Love Means_. Freedom - Andrew Grey

wonder I act like an ass all the time." The one thing he wanted, he could never have. He had to accept that his father would never accept a gay son.
    The doorbell rang, and Preston dabbed his eyes and wheeled himself to the door, opening it.

    Stone stood on the doorstep, looking around, as twitchy as a cat, his lower lip between his teeth, nervously chewing. He looked adorably attractive as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Preston smiled and glided back. "Come in."
    Stone gingerly stepped over the threshold, looking around the room. "I can't get over how rich you are." Stone's eyes were wide as saucers. "I'm not; my father is. I just live here." That was as good a way to describe it as any. This house hadn't felt like a home in a very long time. His mother was great, and things were good when his father was gone, but the minute he returned, it was as if the snow from the outside moved inside as well.
    "I just live at the farm too." Stone's words and tone shocked Preston. Looking into his face, he saw his feelings echoed back to him. "Not that Geoff and Eli haven't been nice to me and made me feel welcome."
    Preston went to the coat closet and pulled a coat off a hanger. "I know. You just don't feel as though it's your home." He began maneuvering the coat over his shoulders. "This building hasn't felt like home in a long time." Preston's arm got caught in his coat sleeve, and he felt Stone's hand on him, the warmth going right through his shirt, guiding his arm into the sleeve. Finally, he had the coat on. "Thank you. Shall we go?" He needed to get out of here. The place was becoming so oppressive, and he didn't want to feel that way. He wanted to enjoy Stone's company. This was a date, after all.
    Stone led the way, and Preston followed him outside and down the walk to the car. It took him a few minutes to get out of his chair and into the strange vehicle, but he managed. Stone folded his chair and stood it on the floor of the back seat.
    Preston smiled. "I made reservations for us at the Harborside Country Club."
Stone closed his door and started the car, a look of concern on his face. "Am I dressed well enough for a place like that?"
    "You look wonderful." He really did. The color of his shirt showed off his wonderful, deep eyes, and his pants hugged his thighs. "I wanted to take you there to show you that I'm truly sorry for how I treated you."

    "Is that why you really asked me out?"
    "No, I asked you out because I want to get to know you. I was mean to you and you stuck up for me anyway." Stone looked over at him, confused. "Jasper told me the only reason I was allowed back for riding therapy was because of you. No one's ever done anything like that for me before." There was so much more to it, but he was having a tough time putting it into words. "Let me just say that I asked you out because I like you, and I hope that you can forgive me and maybe get to like me too." Preston felt all fluttery and weird. He'd never thought or cared what others thought of him, but Stone had broken through his defenses, and he found himself in uncharted territory.
    Stone's smile made his nervousness subside and the flutters in his stomach jump off the scale. "Can you give me directions?" "Sure." Preston returned Stone's smile. "Go back toward town and I'll tell you where to turn." Stone drove and Preston guided them to the country club entrance and into one of the member parking spaces near the door.
    It took some maneuvering, but he got himself into the hated chair, through the door, and into the restaurant without much assistance. Stone did help a little. Preston hated that he needed help to get around, but Stone's assistance didn't seem to bother him, particularly since Stone would touch him lightly whenever he helped. "I have a reservation for Harding," Preston told the hostess, and she led them to a table near the huge windows that looked out on a grove of trees lit with floodlights. She removed a chair, and Preston positioned himself at the table, with Stone sitting across from him. She handed them both menus and then left.
    Preston watched Stone open his menu and thought his eyes would bug out of his head. "Is this right?"
Preston smiled. "Yes. Don't worry; order whatever you'd like. The food's the best in town."
    He worried that maybe he should have chosen a different place. He hadn't thought about how Stone would react, and he didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. He'd only wanted to take him somewhere