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

“This is my house,” I said happily. “My house!”


He looked blank for a moment, then inquisitive. “Yeah? Could have sworn I built it. How’d it get to be yours?”


I waved my hands around the room. “It’s mine. I designed it. While I was in graduate school. I entered it into a design contest. It won! I won! This house won! The plans are famous.”


Okay, not precisely famous, but well-known enough. I’d won the coveted West Coast Design Competition with this entry.


“Oh yeah? I got an award-winnin’ house?”


This was so fabulous. I’d never seen the house, my very first dream house, in the flesh. I squirmed around in his office chair and stared at the floor plan.


Chapter 26