Read Online Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey by Andrew Grey - Free Book Online
Authors: Andrew Grey
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returning his attention to the weeding.
A few seconds later, he heard footsteps approach and stop next to him. Pulling the last of the weeds, he lifted his eyes, staring right into the crook of Cliff’s crouched legs. “Looking good, Len.” He wasn’t kidding; from what Len could see, it looked real good. Thick legs and…. Len swallowed and forced himself to look up, hoping he wasn’t turning red. He forced his attention away from Cliff and back on work. “Thanks.” He dumped the last of the weeds into a bushel basket and then sat up. “I was going to repair the fencing, but I wasn’t sure where to find the supplies.” Len watched as Cliff looked over at Geoff. “I think you’ll find what you need in the equipment shed.” Len barely heard what Cliff said, his attention wandering. Oh, he heard the words, and his brain registered the idea, but his eyes saw Cliff’s lips moving, and his brain short-circuited.
“You okay?” He felt Cliff’s hand on his shoulder, the warmth 55
Love Means Courage
seeping through his shirt.
“Yeah, sorry.” Len glanced at his watch to cover his embarrassment. “I’ll go see what I can find.” Cliff stood back up, and Len watched his legs flex out of the corner of his eye. And unfortunately, he felt his pants grow tighter. Cliff walked back toward where Geoff was playing, and Len used the opportunity to walk to the equipment shed. There were indeed a few cross braces he could use, and he carried them back to the ring, returning to get the tool kit.
Cliff looked up from where he and Geoff were playing. “You need some help?”
“Won’t turn you down.” He set down the tool kit and got a hammer to pry off the broken pieces.
Len heard Cliff tell Geoff to stay in the sandbox.
“Okay, Daddy.” Geoff didn’t even look up from the hole he was digging, and Len smiled to himself as he finished prying off the remnants of the broken cross brace. Cliff picked up the new brace and held it in place while Len attached it with long nails.
They worked together in companionable quiet, talking only when they needed something. There were so many things Len wanted to ask, but it just wasn’t any of his business, and Cliff was his boss. What he really wanted to know right then, more than anything else, was why he got this fluttery feeling in his stomach every time he got near Cliff. He’d felt it when he was in the house with him yesterday, and he could feel it again now. He really wished he could ask Tim about it, but his friend was already gone, and he didn’t know anyone else to ask.
A voice echoed through the barn. “Hey, Len, you need any help?”
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Andrew Grey
He turned and called, “We’re out back in the ring.” Fred and Randy stepped out of the barn and strode into the ring. “We’re finished with the cattle and were wondering if you needed any help.” They both seemed to see Cliff at the same time.
“Hey, Boss.”
“Hey, guys.” Cliff walked to them while Len sank the last nail.
“Everything okay?”
Fred answered, “Seems to be for now. The cattle are fed and watered. We checked fences this week, and they held up pretty well over the winter, but there are some weak areas we need to fix. We’ll get to them this week.”
“Anything else?” Fred shook his head slowly, and Cliff turned his attention to Geoff, still playing in the sandbox. “Then why don’t you take off and enjoy the rest of the day.” They turned and disappeared into the barn, only to reappear a few seconds later, walking up to Len. “We’re going to Steve’s for lunch; you wanna join us?”
“Sure, I just need to put things away and get the horses in.” He looked at the cloudy spring sky. “Looks like rain.”
“We’ll start with the horses and meet you out front in a few minutes.”
Len gathered up the tools and stopped by the sandbox, watching as Cliff helped Geoff put away his toys, which the toddler was none too happy about. “I wanna play, Daddy.”
“I know, but
A few seconds later, he heard footsteps approach and stop next to him. Pulling the last of the weeds, he lifted his eyes, staring right into the crook of Cliff’s crouched legs. “Looking good, Len.” He wasn’t kidding; from what Len could see, it looked real good. Thick legs and…. Len swallowed and forced himself to look up, hoping he wasn’t turning red. He forced his attention away from Cliff and back on work. “Thanks.” He dumped the last of the weeds into a bushel basket and then sat up. “I was going to repair the fencing, but I wasn’t sure where to find the supplies.” Len watched as Cliff looked over at Geoff. “I think you’ll find what you need in the equipment shed.” Len barely heard what Cliff said, his attention wandering. Oh, he heard the words, and his brain registered the idea, but his eyes saw Cliff’s lips moving, and his brain short-circuited.
“You okay?” He felt Cliff’s hand on his shoulder, the warmth 55
Love Means Courage
seeping through his shirt.
“Yeah, sorry.” Len glanced at his watch to cover his embarrassment. “I’ll go see what I can find.” Cliff stood back up, and Len watched his legs flex out of the corner of his eye. And unfortunately, he felt his pants grow tighter. Cliff walked back toward where Geoff was playing, and Len used the opportunity to walk to the equipment shed. There were indeed a few cross braces he could use, and he carried them back to the ring, returning to get the tool kit.
Cliff looked up from where he and Geoff were playing. “You need some help?”
“Won’t turn you down.” He set down the tool kit and got a hammer to pry off the broken pieces.
Len heard Cliff tell Geoff to stay in the sandbox.
“Okay, Daddy.” Geoff didn’t even look up from the hole he was digging, and Len smiled to himself as he finished prying off the remnants of the broken cross brace. Cliff picked up the new brace and held it in place while Len attached it with long nails.
They worked together in companionable quiet, talking only when they needed something. There were so many things Len wanted to ask, but it just wasn’t any of his business, and Cliff was his boss. What he really wanted to know right then, more than anything else, was why he got this fluttery feeling in his stomach every time he got near Cliff. He’d felt it when he was in the house with him yesterday, and he could feel it again now. He really wished he could ask Tim about it, but his friend was already gone, and he didn’t know anyone else to ask.
A voice echoed through the barn. “Hey, Len, you need any help?”
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Andrew Grey
He turned and called, “We’re out back in the ring.” Fred and Randy stepped out of the barn and strode into the ring. “We’re finished with the cattle and were wondering if you needed any help.” They both seemed to see Cliff at the same time.
“Hey, Boss.”
“Hey, guys.” Cliff walked to them while Len sank the last nail.
“Everything okay?”
Fred answered, “Seems to be for now. The cattle are fed and watered. We checked fences this week, and they held up pretty well over the winter, but there are some weak areas we need to fix. We’ll get to them this week.”
“Anything else?” Fred shook his head slowly, and Cliff turned his attention to Geoff, still playing in the sandbox. “Then why don’t you take off and enjoy the rest of the day.” They turned and disappeared into the barn, only to reappear a few seconds later, walking up to Len. “We’re going to Steve’s for lunch; you wanna join us?”
“Sure, I just need to put things away and get the horses in.” He looked at the cloudy spring sky. “Looks like rain.”
“We’ll start with the horses and meet you out front in a few minutes.”
Len gathered up the tools and stopped by the sandbox, watching as Cliff helped Geoff put away his toys, which the toddler was none too happy about. “I wanna play, Daddy.”
“I know, but
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