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

“Yes, but just not as much as you do now.”


“And you’re not gonna ever live together or marry him?” Eddie asked.


“That sucks!” Eddie said loudly, surprising Tyler. “What if I promise not to fight or do stuff to jerks who don’t like what you and Ward do? Then can it go back to the way it was? Can Ward maybe still live with us?”


“Me and Eddie want you two to be together,” Jack said pleadingly. “We like Ward a real lot. We talked about how neat it would be for him to live here or us to live on the farm. Please, Daddy, don’t let the bad people scare you and make you and Ward not be boyfriends.”


Jack put his arms around Tyler, buried his face in Tyler’s chest, and began to cry. Tyler closed his eyes and pulled his son closer.


Tyler slipped an arm around Eddie’s waist. “I know it’s hard. You like Ward a lot, and he likes you, too. But I have to protect you.”


Chapter 59