Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires him to revamp Max’s rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and to Fredi, Max is a typical straight man’s man. When Max blatantly and clumsily flirts with Fredi, Fredi’s stereotypical view of Max is shattered. Is this a build-up to a gay bashing? Cautiously believing Max is closeted and is trying to come out, Fredi decides he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, whether it’s in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max's dilapidated cabin into a showplace or over one of the many lunches and dinners they share talking about the remodel. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually? Besides, Fredi has a backup plan if he’s wrong about Max’s intentions. Life would be all wine and roses if it weren’t for Max’s former friends and their conservative families. Alarmed with Max’s obvious infatuation, they make it their business to save him from sliding into hell. With the battle on, will Fredi and Max win the fight for a life of happiness together?

Redesigning Max

“We just come in for lunch, Sheriff,” one of them mumbled.


Dwayne glared at them as he was led out of the cafe.


“You ain’t heard the last of this,” he yelled over his shoulder—at whom, I wasn’t quite sure. It might have been to his friends as well as me.


“Kari and Max, guess I’m gonna have to ask you to come by the station and file a statement,” the sheriff said as he turned to follow his deputy and Dwayne.


I was cleaning off the knife point and putting my switchblade away when I felt Max’s breath behind me.


“Wow. I’m, uh, really surprised,” Max started, but I wheeled on him.


“Look, it’s been a weird day, and really, I don’t have any more to give it. I’ll see you when the project begins, okay?” Not waiting for a response, I walked up to the sheriff. “I’m going to your office now and writing out my statement, and then I’m going to find Jimmy and then go home. Okay?”


Chapter 15