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

“A joke,” Mr. Ledbetter offered. “Eunice, may I see you for a moment?”


“Stephen, I was just telling Mrs. Spencer that there are solutions to these problems. One doesn’t need to suffer in silence, dear. There are options. Medical technology these days—it’s miraculous what they can do. Pretty soon we’ll be able to design our own babies. Hair color, eye color, disposition, bone structure, height, athleticism, sexuality—it’s all in the genes. It will be like going to a restaurant and looking at a menu and just pick what you want. Isn’t that right, dear?”


“Well, yes, there have been many advances in genetics and bioengineering, but I’m afraid much of it is quite illegal, and probably always will be.”


Chapter 68