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

“As far as I know, he was a good son, and I can attest to the fact that he was a good provider.”


Noah paused for a moment before continuing, “The rest of it, however, was a lie, just like very nearly everything else Rev. Snodgrass has ever said from this pulpit. My father was a secret drunk, and he was physically abusive to my mother for years. We didn’t know about it, because she kept it hidden from my brother and me to spare us the pain.


“He was not a particularly good father, and he had a mean streak, which he frequently demonstrated to Bobby and me. Neither of us can ever remember our father having ever been loving or affectionate toward us.


Chapter 112