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

“Been considering it, yeah,” Ward said, thinking of Tyler.


“So, when do you start at the mill?”


“Don’t know for sure. Tyler’s gonna check with his dad.”


“Huh,” the elder Cartwright humphed in a cynical tone. “The old man needs to get on with retirement and let the boy take over. Soon’s one of you two get settled, that’s what I’m gonna do. But sometimes I think Hell’ll freeze over first.”


Just then Joe returned with the empty hay wagon. They went back to work.Chapter 4


Tyler, Eddie, and Jack sat at the oval dining room table with Hiram and Emily Pierce—Tiffany’s parents. They were an older couple, having had Tiffany when both were in their forties. Hiram was short and squat, as was his wife. Tyler had always thought of them as a pair of toads. He had often wondered how such plain people could have given birth to a daughter as beautiful as Tiffany. Both were very religious.


Chapter 10