A warm-hearted rich man's son, Richard Gardener needs to overcome three obstacles: find a way the family business can run without him, help his mother cope with grief, and stop butting heads -- and other parts of his anatomy -- with the gardener.<br><br>Ethan Fields has worked for the Gardener family for many years. He’s struggling with debt and the desire to leave, and has loved Richard far longer than the man would believe. Ethan can cope with most things, but his anger with Richard’s mother won’t fade. Until that and his feelings for Richard are resolved, he feels trapped and, alas, the idea that sex will get Richard out of his system isn’t working.<br><br>To make the situation worse, both men assume too much and don’t say the right words, and Ethan’s offer of ‘just sex’ grows more complicated by the day. Can Richard and Ethan stop getting their wires crossed before their paths diverge?

Flowers for the Gardener

“I thought it long ago, and don’t ask me how. How does anyone sense these things? I was still unsure until you answered.”


“So you asked to see if I would say yes?”


“Pretty much. And because things have changed. We’re not young anymore, and we’re not inexperienced. I could have kept my mouth shut and let the chance pass, but what’s the point?”


“Chance?” The idea of the two of them getting together, of Ethan being interested, still struck him as too surreal to be genuine. Opportunities, though, sometimes only came along once. “If we…did. Where do you suggest we…” The word ‘consummate’ flittered, moth-like, through his mind. Fortunately, Ethan spoke before he said it aloud.


“Do the deed? Well, not here, and it’s too cold out.”


Chapter 9