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

“Your dad said something like, ‘Your mother is home crying her eyes out’, and Noah said, ‘That’s not my fault’. I’d gone to the door to stand beside Noah and sort of block it if necessary. Your dad said, ‘No, it’s his fault’, and before I knew it, he’d decked me. One of our guests is a captain with the Sheriff’s Office. He intervened, and your dad took a swing at him and missed. End of story.”


“Wow,” Bobby said, “that was some surprise party.”


“I certainly won’t forget it for a long time,” Tom said, “nor will your brother.”


“What will happen to William now?” Mr. Walker said.


“As I understand it, he’ll most likely stay in jail until a judge can set bail tomorrow morning,” he said. “George—our policeman friend—suggested that we apply for a restraining order forbidding Mr. Webster from coming anywhere near either one of us.”


“That sounds like a very good idea,” Mrs. Walker said.


Chapter 68