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

“We just found out that Zeta’s gonna have puppies and we’d like you to have one.”


It was as if both their birthdays had come early. Both Jack and Eddie whooped, jumped up from their chairs, and hugged Ward. Tyler smiled at them.


“When can we see ‘em?” Jack asked.


“They won’t be born until after you’re back in school.” Tyler said. “But Ward says you can come out and see Zeta while you wait.”


“After they’re born they’ll need her to take care of them for about six weeks, but you can take that time to pick which one you want,” Ward told them.


“Then we’ll bring it home,” Tyler said.


They all went to the Dairy Barn for ice cream. As the boys sat with some of their friends, telling them all about the new puppy, Tyler and Ward sat a little ways away.


“This was great,” Tyler said starting in on his sundae.


“I was afraid you’d be upset that Emme Lou saw us and then invited herself to dinner,” Ward said.


Chapter 35