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

“The kitchen doesn’t need cooling down. Either choose something or close the door.”


Ruby’s tone lowered the temperature several degrees, made Rich close his eyes to protect them from freezing. He took advantage of his concealment behind the refrigerator door—time enough to take a deepbreath before he slammed it shut. The perverse pleasure of the unit rocking, and items knocking inside,died as his mother ignored the display of emotion. As always, her habit of ignoring him served to put him in his place and make him small. The realisation she still managed to affect him made his irritationworse.


Jaw aching, he folded his arms across his chest. “No roast today?” A purposely facetious question—ifthey wanted to eat, the first dish should be baking already. “Seems wasteful.”


“It won’t spoil in so short a time. I’m sure Rosamund will be able to whip something out of it tomorrow. Or, if your sister shows, we can enjoy a belated Sunday lunch on a Monday evening.”


Chapter 32