of the new venture.” Everyone else followed suit.


Chapter 112