Defined By Deceit

“Oh Llewell. I’m so sorry.” Shane kissed him gently over his heart.

“Shhh. Don’t be.” Llew pulled Shane up to him. Kissed him with all the love he felt for him. “I have you, Shane Smith Jr. Out of all of the deceit that plagued my life… I still came out on the other side of it with you, baby.” Llew ran his hands through the beautiful golden brown strands, cupping Shane’s face. “I’d already won before Moss decided to tell the truth.”

Llew gently rolled Shane onto his back and made slow, adoring love to him again. Their eyes and bodies sealing their very promising future. From that moment on, he vowed not to give Moss McGregor or Emporia another thought.

Epilogue

Llew, Leslie, and Shane sat at Ms. Pat’s table eating slices of sweet potato pie as their compensation for coming over to install a stove into the room above the garage. Since Llew had moved out three months ago, she’d been slow to rent it out again. “You boys want some more?”

“I do,” Leslie and Llew said. at the same time.

Shane leaned over and pinched Llew’s midsection. “All this pie is making you soggy around the middle, babe.” When Llew did odd jobs around town, he was most often paid with money and baked goods. The women couldn’t get enough of his charm, now that word of what a wonderful guy he was had quickly spread.

Llew swatted Shane’s hand away. “No it’s not.”

Actually it wasn’t. Llew was as rock solid as the day Shane had met him and fallen hard in front of the movie theater. Shane would watch Llew work out prison-style in their backyard. Sweat pouring off him while he bicep curled cinderblocks and did pushups and pull-ups until his muscles were too tired to move. It was so damn bad-boy erotic; Shane would quickly jump him as soon as he finished showering.

“Babe, we got to get going. We’re pitching to Holly Farms in the morning,” Shane said, standing to put his plate in the sink.

“Yeah, okay.” Llew picked up his plate and Ms. Pat’s. He leaned down to kiss her rosy cheek. “I’ll be back on Wednesday to cut your grass, okay?”

“Okay, dear.” She patted his cheek, standing to see them to the door like always.

They walked out at the same time Jim Sr. was walking up the porch stairs. Llew and Ms. Pat’s son still weren’t best friends but at least he was civil to him now, had even been man enough to apologize for being such a dick.

“Hey fellas,” he said, stepping aside and letting them come out first.

“How you doing, Jim?” Llew shook his hand on his way by.

“Good. Thanks, Llew.”

Shane rolled his eyes when he walked by. “Jim,” he said, with zero enthusiasm.

“Smith.” Jim rolled his eyes right back.

Ms. Pat huffed. “You two. I tell ya. Worse than brats on a playground.”

“He’s always starting stuff momma,” Jim Sr. grumbled, walking through the door.

“Whatever.” Shane threw over his shoulder.

“Augh. Ya sound like spoiled little chaps too.” She waved to them one last time, closing her front door.

Llew climbed into the driver’s side of his only slightly pre-owned Chevy Blazer. Shane got in on the other side, settling in for the short ride home. Their home. It was only a few months after they’d said, “I love you” that Shane wanted Llew with him twenty-four seven. Now that Llew was doing more of the design for Smith’s Construction, he was in the office in town most of the day, only on the site when Shane was shorthanded. It worked out well for them, made it easy not to drive each other crazy, giving them a little distance from each other during the day. Llew also coached a couple nights of week, giving Shane time to hang out alone with a few of his friends or just him and Jack. Just because he and Llew were in love, didn’t mean they didn’t have the same issues any other couple had. Llew could drive him crazy, and vice versa.

“Leslie are you getting on the road or you gonna come to the house for a while?”

“Naw, bro. My girl’s coming over tonight.” Leslie winked.

“Cool. Tell Melissa I said hi. Why don’t you both come back in a couple weeks, we’ll put some stuff on the grill, invite a few people over.”

“Will do.” Leslie hit the top of his truck and Llew pulled off. Even though they were a little over an hour apart, he and his brother visited often. Either he and Shane were going up there, or Leslie was coming down to see them.

Llew rubbed Shane’s leg while he drove through town, raising a hand here and there waving back as people acknowledged him. He turned down Dupoint, winding up the road to their house. Llew pulled his truck into the wide driveway, beside Shane’s Ford. He looked at the sleek addition attached to the back of the house. It was still new and very special to him. Shane had his converted garage that housed his woodshop and Llew had the large add-on room suitable for the amazing architect that he was. A room that inspired his innovative work. Tall textured walls, wide drafting tables dominating the center, his own executive-style desk, a study corner, everything he needed to create his masterpieces. Regardless of his lack of a degree. Once people saw his designs and his immaculately drawn blueprints, any concerns about education went right out the window.