An Unexpected Gift and Seventy-One — Susan Horsnell

TWO MM ROMANCE SHORT STORIES AN UNEXPECTED GIFT Mason lived with his family on a property in Queensland, Australia. It was a cattle property he loved. Where his heart and future both lay. A future he hoped would have his best friend by his side. Corey was a town kid. A restless soul. Confused and unhappy with life. He was Mason's best friend and the two spent hours riding and working the Peterson property together. So why did Corey suddenly up and join the army at the tender age of seventeen? What was the secret he harboured? Eleven years pass before Corey arrives back in town. Eleven years of Mason hearing nothing about the man. Would Corey's secret be revealed and can Mason forgive him for the heartbreak his leaving caused? ***SEVENTY-ONE Damien and Logan had been best friends since starting high school seventeen years earlier. They were two young men who did everything together. Damien was the loving son of parents who had always shown him unconditional love, while judgmental and biased parents raised Logan. At fourteen and feeling confident of his friend's acceptance, Logan confessed to Damien that he was gay. He also vowed that he would never disrespect his straight best friend by hitting on him. As the years passed, Logan hid his true feelings for Damien, not willing to jeopardize their close friendship. But when a tragedy reveals how Damien really feels about his best friend, will Logan lower his walls and take what he's always wanted? Note: Both stories are set in Australia and are written in Australian English.