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 heard their footsteps down the hall as they turned the corner and emerged into my hallway


“Daddy!” Noah exclaimed when he caught sight of me.


Come here, sweetie, I signed, which was awkward with the cast on my arm.


But he merely stood there, staring at me as if trying to decide whether I was real. Bill and Mama stood behind him, Bill ready to grab him if he started to make a scene.


Please?I signed. Daddy wants to hold you…


He walked forward slowly, stopped about two feet away, and reached out a hand to touch my chest. Then he touched my cast, his fingers very gentle and hesitant. His eyes welled with tears. I put my good arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. His body was stiff with fear. Eventually he put his head carefully on my chest and let himself be held, sobbing softly. I kissed the top of his head, stroked his hair. He keened a few times in the back of his throat, which sounded like a loud hum.


Chapter 59