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

“You should come on up,” the other man said. “I know you’re probably cross as hell you can’t be on the shears, but they’re your sheep. You’re still in charge of the team.”


Laurie looked at him. Paul was unconcernedly stirring an obscene amount of sugar in to his tea. He was very carefully not meeting Laurie’s eyes.


“Paul?” Laurie said. “What’s going on?”


Paul shoved the final bit of his stolen toast in to his mouth and chewed it thoroughly. Then he swallowed and said, “You’re being really stupid, Laurie,” as he dived across the table to filch another bit off Laurie’s plate.


“Pardon?” Laurie said. “And stop it, I was going to eat that!”


“I’ll make you some more. You’ve got plenty left, anyway.” He took a defiant mouthful. “You’re being really stupid because you’re sat in here all day feeling sorry for yourself and thinking you’re useless. You’ve turned in to a bloody tortoise.”


Chapter 30