Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey

Lacy from one of his early college classes. She hadn’t done well and had given up after a semester, but she always had a smile and never seemed to let things get her down. Len had to admire that.
    “Thanks.” Len watched the surprised look on Janelle’s face along with something else he couldn’t quite read.
Janelle put down her menu. “I’ll have the fish special and a Diet Coke.”
“And I’ll have a burger and fries.” Lacy gave him another smile, and then she went to place the order.
“What happened, Len?”
    “Business has been slow, and they needed to cut back. I was the last one hired, so they let me go.” He shrugged and tried to stay positive, while at the same time marveling just how quickly news 34

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    spread in town. “On Monday, I’ll start looking for another job.” He tried to sound casual. “Don’t worry about it. How have you been?” She started telling him a whole litany of things that had happened in the last week. “I got a job at the telephone company in customer service and billing. I start Monday.” She was so excited, and Len did his best to be happy for her. It certainly wasn’t her fault that he’d been laid off, and she had every right to be excited. “When Papa died, he left me his life insurance money, but I’ve wanted to save it for emergencies, and now with my own job, I can be fully independent,” Janelle explained. Their conversation quieted as their food arrived, but as soon as Lacy left, Janelle picked up where she left off.
    Len listened and smiled as she told him all about her new job, the woman barely stopping to take a breath or eat, she was so happy. When her father had died, she’d taken it quite hard and even moved out of the family home to live with an aunt. Len finished his dinner and listened as Janelle talked.
    “Say, Len, I just had an idea.” She’d finished eating and was sipping her coffee. “My brother could use some help on the farm. He’s short-handed and needs people he can rely on.”
    “I don’t know anything about farming.” Len wasn’t sure this was a good fit for him. “I’ve worked with horses, and I can ride, but doesn’t your brother raise cattle?

    “Yes, so…?”
    “I don’t know the first thing about cows.” She laughed after she sipped her coffee. “You don’t really need to.” She put down her cup and looked seriously at Len. “Ever since Ruby and my dad died, he’s had a difficult time of it, what with the farm and trying to raise a baby on his own. He needs some help, and you need a job.” When she said it like that, it seemed so 35
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reasonable.
“What could I do to help him?”
    She shook her head and looked exasperated. “If you’re not interested, fine, but I thought you might need a job.” Len smiled and tried to diffuse the tension that had suddenly crept in. “Maybe you’re right. It wouldn’t hurt for me to talk to him.”
    “Excellent!” Her smile was radiant, and Len realized he’d been coerced into doing exactly what she’d wanted. Hell, if he didn’t know better, he’d think they were dating. “I’ll call Cliff tonight and tell him you’ll be by to see him.” They finished their coffee, and Len asked for the check.
    After paying, they left the restaurant, and he walked Janelle to her car. “Thank you. I’ll stop by and see Cliff tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I can help him.” He held the car door for her as she got in the car, closing it behind her with a thunk. She started the car and waved as she pulled away. Walking across the small lot, he got in his own car and headed home.
    Pulling into the yard, he parked next to his mother’s car and went inside. As he expected, she was sitting in the living room watching television. “How was dinner?”
    “Good.” He sat on the sofa. “Janelle told me that her brother is looking for some help on the farm and asked me to go over tomorrow and talk to him.” She turned her head, looking skeptical, but said nothing. “It’s a job, and I could sure use the money, at least until something else comes along.”
    “Well, it certainly can’t hurt to talk to him.” Len wasn’t so sure that was true. He hadn’t seen Cliff since 36
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    Ruby died. She had invited him to dinner a number of times, and each time, Cliff had been polite but distant. If he were honest with himself, he wasn’t so sure Cliff would want him to work at the farm, and he wasn’t so sure he wanted to work there. Every