Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

When Mama was sick, he insisted on taking her to the doctor in the buggy, even when the farmer up the road offered to drive them.” That seemed shortsighted and a little stubborn to Geoff, but he said nothing. Eli’s father obviously had strong beliefs and didn’t believe in compromising them.
    “Let’s go in.” Geoff led them into the store and downstairs to the clothing section. “Eli, pick out what you think you’ll need.” Eli nodded and looked through the clothes as Geoff took Joey to the shoe area. He tried on boots until they figured out his size, and Joey chose a pair of black harness boots. Then they found a cowboy hat that fit and a pair of boot-cut jeans. Joey was grinning, holding his presents like they were solid gold as Geoff searched for Eli.
    He found him standing in front of a display of jeans, staring.
    He didn’t look away as Geoff approached. “I always wanted a pair of these, but I knew Papa would never allow it, so I never asked.” Geoff reached to the display and pulled out a pair that he thought might be Eli’s size, “Try these on to see if they fit.” Eli looked at him like he was kidding. “These are the best type of pants to wear on the farm; they last and protect your legs.” Geoff pointed him to the dressing room, and Eli slowly went inside like things were just too good to be true. A few minutes later, he stepped out.
    Geoff had been right; the jeans were Eli’s size. “You’ll probably need three pairs for now and some shirts as well.” 47
Andrew Grey
    Eli picked out the plainest jeans and three dark, solid-color shirts. Geoff had him get another pair of shoes and some underclothes. Geoff asked if he wanted another hat, but Eli had said that he’d use the one he had. Chuckling to himself, he led Eli and Joey to the register.
    “Geoff, it’s Ginny, Ginny Rogers.”
“Oh, hey, Ginny.” He remembered her now from high school
“It’s been awhile.” She was homely back then, but she’d grown up pretty.
    “It has. Is all this yours?” She gave him a huge smile way too big for a casual encounter. He was being flirted with a little. He almost said she was barking up the wrong tree but held his tongue.

    “This is Joey and Eli.” He gave her his best smile. “Guys, this is Ginny. I went to school with her.” She got busy ringing them up; then he handed her his credit card and signed the receipt, Ginny smiling and wiggling the entire time.

    She bagged up everything, calling out “Don’t be a stranger,” waving and flashing her brightest smile as they walked upstairs toward the front door… and right into his Aunt Janelle.
    “Geoff.” She tried to sound pleased, but it was way too forced.
“Morning, Aunt Janelle.” Geoff was determined to kill her with kindness, because that was all she was ever getting from him. Her eyes raked over Joey and Eli, widening visibly when she saw Eli’s clothes.
    Quietly, Geoff instructed them, “Go wait in the truck. I’ll be out in a minute.” There was no way he was subjecting them to her venom or whatever it was that had her panties in a twist.
    Her eyes were dark. “Corrupting the Amish?” If she were a man, Geoff would have decked her right there in the store. “Your 48 Love Means … NO SHAME
father and Len living together was bad enough, and I’d hoped somehow you would turn out normal anyway. But corrupting children….”
    So that was her problem. He’d always thought that was part of it, but to be so cruel…. Geoff got himself under control before he said something he’d regret. “You listen here. Len and my father loved each other, which is something you’d never understand. So I suggest you keep your poison and your distorted ideas about them to yourself.”
    She tried to look like the injured party for the few people in the store, but it wasn’t working. The people in town knew how she was and gave Geoff sympathetic looks.
    “I don’t know what you want, because a quilt certainly isn’t worth this much effort, but let me tell you this, you won’t get it,” Geoff promised. She tried to look revolted. “I don’t want anything from you.”
    “Good, then give me your key. I know you’ve had a key to the house for years. Now, give it to me.” She started to sputter. “I grew up in that house. You can’t—”
    “I most certainly can. It’s my house and my farm.” He held out his hand and waited. She sputtered and spluttered and finally dug into her purse and pulled out her key ring.