Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

“It’s nice. But I guess I never thought of you wearing something like that.”
“Me either.” Len wasn’t ostentatious in the least, but since Chris’s business had taken off, he’d been buying Len expensive things. Len had met him when they’d hired Chris to help on the farm. He was trying to earn extra money to get his business off the ground at the time.
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Love Means … NO Boundaries
“Oh.” Joey figured Chris had bought the watch as a gift, and Len was too nice to say it wasn’t his style. Joey looked toward the living room. “Is something wrong?”
     
Len looked for a second like he was debating in his mind. “No.
     
It’s just that Chris has been so busy lately, and it’s almost like he buys me things to make up for him not being around.” Joey smiled conspiratorially. “You always told me when I was young that you either spend time or spend money.”
     
“That’s right, but I wish Chris would spend a little more time.
     
Not that I’m faulting him or don’t think he loves me, but….” Len stopped himself. “You don’t need to hear this. Go on and spend time with that sweet young man.”
     
Joey wanted to help but wasn’t sure what to do. Seeing Len unhappy, even slightly, wasn’t something he liked.
     
“Go on. I’ll be fine.” Len walked toward where Chris was on the phone and Joey saw Chris open his arms and hug Len to him as he completed his call.
    The music continued, drawing him like a siren’s song up the stairs. He found Robbie sitting on the edge of his bed with a four-legged audience already in place. Joey sat next to Rex and scratched the dog’s ears. “Please don’t stop playing.” Robbie lifted his bow again and continued his playing as Joey descended into his own thoughts. Len was right about enjoying the time they had. At the end of the week, Robbie would go home to his family’s house with housekeepers and things Joey could only dream about. But as long as he was here, Joey was going to make the most of their time together. Joey knew he could never fit in Robbie’s world. If money could cause problems in Len’s relationship with Chris, what would it be like when Robbie returned home to every convenience and lack of worry that money could provide? No.
    Whatever hopes he may have allowed himself to have would have to 89
Andrew Grey
go. They had their week. That was it, and he intended to accept it.
But, God, he didn’t want to.
    JOEYwas so deep in his own thoughts that he didn’t realize Robbie had stopped playing until he started again. This time a slow somber melody, echoing his mood, filled the room as the rain beat on the windows. Listening to that song, he hoped it was something Robbie had to play as opposed to how he was feeling as well. The last thing he wanted was to make Robbie melancholy too. As the music came to a soft end, Robbie set down his instrument. “What’s on your mind? And don’t say nothing, I can tell something’s bothering you.”
“I’m just thinking, that’s all.” Joey leaned across the bed, touching Robbie’s cheek before kissing him softly.
     
As soon as their lips touched, the room lightened and filtered rays of sunshine shone through the window as if Mother Nature herself were trying to dispel Joey’s gloom. “How much longer do you need to rehearse?”
     
“About an hour. Why?”
     
Joey stood up. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got some things to do.” With another kiss, Joey got up from the bed, and after another kiss, he left the room before turning back and watching as Robbie picked up his instrument.
     
“You don’t have to stand there.” Robbie smiled as he placed the violin under his chin.
     
“I like to watch you.” Joey saw a look of concentration on Robbie’s face as he drew the bow across the strings, eliciting the first beautiful note. Joey sighed softly and headed downstairs and outside, walking to the equipment shed.
    His bike was exactly where he’d left it, the tarp disheveled but still covering the motorcycle. The machine had once been his pride 90 Love Means … NO Boundaries
and joy, but now he could barely bring himself to pull the tarp off.
“Grow a pair, will ya!” Pulling off the tarp, he set it on the floor and looked at the purple and white cycle. Forcing himself forward, he ran his hands over the now-repaired bike. Only a few scratches indicated what happened those months ago.
     
While he’d been recuperating, Geoff had arranged for the repairs, but Joey had