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 take it this means you’ve been organising another career all this time and don’t intend to take your father’s place.”


“No. I mean, yes, then no. My interests lie elsewhere. As to the family firm, I’ll get to that. The point is, I always intended to offer you and your father a job. I intended to offer anyone who works for us a place, either with me or Mother, or in some cases a shared position. I’ll need gardeners. My mother won’t. Or, if she does, she’ll only need occasional help and I thought anyone could nip round and cut a lawn.”


“Granted. If. Of course, I didn’t count on your father not being here. I wanted…had hoped, to have your father’s input into how best to landscape the grounds along the lines of biodiversity. His and yours both.”


“I’m surprised you know he was interested in that kind of thing.”


Chapter 73