Clifford Ames is almost forty years old, and his ever-patient dog, Bambi Turgelson, is his only friend. Why? Because his egotistical boss and former closeted lover, Lambert Morton takes fiendish pleasure in working him to death, twenty-four-seven. Clifford knows he should leave the company and his unrequited love behind, but he keeps punishing himself by staying and taking the abuse, thinking things will be different, one day.<br><br>A wedding invitation from a far-flung cousin gives him the impetus to make a change, even if it's just for a three-day weekend. Enter Jetson Briscoe, son of the owner of the picturesque resort where the wedding is being held. His own personal Paul Bunyan come to life, Jetson gives Clifford a glimpse of the kind of life he could have, without the stress and crippling headaches and possible ulcer he deals with day-to-day. Will it be enough to make him change?

All a Steer Can Do Is Try

“You think he’ll have a coronary?” I asked as I stepped out of my briefs.


“Fat lot of help you are,” I groused.


Minutes later, I was snuggled under the covers, with Bambi at the foot of the bed, curled into a ball. “Good night, baby girl.”


A tiny bark was her only reply before I was dead to the world.


My alarm went off at six. I rushed through a shower, two bran muffins and coffee before I was dressed and out the door after giving Bambi some goodbye love. The coffee didn’t feel that good in my stomach, and my head already hurt something fierce. I probably had an ulcer, which wouldn’t surprise me one bit.


I arrived on the top floor of the office building with minutes to spare. I went through my daily ritual of making sure everything Lambert needed was at his fingertips—bless his fussy little tyrannical heart—including messages, coffee and bagel with grape jelly, along with the morning paper and the agenda for his day.


Chapter 3