A.L. Lester

It's 1972. Fifteen years earlier, teenage Laurie Henshaw came to live at Webber's Farm with his elderly uncle and settled in to the farming life. Now thirty-two, Laurie has a stroke in the middle of working on the farm. As he recovers, he has to come to terms with the fact that some of his new limitations are permanent and he's never going to be as active as he used to be. Will he be able to accept the helping hands his friends extend to him?<br><br>With twenty successful years in the city behind him, Phil McManus is hiding in the country after his boyfriend set him up to take the fall for an insider trading deal at his London stockbroking firm. There's not enough evidence to prosecute anyone, but not enough to clear him, either. He can't bear the idea of continuing his old stagnating life in the city or going back to his job now everyone knows he's gay.<br><br>Thrown together in a small country village, can Phil and Laurie forge a new life that suits the two of them and the makeshift family who gathers round them? Or are they too tied up in their own shortcomings to recognise what they have?

Taking Stock

Phil’s glance flicked up from the page and whatever he saw made him give Laurie his full attention. “Hey…” His voice was gentle. “Come on, none of that.” He put a hand on Laurie’s shoulder, moving a bit closer as he did so. “I know I said that I wouldn’t push you. But thisis something I can help with, Laurie. I’m good with numbers.”


Laurie couldn’t answer. He swallowed around the lump suddenly rising again in his throat. “Phil…” he said, for no particular reason. He stared fixedly at the floor between his feet. He reallyneeded to ask Sal to come in here with the Hoover. And he needed new slippers. These ones were wearing through at the toes and the sheepskin lining was poking out. And they slipped a bit on the tile floor in the hall.


Chapter 25