Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

much. He looked disappointed, but he actually seemed to understand. Mama may have spoken to him first. I don’t really know. He did say that he wanted me to be sure to visit, so I think it will be okay.”

    “I know you can never tell them about us.” It made Geoff sad that Eli was going to have to hide who he was from his family. “But what if someone finds out?”
    “We’ll worry about that when the time comes, if it ever does.
Mama made me realize that I have to be true to them as well as myself. And being true to myself means being here with you. Besides, as time passes, I’ll fade from the community. They’ll move ahead without me.”
Geoff turned his head, kissing his lover tenderly. “Not only are you the kindest, sweetest, most giving person I’ve ever met, you’re the bravest too.” “No, I’m not.”
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    “Yes, you are. It takes a brave person to give up everything for love.” Eli’d given up his family and the only life he’d ever known for him. Geoff just hoped he could live up to that.

    “I didn’t give up anything.” Eli rolled onto his side. “Instead, I have everything, because I have you.” Geoff faced his lover. “Then we’re both lucky, because we have each other.” Geoff leaned in for another kiss and pulled Eli to him, his body responding immediately. Eli stopped him gently. “I have to get to work. Don’t want the boss unhappy.”

    “I know him; he can be a real pain in the butt.” Eli got off the bed, walking gingerly. “Don’t I know it.” Geoff tried to swat the butt in question, but Eli dodged away, laughing as he began picking up his clothes. Eli held up his shirt. “Don’t think I can wear this again.”
    “I put your clothes in the dresser in your old room.” Geoff pulled on his pants and began buttoning his shirt.
“Old room. You don’t want me to stay here? But I thought—”
    “Eli, I want you to stay here in this room, with me. When I asked you if you were staying, I meant with me, here in this room, sharing this bed, forever.”

    Eli broke into a smile and jumped into Geoff’s arms. “Yes!

    Yes! Yes!” They began kissing again, and despite their earlier efforts, their clothes ended up scattered back on the floor. Chores could wait, the world could wait—right now, right here, it was just them.
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    Love Means … NO SHAME
    GEOFF woke early, really early. He had things to do, and he didn’t want Eli to know. Gingerly getting out of bed, he slipped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, where he’d hidden his clothes.

    Somehow he managed to dress in the dark without killing himself.

    Opening the door slowly, he tiptoed through the room and out the bedroom door. Carefully walking down the stairs, he slipped into his insulated pants, boots, coat, gloves, and hat. Dressed like an Eskimo, he quietly headed outside through the fresh snow to the barn.
    Geoff went right to the tack room and dug out part of Eli’s Christmas present, putting it near the door so he’d remember to take it back inside. Then he made his way to each stall, filling mangers with hay and checking water buckets. Long, regal heads poked out of every stall. For years the lower portion of the barn had been bigger than they needed. The farm just didn’t need twenty horses.
    But since Eli returned and began teaching riding with Len’s help and blessing, he and Geoff had decided to fill fourteen of the stalls with boarders for Eli’s riding students. They’d advertised briefly, but word had quickly spread in horse circles, and Eli earned a reputation 203
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as an excellent riding teacher. After two months, his classes were full, and he had a waiting list of students.
    As he worked, Geoff began to get warm, so he pulled off his coat. Within an hour, all the horses were fed and watered. He checked on each horse, giving each a treat and making sure they were okay. Then he made sure the two steers were fed and watered.
    Joey had faithfully taken care of his two charges, and they were growing nicely. Geoff had specifically told Joey not to come to the barn today. His last stop was the stall of the colt. He was stunning, and soon there’d be two more. The colt’s mother and Twilight were both expecting Kirk’s foals, and Geoff was hoping one of them would have the stallion’s rich, black coloring. He made sure all the doors were secure before heading back to the house with his surprise.
    As he walked through the snow, he stopped in the