Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey by Andrew Grey Page A

seems the long winter left a lot of people short on hay.” 72
Andrew Grey
    “Good. Nicole estimated we could sell a thousand bales with no problem.” Len’s mind boggled as he thought of the hauling and carrying involved with moving that much hay.
    “I quoted then two dollars a bale, two fifty if we had to load it.
They’re bringing their own people. You’ll just need to keep count.”
“When will they be here?”
“One’s coming today at two and another tomorrow at three.
We can reassess then.”
    Len spent the rest of the day helping get the hay out of the loft and recording the major items for their inventory. He didn’t see Cliff or Geoff, and he hoped Cliff was out looking at the fields. At four, the last of the hay they’d sold was loaded, and Len had a check in his pocket. The hay wagon pulled away, and Len saw Cliff pull into the driveway and get out of the truck with Geoff right behind him.
    “That made a dent in the hay loft.” He handed Cliff the check as Geoff ran into the barn, looking at the horses.

    “I bet it did. I visited all the fields and did find some that we can put to work. It’s about fifty acres, but it’ll help.” Cliff gripped his shoulder, smiling at him, and Len was gripped by that same fluttery feeling in his stomach as the heat from Cliff’s hand seeped through his shirt. “Thank you, Len.” “For what?”
    “Waking me up and getting me off my useless ass.” Len felt Cliff’s fingers rubbing against his shoulder. The movement may have been innocent, but to Len it felt incredibly erotic. He knew he should pull away and get the last of the day’s work done, but he didn’t want to do anything to break the contact. The crunch of tires pulled Len from his thoughts, and Cliff lowered his hand.
    “Janelle,” Cliff called, and Len turned, watching as she got out 73
Love Means Courage
of the car.
    “Hi, Cliff.” She gave her brother a hug. “Hi, Len.” He smiled and waved. “You haven’t called, so I stopped by to see how you were doing.” She walked to Len, smiling brightly.
    Cliff interrupted and grinned at him. “He’s been busy kicking my ass for three days.”
“I’m sorry. I should have called and thanked you. Let me make it up to and take you to dinner on Friday.”
“I’d like that.”
    “Aun’ Nell.” Geoff raced out of the barn and threw himself around her legs. She looked slightly panicked and tentatively stroked his head. He lifted himself away and took her hand, pulling her toward the barn. “Hos.”

    She let Geoff show her the horses before heading back to her car, looking at Len. “I’ll see you Friday.” She smiled at him and then climbed in her car and drove away.
    “She likes you.” Len hadn’t heard Cliff approach, and he jumped slightly.
Shit, that was the last thing he needed. “We’re just friends.”
    “I don’t think she sees it that way.” God, just what he didn’t want—Janelle getting ideas that he was interested in her. But as he watched her car pull out of the driveway, he began looking at her behavior in a different light, and what he saw scared him.

    Geoff tugged on his pant leg. “Wen hossie wide.” Len bent down and picked up the toddler, bouncing him in the air. “Yup.” Len looked at Cliff and found him smiling. “Let’s go saddle Misty, and I’ll give you a horsie ride.” 74
    Andrew Grey
“Yay!”
For the time being, other concerns faded away in the glow of little Geoff’s happiness.
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    Love Means Courage

    “I DON’T know what to do, Mom.” Len sat on the sofa in their living room, holding his head in his hands. “I’m so damned confused.” He’d been floundering for the last week and even more so since his dinner with Janelle on Friday.

    She sat down next to him, her hand on his back, “I know you are, honey, but that comes with the territory. When you told me you were gay, I already knew. But the confirmation was still a bit of a shock, even though I tried to keep it from