Love Means_. Freedom - Andrew Grey

idiots.
"Wow," Stone mumbled as he committed the picture to memory.
"I hate to break this up, but Jasper will be here soon, and you"--he looked at Preston--"have a riding session scheduled." "Do you need the walker?" Stone asked. Preston had been using it less and less, mainly for longer distances.
    "No. Jasper says I've used it long enough and it's time I stand on my own two feet, so to speak." Preston grinned, his eyes twinkling. "I've been waiting for that pronouncement ever since the accident."
    "We should celebrate." Stone leered slightly at his lover.
"Celebrate later, you two," Geoff admonished with a smile, "or you won't have time for riding." Geoff left the office.
Stepping carefully, Stone watched as Preston walked slowly through the house. "You have a great butt, you know that."
    "You said that last night too," Preston quipped as he slipped on a heavy jacket. Stone steadied Preston as they walked across the farmyard. He could feel Preston's legs wobble a little as they walked, but he knew how much this meant to his lover.

    "The trees look ready to pop open." Stone pointed to the large oak in the back yard. "Oh, look, the tulips have opened. I always love spring." Stone took a deep breath. "And not a hint of pig."

    "Me, too, but you have to admit, it was a pretty amazing winter." Preston stopped walking and turned to him, kissing him softly. "Best winter I can remember."
    A car pulled to a stop in the yard. "Break it up, lovebirds." Car doors thunked closed.
"Sadist," Preston teased as Jasper and Derrick walked toward them.
"No more walker?" Derrick asked with a huge smile.
    "Nope. I've been given permission to dump it, except for going up and down stairs." Preston had already donated his wheelchair to a local nursing home.
    "We just need to strengthen your legs a little more," Jasper explained as they all walked toward the barn.
Belle's head bobbed with excitement as Preston made his way to her stall. He'd graduated to a more challenging ride a few weeks earlier, but he never forgot to bring her a treat, and she knew it. "How's my girl?" Preston cooed, and the others rolled their eyes.
    "I never thought I'd see the day when Preston Harding would kiss a horse," Jasper teased.

    "I didn't kiss...." Preston coughed and sputtered as Belle stuck out her tongue, looking for another treat, and slobbered all over Preston's face. "Belle..." Preston whined as he wiped his face, sputtering and coughing, trying to remove the horse spit from his mouth. "Gross." Stone doubled over, holding his sides. "I swear, I've heard of a horse laugh, but I never saw one laugh before." Stone almost fell on the floor he was laughing so hard.
    "It wasn't that funny." Preston tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't hold it more than two seconds. "Okay, maybe it was." The laughter died down, and Stone saddled his horse, leading him toward the ring. Preston mounted from the raised platform, surprised to see both Jasper and Derrick mounted and ready, joining Joey and Robbie as they rode double, with Robbie laughing as he hung onto Joey.
    "Geoff, are you and Eli joining us?" Stone called as he led Buster into the ring.
"We'll be ready in a few minutes," Geoff replied as he walked around the edge of the ring.
"What's going on? I thought this was a therapy session." Preston began looking around, wondering if he'd missed something. "We're all going for a ride," Geoff explained as he pulled the large doors open. "Just give us a minute and we'll join you." Stone trotted up next to Preston and smiled over at him. "Your first trail ride."
"Where are we going?"
    "Don't know. Geoff thought it would be good to get outdoors." Stone looked over at his lover sitting tall in the saddle, legs curled around the chestnut gelding, remembering having those legs curled around him the night before. "Shit," he murmured to himself. His errant body had sprung to life, and he needed to cool off; riding with a hard-on could be painful. Geoff and Eli joined the group, and they moved out, leaving the enclosed ring and moving into the spring sunshine.
    Stone followed behind Preston, paying as much attention to his lover's bobbing backside as he did to his horse. Derrick trotted up and fell in near both of them. "So when are you moving into your own place?"

    "Next week." Stone grinned widely. They'd bought a small home that had once been a one-room schoolhouse. It even had a small tower with a bell. "I'm so excited." They'd pooled their money, including the cash