Love Means_. Freedom - Andrew Grey

another living soul. The entire time, she kept rocking him and holding him, the story sobbing out of him, and when the last terrible details crossed his lips, he held her back and she sang to him, soft and low.

    HECOULDN'Tmove. Strong hands held him down. The man said something. But he couldn't understand, the words seemed blurred through the haze that filled his head. "Stop, please." He was begging. Somehow he managed to turn around and saw the man's face. "Preston, why are you doing this to me?"
    Stone gasped, jerking himself awake, covered in sweat, breathing hard like he'd just run the longest race of his life. This had to stop, these dreams had to stop--somehow, someway, he had to make them stop.
    STONE shoveled the muck from the stall with muscle-jarring vigor. "If you push any harder, the shovel will go right through the concrete." Stone turned around and saw Geoff standing in the stall doorway, watching him. He didn't say anything more, and Stone didn't feel like talking, so he continued his attack on what the horses left behind. Soon, he no longer felt Geoff's gaze on him, but he didn't really care. The work felt cathartic, and he didn't have to think.
    For the last few days, since his date with Preston, the dreams had gotten worse, and every time he stopped, his thoughts returned to what he'd done.
    "Stone!" He stopped and turned around. "Are you there?" He saw Joey smiling teasingly back at him.
"Sorry." He'd been saying that word a lot to everyone lately. He needed to get it together.
"Can you help with Preston's session? I have to go into town and verify the feed order for next year with Geoff."
Stone tried to stifle a groan, but it escaped anyway, and he did his best to cover it up.
    "Okay." He owed a lot to everyone at the farm and he didn't want to do anything to make them ask him to leave. They'd all treated him like he was family. Not like his family, but how he thought family should treat each other. "Is he riding in the ring?"
    "Yes. Belle's already saddled, and all you need to do is continue from the last lesson. His legs are getting stronger, and last time he was able to get on the horse by himself, so he needs to keep working on control." He must have seen the trepidation on Stone's face. "You can do it, I know you can."
    "I'll do my best."

    "I know you will. The lesson is less than an hour. I have to go, but if you have any problems, call me or Eli on our cells." Joey patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you for doing this for me. I really appreciate it."

    Stone nodded as he watched Joey's eyes. There was something wicked in the way his eyes gleamed. Before he could ask what was going on, Joey had already left the barn.
    Stone finished cleaning the stall he was working on, inhaling the scent of a fresh barn as he brushed Belle. Her coat flowed beneath his hands as he brushed and groomed her flowing coat of silky hair. "You're a good horse, Belle, just like my Buster." He patted her neck, and she bucked her head like she agreed with him. "Why can't people be like horses?" Of course, he didn't get an answer, but Belle reminded him that even horses were unpredictable when she butted her head against his stomach a little harder than he was expecting. "Thank you, girl." If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn she was smirking at him in her own horsey way.
    With Belle groomed, he got her saddle and finished getting her ready for Preston's therapy riding session. Once she was saddled, he walked her to the ring. With each step, his stomach tightened a little more. He knew he had to face Preston and explain what had happened. He also knew that Preston deserved an explanation. Preston would probably hate him once he was done, but after telling Adelle a few days ago, he knew he couldn't hide it inside any more. He deserved to be free of it, regardless of the consequences.
    Stone heard the sound of Preston's voice in the barn approaching the ring, and his stomach did another flip-flop. Calming himself, he walked Belle around to Preston so he could slide into the saddle.
    Stone watched as Preston stopped talking to Jasper and approached the horse, sliding out of the chair and, to Stone's surprise, standing and managing to take a few steps before Jasper helped guide him onto the horse. He couldn't help smiling at Preston's accomplishment. Once Preston was settled in the saddle, Stone stepped away from Belle. Preston nudged her and she began walking. "Joey said that today he wanted you to work on control,