Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

ready to come back home already, but Mama was happy I was working with horses and seeing new things. She said I get my curiosity from her side the family.” Eli sat next to him.
    “So the visit was good.” And Eli had come back and seemed happy to be here. That was a very good thing in Geoff’s book. Len popped his head in. “Saw Pete in the yard. He said Frank and Penny were here.”
“Yeah, I talked to them about buying their land.” Len looked confused. “I thought they wanted more than we were willing to pay.”
    Geoff motioned for him to sit down. “I reworked the numbers, reduced the price, let them keep the equipment because we don’t need it, and may have gotten us a crop manager in the process.”
    “Crop manager?” Len looked like his head was spinning,
“Explain that to me.”
“You know that no one knows more about planting crops than Frank. I sweetened the deal by offering him a job planning our crops for us.” “He couldn’t plant his own crops. How is he gonna plant ours?”
Geoff smiled, “Len, not plant — plan our crops for us.” The light went on, and Len slapped his leg. “That’s brilliant.
And he can either sell his equipment or rent it out to make up the difference.”
Geoff leaned back and smiled. “Exactly.”
“You think he’ll go for it?”
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    They’d seemed pretty happy when they left, but Geoff said nothing and only shrugged. “If they do, we’ll need to hire another full-time hand so we can expand the herd. I want to add at least two hundred head.”

    Len thought it over for a while. “Let’s work out the details if and when they agree to the sale.” He got up. “We brought back lunch for you. It’s in the fridge.” A few seconds later, Geoff heard the back door open and close.
    “You did it again, didn’t you?” Eli said.
Geoff leaned in close, tasting those sweet lips. “Did what?”
    “Helped those people without them knowing they were being helped.” Geoff shrugged. As far as he was concerned he’d made a smart, mutually beneficial business arrangement, but the smile on Eli’s face was just too good, regardless of how it got there.

    Whatever he’d done, he knew he’d keep doing it if it meant being smiled at like that.

    “Come on, let’s get you some lunch and then a nap so we can go riding this afternoon.” Eli led Geoff into the kitchen and, after his lunch, upstairs to the bedroom.
    After a short nap, Geoff went to the barn to find Eli working with Joey, cleaning stalls.
“Hey, you’re up!” Eli said.
Geoff yawned and then smiled. “Yeah, ready for a ride?”
“Sure, we’re almost done here.”
    Geoff turned to Joey. “You want to join us?” He got a bright smile and a nod. “Be ready to go in twenty minutes.” They worked together to finish the stall and then got the horses saddled and 137

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    headed out. Joey raced ahead while Eli stayed with Geoff. “Tell me about your visit with your family.” Eli looked over at him. “I don’t want to bother you with it.” Geoff reached over and patted Eli’s leg. “Papa wanted to know when I was coming home so he could schedule my baptism in the church. He said that there are a number of girls who want to meet me when I get back.”
    “What did you tell him?” He could see a cloud cover Eli’s usually bright face.
    “That I wasn’t ready to come back yet. He began to get agitated. He really expected I’d be ready to come back by now, and he doesn’t take surprises well. I think he understands, but he’s just disappointed.” Geoff looked over at him as they rode, and Eli huffed softly. “I think he’s probably angry and thinks I’m defying him—
    like maybe I kind of defected to the English world. He really made me feel guilty. But I followed Geoff’s rule.”
“What’s Geoff’s rule?”
“No shame.” Eli grinned and urged his horse faster, with Geoff just behind.
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“WHEN is Raine coming again?” Eli and Twilight trotted up from behind him, easily falling into step with Geoff and Kirk. “He should be here in a few days.” Geoff watched as Eli chewed his lip, a clear indication that something was bothering him. “What is it?”
“Did you and Raine ever… did you love him?” Eli looked so cute, biting his lower lip gently, eyes holding just a touch of fear. Not that Geoff wanted Eli to be afraid or insecure, but it told him how much he meant to his lover.
    Geoff shook his head. “No,