Nick Poff
Handyman Ed Stephens, whose romantic fantasies came true in The Handyman’s Dream, and who learned about building a successful relationship in The Handyman’s Reality, is back for another adventure in life and romance in The Handyman’s Promise.
By the autumn of 1983, Ed’s life partner, Rick Benton, has been working in Indianapolis for more than a year as he pursues a new career in real estate. Ed eagerly anticipates the day Rick will return home to Porterfield full-time. Their time apart has allowed Ed to contemplate the maintenance of a long-term gay relationship, and to reevaluate his definition of a successful marriage.
With the aid of both hindsight and foresight, Ed and Rick are able to move optimistically toward their mutual goals. Although their journey has its share of joyful surprises, several unfortunate events and a sudden tragedy force Ed to once again question their future in a small Indiana town amid the stark realities of gay life in the early 1980s.
Once again Ed and Rick’s friends and families are along for the ride to provide love, support, humor, and occasional aggravation. As always, Mrs. Hilda Penfield, Ed’s bountiful mentor, is close by with words of wisdom as Ed continues to learn how to blend his dreams into day-to-day living.
With yet another soundtrack of timeless pop classics, author Nick Poff extends a third invitation to enjoy the heartwarming journey of Ed Stephens and Rick Benton as they continue to explore the mysteries of love and life.
Nick Poff currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Handyman’s Promise is his third novel. To learn more about the author and his books, visit www.nickpoff.com or www.writermen.com. Imixes of the music featured in his novels can be found through Itunes.
“Love is a great mystery, Ed. Everything from sonnets to popular songs has been written about it. Why? Perhaps because it does remain such a mystery. We all spend our lives looking for the clues that will solve the mystery of love, but I suspect we never really solve it. I’m certain I will go to my grave with the mystery intact. I’m quite grateful for that.”
“Why?”
Mrs. Penfield began to knead her fingers as she often did in times of great thought. “I guess I don’t want to know all the answers about love. It’s the genuine mysteriousness of a mystery that compels us forward in a search of clues. It is what keeps us turning the pages of a whodunit, or allows us to sit patiently until the end of a poorly filmed suspense movie. Once the mystery is solved, we can move on with our lives. If you understood the total mystery of your love for Rick, do you think it would endure?”
Ed shrugged.
“Think about it a moment, Ed. You and Rick have a tremendous attraction for each other, but do you think that alone has kept you together? Of course not. At some point you both decided to be obedient to the feelings that bind you together. Many couples disregard that call for obedience and casually end their relationships. You and Rick, however, have given in to the mystery, have shown your willingness to be obedient to your feelings, and have formed the sort of communication so necessary for a long-lasting marriage. It doesn’t matter if you’re homo- or heterosexual in this regard.
“I fear some people wrongly interpret obedience as slavery, as well. There is a mighty difference. You have not been forced into loving Rick, or staying faithful to him and your feelings for him. You have chosen to be obedient to love, chosen to do the hard work necessary to maintaining a successful marriage. That is why I feel that your marriage will last in the longer run. It is also why I so confidently bequeathed my home to you both. I know this place, which I have loved so mysteriously for so many years, will continue to be a place where the mystery of love thrives in two pairs of very capable hands.”
Ed stared into space, digesting her words. It was true. Even though he felt he knew Rick about as well as anyone could, there was still some element of mystery, some unexplainable something that drew him to Rick. It was much more than a desire to not be alone, and more, too, than the comfort of having a partner beside him to face life’s battles. No, despite their occasional spats and the frustration Ed felt with Rick at times, he was almost always willing to do what was needed to keep their love alive and flourishing. Maybe he really was simply being obedient to the mystery of love.
