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

Wordless, frowning his imperious frown, he got to his feet. 66: A Real Life


On the following night I sat on the bed looking at pictures of me, Jackson, and Noah. They were part of a “shipment” Jackson had brought over that day of my belongings that included the laptop (which I tried to give back to him because I did not consider it to be “my” laptop; he merely shook his head and put it on the pile), my personal papers, clothes, and whatnot. There was nothing quite so sad as watching him carry my stuff from his Jeep. He had packed it all very carefully. Respectfully, almost. We said nothing as he unloaded the boxes. He looked lost. Completely, totally lost.


Now I had a horribly uncomfortable feeling in my gut.


Chapter 93