Tom Foster has his life planned out, and he's systematically pursuing his goals. At twenty-two, he's been organist and choirmaster at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd for three years, he's working on his doctoral thesis, and he's beginning a secondary career performing in concert. There is no room in his schedule for romance ... until Noah Webster, a gorgeous green-eyed blond, walks into the church one evening to audition for the choir.<br><br>What starts as an arrangement of convenience -- Tom's usual page turner is unavailable, and Noah agrees to do the job-soon turns into a fast friendship. Then Noah, who is saddled with an obnoxious roommate, rents the spare bedroom in Tom's house, and ultimately the two men become lovers and partners in life.<br><br>But before they can ride off into the sunset together, they must face one major obstacle: Noah's violent, homophobic Southern Baptist father.

Love Turns the Page

“What are you talking about?” Noah said when the room was again quiet.


“We’d planned a major concert for next spring,” Tom said. “We were going to perform Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijahwith a small orchestra, an expanded chorus, and four soloists. Steve was going to sing the title role, but when he moved away, we had to cancel our plans.”


“Aren’t there other soloists in town?” Noah said.


“There are, but we don’t have the budget to pay the soloists. It’s all we can do to pay the orchestra members.”


“I’m not sure I’m up to something like that.”


“Don’t worry about it, Noah,” Marilyn said as she walked up to the piano during this exchange. “There isn’t a person in this room who doesn’t think you have what it takes.”


“Especially after what we just heard,” one of the men said.


Chapter 4