Page 21 of Putting Down Roots

“Been gardening, eh?” Anna’s eyes are full of mirth and excitement. “I bet you have.”

“It’s not like that,” I snap, and Anna frowns at me. “He’s straight.”

“When has that ever stopped you?”

“This is different.” I really don’t want to talk about Jackson to Anna. I don’t even know what to think myself half the time. But Anna is all too perceptive.

“You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”

“There’s nothing to tell.” I know that sounds weak, even by my standards.

“You have a devastatingly handsome man in your garden—who you claim you haven’t made a move on—and yet he’s managed to get you out in said garden, and inspired you to draw again. I take it that thisishis doing?”

I nod silently.

“And you don’t think to mention it to me, your oldest and best friend?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to say. It’s all such a mess.”

“A mess? But you want him, don’t you?”

I give her a withering look. I mean, she might not have seen him in person, but she has seen his picture. She tilts her head in a nod, a concession that it was a stupid question.

“Of course I do, but I don’t want to mess it up with him. He’s really nice, and kind. What if I frighten him away? What if he is not up for trying something different, or even worse, homophobic?”

“Has he given you any indication that he is?” Anna looks worried, her protective expression falling into place.

“No. He . . . er . . . hugs me.”

“Hugs you?” Now she looks confused. “Why does he hug you?”

“Once, I was about to have a panic attack and I said hugging helps, and now, he hugs me.”

“Let me get this straight. You have a super hot guy in your garden, who has helped you get your mojo back, and if you have panic attacks, he hugs you?”

“Yes, he is pretty awesome.”

“Sounds like he’s a fucking unicorn.” She won’t let it lie though, “And you weren’t going to tell me?”

I shrug. “You can meet him tomorrow.”

“What’s his name?”

“Jackson Blake.”

“Oh, that is a manly name. Nope, I’ve changed my mind. You have no chance of turning a guy with a name like that.” I know when she’s gone back to teasing me that we’re all good again and I’m no longer in trouble for not telling her.

CHAPTER 19

Jackson

I feel good.Life is good. Another stop at the bakery for breakfast and then on to Larchdown House. I don’t go up the drive this morning, I have some bags of compost in the van for my seedlings, who are ready to go into bigger pots. The greenhouses are closer to the smaller gate, so I don’t have as far to carry them. With them offloaded I can’t be bothered to move the van, so I grab breakfast and walk up to the house, figuring Luca should be up by now.

Luca—who I can’t get out of my head. Luca—who is on my mind when I pump my cock in the shower. Luca—who feels like home. Luca—who is sweet and vulnerable, and who I really want to tell how much I’m feeling for him.

I open the door and see Luca by the coffee machine. He has his back to me. He’s in his bathrobe, hair in a towel. I quite like it when he appears like this in the morning—but I realise that it isn’t Luca. It’s a woman. She turns around when she hears meopen the door. I’m already at the kitchen island by the time I’ve taken all this in.

“Well, hello handsome stranger.” She flashes me a brilliant smile.

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