Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

Jill. They were pretty serious, and whatever Janelle felt, Vicki and her kids were gonna hear about it.

    Len muttered something—sounded like “old witch”—but Geoff took it in stride. “She tried to steal something from the house when she was visiting after dad died. I caught her and made her put it back, so of course she’s mad.” Conniving woman.
    Fred piped in, “You know that woman’s the most vindictive creature ever put on this Earth.” The cards were dealt and the hand began. “Don’t really care. She can go be vindictive someplace else.
    She’s not gonna steal from me and get away with it. Hell, she’s lucky I didn’t let her leave and then call the police.” Geoff decided it was time to change the subject, “So Pete, how are you Jilly getting along?” Bets were thrown into the pot while they talked.
    Pete immediately turned red. The youngest of the group, apart from Geoff, he’d had a crush on Jill since high school. Two years 30 Love Means … NO SHAME
    earlier, he’d finally worked up the nerve to ask her on a date. They’d been inseparable since. “We’re doing good.” Fred supplied the details. “Pete’s gonna ask her to marry him as soon as he can afford the ring.” Pete still looked embarrassed,. “I’m almost there.” Geoff smiled at Pete. “Good for you. She’s a nice girl who deserves someone who’ll be good to her.” His cousin was nice, not particularly bright, but down-to-earth, very sweet, and nurturing.
    There was no doubt they’d take good care of each other and make good parents.
“What does it feel like to be the Boss-man?” Lumpy could usually be counted on to be a pain in the ass.
Geoff thought quickly about how to answer. “Don’t know yet; we’ll see what it feels like when I sign your paycheck.” A chorus of “Ooooos” came from around the table, and then everyone laughed.
    He’d known these guys for some time; none of them were strangers, but he could see and feel that things had changed slightly. They used to pick on him and tease him. Now, other than Fred, that was largely absent. Geoff knew why and knew it was inevitable; he just wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
    Geoff folded and threw in his cards, watching the remainder of the hand as the comfortable conversation and easy ribbing the guys gave one another continued around the table. Rumors and gossip were shared.
    “Lumpy, did you hear that old man Jones claims he saw a bear on his property?” Len asked.
Lumpy laughed. “Like he claimed he saw a gorilla two years ago that turned out to be a combination of a scarecrow and too much whiskey.” 31
Andrew Grey
All the guys laughed except Len. “Just the same, be on the lookout for any signs.”
    “There hasn’t been a bear in the county in twenty years. I bet it was one of the Hamms’ bears he saw through the bottom of his beer glass,” Lumpy said.
The card game broke up about nine, as it usually did. The guys helped to clean up and then hit the road. Most of them lived within a couple miles of the farm.
    “Len, did you know today was Joey’s birthday?” Geoff asked.
Len’s reply was a shake of his head. “I saw him at the barn today wearing old tennis shoes and jeans with more patches than denim,” Geoff added. “What are you getting at?” Len glared at him, “You don’t want him around anymore; is that it?” The glare turned into a scowl. “’Cause I raised you better than that.”
    “Don’t get your underwear in a twist.” What had Len so growly all of a sudden? “I was thinking that tomorrow I’d take him in to town, and we’d get him a birthday present. I was thinking a pair of boots, a proper pair of jeans, and maybe a hat. If he’s gonna be out in the sun, he’ll need one.” Len turned away, and Geoff knew he was trying to hide the fact that he was feeling emotional. “Sometimes I forget just how much of your father there is in you.”
    “There’s just as much of you in me as there is him. Remember that.” Geoff patted Len’s shoulder and then went into what had been his father’s office to give Len some privacy. He looked around and found the ledgers and records on the desk and started looking through them. It became apparent that they weren’t up to date, which wasn’t a surprise, and he sat down at the desk and got to work.
    32
Love Means … NO SHAME
    An hour later, he’d been able to map out what his dad had been doing and what needed to be done to get the books caught up. He also made