When his snobbish future in-laws travel all the way from Boston to visit, wise-cracking Southerner Wiley Cantrell learns gay marriage is not without its disadvantages. He’s preoccupied by concerns over the health of his special needs son Noah, a meth baby who was not expected to live yet is now on the cusp of puberty, and the antics of Wiley's outrageous would-be mother-in-law and severely conservative father-in-law strain his relationship with Jackson Ledbetter, a pediatric nurse who poses problems of his own. As their respective families meet and greet, each just as meddlesome and inflexible as the other, North meets South and the fireworks and cultural misunderstandings are plenty.<br><br>Then a tornado blows through the small Mississippi town where Wiley's mother lives, wrecking his mother's house and leaving their lives in disarray. And Jackson's secret drug addiction comes to light, devastating Wiley and Noah. With so many stones in the road, Wiley and Jackson find their dream of becoming a real family falling apart. Though Wiley relies on humor to cope, he'll need something more to keep his happily ever after from slipping away.

Stones in the Road

“As the assistant principal of this school,” Mrs. Thunderburk said, “and as someone who has taught for many years, and as a mother and a Christian woman, I must say I was surprised by some of the things you said in this book, Mr. Wiley.”


“What’s notsurprising is that Noah would be having trouble in school, given the environment he’s being raised in.”


“The kids make fun of him,” Mrs. Thunderburk said.


“Then put a stop to it,” Jackson said.


“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Your lifestylehas consequences, and I can’t shield your child from those consequences.”


“So the other kids bully him and you’re not going to do anything because his parents are gay and—what?—he deserves it?”


Chapter 9