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 tree? The sole other thing they did on the day was to view the house Richard planned to buy. Ethan ran the events through his mind but came away clueless.


“There’s all the lawn. The trees. The—”


“You took me along to offer me a job?”


Ethan threw back his head and laughed. His eyes stung, though his tears might be as much on account of amusement as sadness. The joke was on him. To think…No, this was too much. Richard wanted to poach his mother’s gardener and for what? For a little on the side? Two birds dead with one projectile? Ethan Fields. Gardener and rent boy. Conveniently situated on the grounds.


“Did you run it by your mother? Did you tell her you want to move out and take her staff? Are you planning on taking Rosie, too?”


“No. I mean, I would, if the day came she didn’t want to stay with my mother, but no, I would not offer her a job unless she needed or wanted one.”


Chapter 65