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

“I think Noah and I will be on our way,” I said, standing up.


“What on earth do you mean?” Mrs. Ledbetter demanded.


I held out my hand to Noah, the look in my eyes saying that it was time to leave. He did not question this look, merely stood.


“I’ll leave you to it,” I said. “Y’all have a good time.”


“Wiley, what the hell?” Jackson demanded too loudly.


“I’m not comfortable here, and I would like to leave,” I said to him. “I’ll see you later. Or not. At this point, I’m not sure I care.”


I took Noah’s hand and marched off, my face burning with a flush of embarrassed blood.


He followed us to the front door. I went outside and stood on the sidewalk, trembling with an unaccountable anger. A troop of motorcyclists passed, and I glimpsed the Confederate colors on more than one shiny metal surface.


“Wiley, please,” Jackson said, taking my arm.


“Noah and I are going home. Care to join us?”


Chapter 22