Chapter 2

Hurt and bewildered, Ward enlisted in the army and left town for basic training that fall, a week before Tyler and Tiffany were married. After two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan he had received an honorable discharge.

Ward hadn’t seen Tyler since walking away from him that night. Ward’s parents’ farm was outside of town. On his few, brief visits home, he’d spent all his time there, avoiding town in case he might run into Tyler.

But in all that time, Tyler Hughes had never been far from the forefront of Ward’s mind. And despite the many guys Ward had slept with, his feelings for Tyler had never wavered—he was still in love with him.

Now Ward had come back to the same small town in which he and Tyler had grown up. As he sat and stared at the house, Ward’s heart beat wildly. His parents had told him that Tiffany had died and that Tyler had moved into his parents’ home when they had moved to a smaller house on the outskirts of Summerville.

What would Tyler do when he saw Ward again? Was there any of the emotion left that they had shared as teenagers? Or would Ward’s mission to see his one-time lover again end in the same heartbreak it had that summer night ten years ago?

Ward took a deep breath and got out of his truck. The night was warm. He was wearing cargo shorts, and an army issue cap and tank top. As he walked toward Tyler’s front door Ward realized he had chosen these clothes for a reason. They showed off his buff body well. He wanted to see how Tyler would react, to see if there was any of the old attraction there.

Ward immediately felt ashamed. Tyler wasn’t some pick-up from a gay bar. This is the kind of outfit Ward would wear if he were on the prowl for sex. But Tyler was the man he had fallen in love with at fifteen; the man deserved more respect.

However, it was too late to turn back. Ward was climbing the steps to the wide front porch and heading for the door. He rang the doorbell.

When it opened, Ward looked into the face of a boy of around ten. He had curly, blond hair and bright blue eyes; he was the image of the Tyler from Ward’s childhood.

“Hi,” Ward said with a broad smile. “Is your dad home?”

“Yeah,” the kid replied. He turned and yelled. “Hey, Dad, there’s some guy here to see you!”

Tyler’s voice came from somewhere inside the house. “Who is it?”

The sound of that voice made Ward’s heart skip a beat and butterflies fill his stomach.

The boy turned back to Ward. “Who are you?”

“I’m an old friend of your dad’s.”

The boy turned to relay this information, but before he could, Ward looked over his head to see a shirtless Tyler entering the room. He looked as handsome and fit as he had that night ten years before. He had filled out, but he was still lean and muscular, just as Ward had remembered. Ward repressed the lump that was forming in his throat.

When Tyler saw Ward he stopped. His mouth dropped open. For a brief moment he just stared at Ward as if he couldn’t believe who he was seeing. Ward held his breath.

“Ward!” Tyler shouted, crossed the room in three strides, and engulfed Ward in his arms. Then they embraced each other tightly. They buried their faces in each other’s necks. Ward could feel tears stinging his eyes. Relief and happiness swept through him.

After a long embrace, Tyler held Ward at arm’s length and looked at him. “It’s so good to see you. You look great! The army musta agreed with you,” Tyler said with joy shining in his eyes.

Relieved by Tyler’s warm reception and with his hopes bolstered, Ward said, “It’s good to see you, too. You haven’t changed a bit.” Then, more subdued, he added, “I’m really sorry to hear about Tiffany.”

Tyler threw a quick glance over his shoulder at his son and said, “Thanks. Let’s talk about that later.”

Ward looked at the boy who was standing with his head cocked to one side, looking puzzled.

“Yeah, right. Sorry,” Ward said.

Tyler turned around and with an arm around Ward’s neck, walked him into the living room.

“Eddie. This is Ward, the man you were named after. Ward, this is Edward Tyler Hughes, my oldest.”

Ward beamed at Tyler and then at Eddie. He stuck out his hand. Eddie took it. “Nice to meet you,” Eddie said. “But if I’m named after you, why does my dad call you Ward?”

“Well, my name is Edward, like yours, but everyone calls me Ward. Well, except my mom, she calls me Edward,” Ward explained.