Page 128 of The Texas Sterling Collection
“Wyl asked me to play the scale, and he noticed my tension. He walked around behind me to give me a massage. I melted as his strong hands kneaded my shoulders.”
“The next thing I knew, I kissed Rod.”
The audience applauded.
“Do you mind sharing how each of you reacted to that unexpected kiss?” Joe said.
Wyl and Rod glanced at each other, and Rod nodded to Wyl.
“We were both shocked,” Wyl said. “I was shocked that I had kissed him, and he was also shocked. I bolted backward, not sure how he would react. We had developed a good friendship, but neither sought a commitment. Rod, seeing my reaction, packed his guitar and left.”
“We each thought the other was upset and didn’t communicate for two weeks, each waiting for the other to reach out,” Rod said. “Fortunately for me, Wyl confided in his brother, who talked some sense into him. He realized he wanted me during that period, but thought he had damaged our relationship.”
“My brother asked me if I loved Rod, and I said I didn’t know. Then he told me that people who are hurting want that hurt to go away, and I needed to tell Rod how I felt. He told me to go and get my man.”
“He came and got me and made me listen. In many ways, we’ve been a couple since that moment.” Rod reached for Wyl’s hand. The audience erupted in applause.
“So, did you know you loved each other then?” Joe asked.
“We loved each other from that moment, but neither of us said those three little words until weeks later. We both feared scaring the other, so working up the courage to confess our love took a while.”
“We spent a week at our Hill Country home and ran into a former Marine buddy of Wyl’s at a restaurant,” Rod said. “He started saying ugly things about gays, and Wyl reacted negatively to the comments and got up and left.”
“My years of Marine training slammed into the front of my mind, and my fight or flight reaction kicked in. I ran from the situation 250 miles back to the ranch.”
“This time, I was the one who went to get my man. I drove the 250 miles, gut-wrenched with worry, so in love that fear of rejection never crossed my mind. When I found him sprawled across his bed, sobbing, he told me he ran from the one thing that mattered most in his life, me.” Rod’s voice cracked. “I knew he loved me.”
Wyl reached for his hand. Their eyes met. “And by his actions, I knew he loved me, but saying those words was a big step. We confessed our love and have said it to each other often.”
The audience broke into applause once again.
“I was around you two for several days, and your love is evident in everything you do,” Joe said. “But you have endured quite a few hardships since you met. Tell the group about those.”
“My only brother died three months after Rod and I met. His death hit me like a runaway train. Rod didn’t leave my side for over a week.” Wyl met Rod’s gaze. “He cared for me every minute and ensured I felt loved and needed. I survived Walt’s death only because of his support.”
“Losing Walt dealt a blow to us both.” Rod’s eyes locked with Wyl’s. “Death is never easy. But the experience strengthened our bond as we learned we could rely on each other.”
“To top it off,” Wyl turned his attention to the audience. “Walt’s ex-wife attempted to lay claim to the ranch. She failed. Then a ranch hand declaredI ain’t workin’ for no queers.”The audience laughed. “We’re still working through a few of those issues. We wouldn’t be here tonight if the ex-wife hadn’t outed us on Facebook. She thought she could damage our reputations. Our being here tonight proves she failed once again.”
Thunderous applause broke out, and the audience cheered and celebrated Wyl and Rod’s right to be a gay married couple. In the back row of the sanctuary, one lone female attendee glared at the stage, unknown to Rod and Wyl.
After more questions, and responses from the married ranchers, Joe stood and walked to center stage. “Let’s take a short break, after which the Texas duo will answer a few audience questions from the slips of paper.”
The audience stirred, and Joe ushered Rod and Wyl backstage. They accepted the bottles of water he offered.
“Are you two doing okay?” Joe asked.
“I’m fine. How about you, babe?” Wyl eyed his husband, sipping the cool water and looking for signs of stress.
“This audience is amazing,” Rod said, “and this is actually kinda fun.” He took a couple of swallows of his water.
An usher brought the boxes of questions backstage. Joe had a bigger plastic tub to empty the smaller bins into. “You guys ready?”
Rod and Wyl both nodded, and they walked onstage to a round of applause from the audience.
They sat as Joe spoke to the audience. “This tub contains your questions. We’ll get to as many as possible in the next forty-five minutes. Afterward, you are invited to a reception in the Fellowship Hall. Come meet Wyl and Rod.”
Joe stirred the slips of paper and pulled out the first question.
