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

“The devil you say. What about the church?”


“We’re thinking in terms of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Live Oak,” Noah said.


“Why wouldn’t you have it in our church? It was, after all, your father’s church.”


“Because your preacher is a foul-mouthed, bigoted homophobe. I don’t like him, and I certainly don’t trust him to handle the funeral properly or, for that matter, with any dignity at all.”


“There will be no viewing at the church,” Noah said. “I’ve always thought there’s something obscenely ghoulish about people traipsing up the aisle to inspect the body. We’ll have visiting hours at the funeral home here in Jacksonville, but when the casket gets to the church, it will be sealed. Period.”


“But that’s ninety miles from here.”


“Uncle Joe,” Noah said, “your brother got drunk last night and managed to drive ninety miles with murder in his heart. If you or anyone else wants to take a look at him, you can drive ninety miles to do so.”


Chapter 99