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

“Well,” Tom said, “there is that, but we don’t do it in public.”


Before he left for Live Oak, Bobby hugged both of them again, and said, “Thank you for the best weekend I’ve had in a long time.”


“Noah and I enjoyed having you,” Tom said, “and the door is always open. Come back anytime you like.”


They spent every spare minute between Bobby’s departure and Christmas preparing for Noah’s recital. Noah had spent long hours with the German language CDs he’d purchased and was beginning to feel comfortable with his German pronunciation.


Their second Christmas together was a repeat of their first, with one variation. On his way to Orlando for Christmas with his family, Tom dropped Noah off at his grandparents’ home in Gainesville. When Tom returned to Gainesville that evening, he noticed Bobby’s beat-up old car in the driveway. A late-model car with North Carolina plates was parked behind it.


Chapter 53