Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

bathroom, the house quieted down, and still he just lay there, thinking.
    Then he heard it. Whispers and soft moans drifted to his ears through the wall. He knew what it was and tried to block it out but couldn’t. He felt like an intruder as he strained to hear. The sound of lovemaking suddenly made him feel very lonely. He’d never touched anyone that way, and he wondered very much what it felt like. There were a lot of things he’d never done, but sometimes he wondered if he’d ever have someone that was his, just his. Someone who’d touch him and love him the way Geoff and Eli loved each other. Finally, his own fatigue took over, and he drifted off to sleep.
17
Andrew Grey THE sun wa w s a bar a e r l e y y up wh w en e Joey y wo w ke. e His body wouldn’t let him slee e p e an a y y longe g r e . r When e he’ e d ’ fi f rs r t co c me e to the e fa f r a m fu f ll-time, it had bee e n e diff f i f cu c lt fo f r r him to ge g t e up so ea e rl r y, y but now, w he e co c uldn’t ’ sleep e in. Th T ro r wi
w ng g bac a k c the e co c ver e s r , he go g t up an a d we w n e t to the e bat a hro r om to clean up. He could hear Ge G o e ff f f an a d El E i al a rea e d a y y up, moving g ar a o r und down w stai a rs r . When e he e pas a sed e Robbie’ e s ’ door, r he e notice c d e it wa w s a open e sligh g tly, y an a d soft f snore r s e we w r e e r e co c ming g fr
f o
    e ro
r om.
“R
“ ex
e , ge
g t
e out of ther
e e.
e ”
” He
H
e saw
a the
e dog
g lift
f his hea
e d
a fro
r m the
fo
f ot of
f Robbie’
e s
’ bed
e befo
f re
r
e putting it back down and closing his eyes. “Fine.” Joey smiled e as
a he
e back
c ed
e aw
a a
w y
y fro
e door,
r let
e ting
both Robbie e an
a d the
e dog slee e p
e . Af
A t
f er
e a quick
c cl
c ean
a up, he hea e ded
e to
the
e kitch
c en
e fo
f r
r some
e of
f El
E i’s
’ co
c ff
f ee
e .
e “M
“ orn
r ing.
g ”
” Joey
y ya
y w
a n
w ed
e as
a he
poured himself a cup. “Morn
r ing.
g What
a ’s
’ on yo
y ur
r agen
e da
a fo
f r
r today?
y ”
” Geo
e ff
f
f sat
a at
a the
e
tab
a le
e fi
f nishing
g his co
c ffe
f e
e
e bef
e o
f re
r
e start
r ing
g his ch
c ore
r s
e .
“I
I nee
e d
e to ch
c eck
c on al
a l th
t e
e fi
f el
e ds, an
a d someo
e ne
e nee
e d
e s to tak
a e
Robbie
e to his re
r h
e ea
e r
a s
r al
a at
a nine.
e ”
” He
H
e saw
a
w the look that a pas
a sed
e
d
between Geoff and El
E i, wo
w nder
e i
r ng
g wh
w at
a it was
a ab
a out but knowi
w ng
18
Love Means … NO Boundaries
better than to ask. Those two seemed to be able to communicate volumes with just a glance.
“I’ve got fences to check, and Eli has classes and lessons for most of the day. Would you be able to make sure Robbie gets where he needs to go?” Geoff sipped his coffee as Eli placed a plate in front of him and put one on the table for Joey.
     
Joey nodded his agreement. “When does Len get back?” Joey sat down and began eating.
     
“A few days. He and Chris should be done with their tour of the wine country by then.” Geoff smiled and continued eating. Joey said nothing and continued eating. Len had been like a father to him.
     
When Joey was sixteen, he’d asked how much riding lessons cost, and Len had arranged for him to work in exchange for those lessons. That was a momentous day. Len started off as his instructor and ended up as a close friend who acted like the father he’d never had, with both Geoff and Eli treating him like a brother.
     
Geoff finished off his breakfast and took his plate to the sink, giving Eli a soft kiss and a “thank you” before heading out to the barn. “You should wake Robbie up. It might take him some time to get ready,” Eli commented as he looked up from his breakfast to watch Geoff leave.
    “You’re right.” Joey finished up, and after thanking Eli, placed his dishes in the sink and made his way upstairs. “Robbie.” Rex looked up from where he was sleeping, but made no move to get up, and neither did the sleeping form beneath the covers. “Robbie.” Joey walked to the side of the bed and gently rocked one of his shoulders.
    “Robbie, you need to get up.” Joey saw those big blue eyes open and watched as Robbie sat up in bed, the covers pooling around his waist. “What time is it?” Robbie sounded groggy.
19
Andrew Grey
Joey wanted to answer, tried to answer. His lips moved, his mouth formed words, but he couldn’t speak them. All he could do was look at Robbie’s smooth