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

At noon, Ward called his mother and let her know Tyler, the boys, and Tyler’s folks were coming to see Addy. She suggested she call Mrs. Hughes and make it a dinner invitation as it’d been a while since they’d been out to the farm.


Ward immediately thought of how it would have been before all of this had happened—the two families becoming one around the dinner table. He could imagine the banter, laughter, and love that could have been shared.


“Edward?” His mother broke into his thoughts.


“Oh, yeah, that’s a great idea, Mom,” Ward said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.


“I’ll call Jane and let her know then. See you later. Love you.”


Chapter 54