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

Back at the house, Noah walked out into the backyard to look around. He was surprised to find a small patio surrounded by a six-foot privacy fence. Tom had followed him outside and said, “The patio gets full sun from around eleven to one most days, depending on the time of year. I make use of it as often as my schedule permits.”


“Is that how you got your overall tan?”


“You bet, and so can you, if you like.”


“I’ll think about it. By the way, Monday is the first, and I need to write you a check.”


“Why don’t we play that one by ear until school starts? By September, we’ll both be on a schedule, and it’ll take a while to figure out how often we actually have time to eat at home.”


“I don’t want to be a charity case,” Noah said. “Next time you go to Publix, I’ll go with you, okay?”


Chapter 10