Book Title: AND HUBBY MAKES THREE: A TRAGICALLY FABULOUS LOVE STORY
Author: Michael McHale
Publisher: Hennessey House Publications
Cover Artist: MSM Graphics
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Pairing: MM
Tense/POV: Third person/past tense
Genres: LGBTQIA+ Romantic Comedy
Tropes: Gay best friend, family
Themes: Best friend saves friend’s wedding and makes her dreams come true
Length: 21 739 words/164 pages
It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Heat Rating: 1 – 2 flames
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Best gay friend saves his girlfriend’s wedding from becoming a disaster
while adding a lot of his own fabulous flare
Blurb
When Wendy is horribly abandoned by her fiancé Bruce just days before her dream wedding, her fabulous gay best friend Mitch steps in to help save the day! What happens next is a plethora of comical miscommunications that lead to one of the most colorful weddings of our time that would make even Martha Stewart proud as Mitch, along with his life partner Kevin and bigger than life friend Bob, rush to make Wendy’s dreams come true. And maybe even some of Mitch’s dreams?
Chapter Eight: Family Matters
“Mom? Bruce called off the wedding!”
Wendy’s announcement landed like a bomb in the Chilton household, where her mother Ellen was in the middle of her nightly face mask routine and her father Fred was reviewing what he fondly called his “wedding damage report” – otherwise known as his credit card statement.
“Bruce called off the wedding!” Ellen’s voice reached a pitch typically reserved for opera sopranos.
There was a crash, followed by the sound of Fred picking up the extension. “What the hell do you mean Bruce called off the wedding?”
“Now Fred, remember your blood pressure!”
“To hell with my blood pressure! Remember my Visa bill!”
Wendy took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was the calm, rational one in the family. “Daddy, it’s okay. The wedding’s still on.”
“Wait… so, Bruce came around?”
“Not exactly. I’m still getting married Saturday, but… not to Bruce.”
“Huh?” her parents chorused in perfect unison.
“Remember my friend Mitch? He’s going to step in.”
There was a long pause before Fred spoke. “I thought he was a fruit loop!”
“Now, Fred, you know the church said to call them ‘heterosexually-challenged.'”
“Whatever you call them, I thought it meant they don’t like girls?”
“It’s true, Mitch is heterosexually challen… gay, but–”
“Do you love him, dear?” Ellen interrupted, her voice taking on that soothing tone she usually reserved for convincing Fred to try her latest health food experiments.
“Well, of course, he’s my–”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“But what if the kids turn out like that?” Fred sputtered.
“Daddy! We’re not going to–”
“Don’t worry, Fred, I think Oprah says it often skips a generation.”
“Mom! Dad! You’re missing the point!”
“That’s right, we are,” Ellen agreed cheerfully. “Well, thanks for the update, dear.”
“Yeah. We’ll see you on Saturday. Don’t be late.”
The dial tone buzzed in Wendy’s ear as she stared at the phone, wondering if she’d somehow slipped into an alternate dimension where her parents’ complete misunderstanding of the situation actually made sense.
________________________________________
Across town, Mitch was having his own family moment, phone on speaker as he paced his living room. Kevin watched nervously from the couch, pretending to read while actually monitoring what promised to be another classic Mitch-and-Mother conversation.
“Your dime,” Theresa answered, the sound of dishes clinking in the background.
“Hello Mother!”
“Mitch, my sweet perfect little angel! What’s new pumpkin?”
“Well Mom, I’m getting married!”
“What??? To whats-his-name?”
“Kevin. And no. I’m marrying a woman.”
The dish-washing sounds stopped abruptly. “Wait! A real woman? Not one of those Transvesalvania-thingy-ma-jiggys?”
“Transgender? No, Mom. I’m marrying someone who was born a woman.”
The sound of over dramatic sobbing filled the line. “Oh Mitch, your father would be so happy if he were alive today…”
Mitch sighed. “Mom, Dad is alive. I just got off the phone with him.”
“Hey, you have your fantasies, I have mine!”
Kevin stifled a laugh as Mitch rolled his eyes heavenward. “So, will you come to the wedding on Saturday?”
“Wait a minute! Wait just an Ellen DeGeneres minute here. You told me in that National Coming Out Day video years ago that you were gay and that you couldn’t change.”
“I am. I can’t.”
“What does whats-his-name think about all this?”
“He doesn’t mind as long as I don’t actually fool around with the bride. So, you’re coming aren’t you?”
“Hey, is this like one of those situations I saw on Geraldo where you guys can get all the rights that a gay couple could never have, like insurance, and all that stuff? ‘Cause if it is, you can tell me. I’m pretty hip.”
“No, mom. It’s Wendy. You know her. I’m doing it for a toaster oven — and the honeymoon trip to Hawaii.”
“Um, okaaaaay. And does she know that whats-his-name is included in the dowry?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Wow! Now that’s a liberated woman.”
As Mitch continued to navigate his mother’s particular brand of logic, Kevin’s cell phone buzzed. The caller ID made his blood run cold. Bruce. Their conversation was brief, hushed, but by the time both calls ended, the room felt charged with secrets.
“Mother Theresa is coming!” Mitch announced triumphantly.
A storyteller across multiple mediums, Michael McHale has entertained and educated audiences for over three decades.
From writing for the iconic TV series Power Rangers to his LGBTQ+ web series The Queerburgs (on YouTube), to bringing his real-life story to life to the big screen with the short film Lena’s Dance to creating more than 100,000 riddles and clues for over 20,000 mysteries through his educational company Mysteries By Mike, his creative footprint spans television, film, education, and literature.
Known in Hollywood as the go-to party planner for celebrity children’s events, he’s authored multiple books including two children’s titles that includes an insider guide to Hollywood entertaining. His latest novel, adapted from a screenplay he wrote in 1997, was born from a conversation about marriage equality long before it became reality – a reality he now shares with his husband Bob, celebrating 21 years of marriage in Los Angeles.
With the upcoming YA series MURDER HIGH SCHOOL: DETENTION CAN BE MURDER! in development, McHale continues to expand his literary universe while infusing his work with the authenticity that comes from being a 35-year AIDS survivor (Victor) and dedicated LGBTQ+ activist. His storytelling celebrates life, love, and chosen family with equal measures of humor and heart.
When not writing or planning spectacular events, he can be found at home with Bob, their mischievous pug Gabby Rose, and their trio of cats – Princess Charlotte, Rascal, and Marley – plotting his next story or party, whichever comes first.
Early readers are already calling his latest novel ‘an instant gay classic’ with strong potential for adaptation as a Netflix limited series.
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