Nolan Hawkins, a blond, pretty-boy accountant, hires on at Ashland Construction and soon crushes on his blue-collar boss, Joey Ashland. Joey specializes in buying and operating front loaders for the company, and to Nolan’s surprise, takes an interest in the accountant. Soon a secret romance begins to unravel between them. Joey whisks the accountant to his cabin in upstate New York, where the two share a romantic weekend together filled with heated lust. But when the couple returns to Ashland Construction on Monday morning, all hell breaks loose. Joey’s brother Brian is not an easy man to work for, and to top things off, he’s also a homophobic bully. When Brian learns of the relationship between Joey and Nolan, he gives the accountant an ultimatum: quit his job or quit Joey. A battle between the siblings ensues, but Nolan wages his own emotional battle. Should he keep his job and forget about his feelings for the front loader? Or should he end his accounting position and begin a new life with Joey away from Ashland Construction?

Front Loader

Brian tells me to get the fuck out of his office. I leave, shaking my head with an added slice of heartbreak. Half of me wants to quit on the spot and find a different job. The other half of me knows I have car and house payments, and other bills. I head to my office, sit down, and work my ass off for the rest of the day and the next week.


Truth is, I decide to keep my distance from Joey because I don’t want him and Brian to argue. Nor do I want to get canned. I’ve never been in this situation before. I’m always the perfect employee, hand in my work on time, do my job without any trouble—and I miss Joey the bear down to my core.


I don’t tell Joey or Patty about their brother’s ultimatum. Instead, I mind my own business, do my job, and act like my heart doesn’t hurt at all. I show up at eight-thirty every day and leave at five. Everything about me screams “Office man” until—


Chapter 14