A broken-hearted Ward Cartwright left town to join the army when his boyfriend Tyler Hughes turned his back on their love and married a woman. Ten years later, Tyler is a widower with two young boys, and Ward has returned home. He is hopeful he can re-establish his relationship with Tyler. Even though a decade has passed, Tyler still feels tied to the family-owned feed mill. He has folks depending on the mill for employment, there are his children to consider, they live in a small town, and ... But despite this, Tyler finds there are plenty of benefits to giving Ward a job in the mill -- lots of out-of-the-way places to explore Ward’s army-honed, muscular body. Just when Tyler resolves to live more openly with Ward, rumors begin to surface, not just at the mill, but at his sons’ school. Ward knows the upcoming battle is just as serious as anything he’s faced in Afghanistan. Instead of fighting for his country, the soldier is fighting for his lover’s heart. Will Ward finally emerge victorious, or will Tyler’s self-doubt and fear of prejudice win out again?

Welcome Home, Soldier

“I’ll guess I’ll help Dad and Joe with the farm. Maybe look for a job.”


“How about working at the mill with me?”


Ward’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t expecting this: working with Tyler! It would be like old times, hanging out together. “Yeah. I think I’d like that!”


“Great. You can start whenever you’re ready.”


“Uh…don’t you have to check with your dad?”


“Dad’s semi-retired. I basically run the business. He can’t quite give it up, so he runs the office. That suits me fine. I’d rather work out in the mill. Throwing those bags of grain around keeps me in shape.”


Tyler was still shirtless. Ward had been acutely aware of that all evening. Tyler’s deep, smooth chest, the rippled abdomen with its blond treasure trail, made Ward recall the many hours he’d spent enjoying that body. His cock responded to the memory as well. He wondered if Tyler were thinking of those times from their past, too.


Chapter 5