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  Jack shook his head, and leaned down to kiss Tyler long and deep. “No. Nothing at all.”

  After a lazy breakfast of coffee, toast, and fruit, Jack cleared away the dishes while Tyler went to get dressed. Part of him was tempted to offer again to go with Tyler to his aunt’s house. He’d enjoyed having Tyler at his flat and wasn’t ready for him to go, but meeting Tyler’s family wasn’t something he was ready for either. For now, Jack preferred to keep things between just the two of them.

  “Hey.” Tyler stood in the doorway to the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a worn-looking T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and slim frame. Wearing his glasses and with his hair a tousled mess, he looked soft and inviting, and Jack wasted no time walking over to him and slipping his arms around Tyler’s waist. “I need to go,” Tyler whispered, resting his head in the crook of Jack’s neck. “I’m already late.”

  Jack sighed and gave him a squeeze before stepping back. “Are you free for lunch next week?”

  Wednesday was the day they’d met last time, but that seemed ages away. Maybe they could meet—

  “I’m free on Monday.”

  “Me too.” Jack smiled. “Monday it is. Same pub as before?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  He walked Tyler to the door, pleased when Tyler turned back to give him a kiss goodbye. “See you Monday.”

  Tyler grinned at him. “Bye.”

  Feeling both content and a little lost as he watched Tyler drive away, Jack leaned against the doorframe. He was quite happy living on his own. Well, that was possibly stretching the truth. It was more like he’d got used to it and it no longer sucked quite as much. The new-found freedom of doing his own thing whenever he wanted to had its appeal, but Jack liked company. He liked to talk and share experiences—whether it was a new book he’d read or a recipe he wanted to try.

  He could rely on his friends only so many times to fill the void Simon had left behind. They had their own lives, and as Zena had told him from the start, he might have been happy with Simon, but he didn’t need Simon in order to be happy. Jack believed she was trying to tell him he could be perfectly happy living on his own if he stopped pining and wallowing in his own self-pity. And for once she hadn’t been as blunt as usual about it.

  And maybe she was right. He shouldn’t be looking for Tyler to fill the Simon-shaped hole in his life. Jack wasn’t the same person he’d been a year ago, and any new relationships he had would be different too. Regardless of what happened with Tyler, it was about time he started living again.

  First he wanted a home, not some cold lifeless flat that was a piss-poor imitation. He clapped his hands together with renewed energy and wandered into the bedroom to find his phone. Zena’s cousin was an estate agent. He’d used her to sell his old house, but he remembered Zena saying she’d changed employers a few weeks back. If he had to use an estate agent, he’d prefer it to be someone he trusted.

  Opting to talk to Zena in person rather than by text, Jack scrolled through his contacts and called her mobile.

  She answered with a laugh. “I thought you’d still be in bed. You’ve not kicked him out already, have you?”

  “He had to leave early to go help with family matters.” Jack walked back into the living room and stood looking out the French doors.

  “And you didn’t feel like joining him?” She laughed again when Jack sighed heavily at her down the phone. “Sorry, you know I’m only teasing. I’m still getting used to the fact you have a new boyfriend, and I get a little overexcited. So suck it up.”

  Jack flinched at the word boyfriend. He felt far too old for that term, but he let it pass. “Fine. But I hope you get used to it soon.”

  “Oh?” Her tone immediately turned curious. Jack imagined her with her head cocked to one side like a spaniel’s. “Are you planning on keeping this one?”

  Yes. “I just meant I’ll be glad when we can have a normal conversation without you acting like a gossipy schoolgirl.”

  Zena snorted. “As if that’ll ever happen.”

  Jack gave up and grinned. “True. I don’t know why I’m even bothering.” He opened the doors to let some fresh air in, and the urge to have a garden again had him itching to get things moving. “The reason I called is to ask where your cousin works now?”

  There was a pause before Zena replied. “Do you mean Sarah?”

  Jack rolled his eyes at himself. Of course she had more than one cousin. “Yes, sorry.”

  “She works at Worgan West now.” Another pause. When Zena spoke again, Jack could hear the excitement in her voice. “Are you thinking about buying a house?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my God!” She squealed down the phone and Jack quickly moved it away from his ear. “About bloody time. I hate seeing you miserable in that flat.”

  “It’s not that bad here.”

  She sighed. “No, it’s a perfectly nice flat in a great location. But you’ve made no effort to make it into a home, and you need somewhere with a bloody garden.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He missed getting his hands dirty. His work was great, he enjoyed it, but despite his job description, he didn’t get to be hands-on. There was something incredibly satisfying about planting your own garden and seeing all your hard work come to fruition. “So that’s why I wanted Sarah’s number.”

  He heard rustling at Zena’s end. “I don’t have it written down anywhere, just on my phone. I can send it to you once we’re—oh, I almost forgot. I’m meeting her for lunch on Wednesday. Why don’t you join us?”

  “I don’t want to impose on—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Her tone brooked no argument, so Jack gave up. It saved him having to arrange an appointment with Sarah, and he wouldn’t need to repeat everything later for Zena’s benefit. Which was probably her intention anyway, the nosy mare. “Okay, thank you.”

  “As much as I want to grill you some more about Tyler, I was on my way out when you called. Mark is now glaring daggers at me, so I have to love you and leave you.”

  She ended the call, and with a sigh, Jack set his phone down on the kitchen counter. One phone conversation wasn’t a big deal, especially when it was with Zena and not Sarah, but it was a start. He felt focused and energised in a way he hadn’t in months.

  With a clear goal in sight, he paced around his flat, pad and pen in hand, and noted down the things he wanted/didn’t want in his new house. Lunch with Sarah wouldn’t be ideal for talking about what he was looking for, but he could leave her with a list of his preferences. That should be enough for her to start looking for suitable properties.

  Thank God he leased his flat. The rent might be a bit steep compared to a mortgage, but it meant he didn’t have to go through the rigmarole of selling the place first. After doing his bedroom, kitchen, and living room, Jack paused in the bathroom doorway.

  If he was honest, this was one of his favourite rooms. Well, after last night it was, anyway. Everything in it looked brand new, obviously recently refurbished, and as Jack’s gaze rested on the huge shower, thoughts of a naked, wet Tyler popped into his head. He added “Need a big shower” to his list and underlined it twice.

  Finally he stood at the French doors leading off from his living area. Being a ground-floor flat, he had the advantage of his doors opening out onto the grassy area surrounding the building. It wasn’t a garden, though, or even a private space, and although the fresh air was nice in summer, Jack ached to have somewhere to sit out and entertain. Granted the weather hadn’t been great the last few years, but he missed taking advantage of those rare sunny days.

  The sun was out now, and Jack closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of early May. He would probably miss out this year—unless he was lucky—but next summer he wanted to be in his own house complete with a garden, a patio, and a barbecue. Finding the right house could take months, and he was prepared for that but also determined to get things started as soon as possible.

  After getting dressed, Jack
stood in his kitchen and glanced around, running a hand through his hair. The breakfast dishes had been cleared away, and the rest of the flat was reasonably clean and tidy. Usually on a Saturday afternoon, he’d go for a run, maybe catch up on work or read. None of those things sounded appealing right then. Jack was too restless to sit still, but he didn’t fancy a run either.

  He thought about Tyler busily helping out his family, and a flare of guilt hit him unexpectedly. When was the last time he’d spoken to his parents, let alone visited them? Christ, his friends weren’t the only ones he’d neglected lately.

  One quick call later, and his mind was made up. The surprised but delighted voice of his mother when she answered made him feel even worse, and before he knew it, he’d invited himself over for a late lunch.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tyler yawned and stretched his arms above his head. “Is that the last of it?” His back made a series of satisfying cracks, earning him a grimace from his aunt. Tyler grinned at her.

  “Yes. I think your father’s bringing the last box in now.” She gestured at his back and frowned. “Probably just as well by the sounds of it. Are you sure you don’t want to sit down for a bit?”

  Tyler shook his head. “I’m fine, just a bit sore.”

  At fifty-six, his auntie Deb was five years younger than his mum. She looked like a younger version of her sister too—same eyes, same wide smile. They both had a wicked sense of humour, and Tyler loved her almost as much as he loved his parents. “Well, I’ve just put the kettle on, so why don’t you have a cup of tea and a biscuit.”

  “I’m fine, really—”

  “Humour an old lady.” She pointed at the newly unpacked chairs and table next to them in the kitchen.

  Tyler rolled his eyes. “You’re not old.” She was only twenty years older than him, and probably did as much exercise as he did.

  “Trust me, after this weekend I feel every one of my fifty-six years.”

  She poured four mugs of tea and set them on the table along with a large biscuit tin. After shouting his mum and dad to come and get their drinks, she pulled out a chair and collapsed into it with a groan. “I’m doing nothing but laze around next week.”

  Tyler’s dad came through the back door then, a box held in his arms. He set it down on the counter and leaned back, resting against the edge of the worktop. “No change from what you’ve done all weekend, then.” Grinning at her outraged face, he glanced over at Tyler and winked.

  Tyler choked on his tea when Deb mouthed “Piss off” at his dad. Tyler covered it with a cough, or tried to, unsure how successful he’d been. From the smirk on his aunt’s face, probably not very.

  “Ooh, tea, thank God.”

  Tyler’s mum walked in, sat in the chair next to Deb’s, and reached for her mug. She took a sip, sighed, then paused and looked suspiciously between her husband and sister. “Are you two at it again?”

  Tyler’s dad looked innocently over his mug. “We were saying how well it’s gone with everyone helping.”

  “Of course you were.” His mum shook her head and ignored them, well used to them teasing each other after all these years. Instead she fixed her gaze on Tyler, and he shrank down in his seat. “So, Tyler. Anything new to tell me?”

  They hadn’t had much chance to chat yesterday. Tyler had been with his dad for most of the day, only seeing his mum as they dropped off the boxes. Now they were almost done, and she eyed him expectantly.

  She couldn’t possibly know about Jack. Tyler hadn’t told any of his family about him yet. Well, he’d mentioned him in passing to Deb yesterday when they were in the garden, but—He glanced over at her and groaned, covering his face with his hands when she grinned back at him.

  When he looked back at his mum, she appeared a little put out.

  “Why am I the last to know you’re in a serious relationship?” She sipped her tea but kept her gaze on him.

  Tyler sighed. He didn’t want to be having this conversation, ever, but especially not with his dad there too. “It’s not…. We’re not—”

  “Oh, come on.” Deb kicked him under the table. “It was written all over your face every time you mentioned his name.”

  “We’ve only been seeing each other for two weeks. There’s really not much to tell at this point.” He glared at his auntie. “I only mentioned him to you because he offered to come and take a look at your garden. He knows a few people in the business, and I thought you’d prefer someone you could trust. That is all.”

  He sat back in his seat with a huff, ignoring Deb silently laughing at him opposite.

  “Well.” His mum set her mug down. “At least tell me a bit about him.”

  Ugh. With another resigned sigh, Tyler sent an apologetic glance at his dad—who hated these talks as much as Tyler did—only to find him laughing at him too. Tyler narrowed his eyes, feeling betrayed.

  His dad held his hands up. “Sorry, son, but if they’re picking on you then it gives me a break.” He grinned, and with a parting wave, he took his tea and disappeared back outside.

  Traitor.

  Tyler played with the handle on his mug before meeting his mum’s gaze. “His name is Jack Bowman, and he’s a landscape architect.”

  He spent the next twenty minutes telling them about Jack and answering some of their questions while tactfully evading others. His mum worried about him, he knew that, and although he didn’t mind at all, at thirty-six years of age, it felt weird discussing his relationships with her. When he mentioned that to her, she rolled her eyes and told him he would always be her son no matter how old he was. She had a point.

  He made his escape as soon as he finished his tea, but not before promising to bring Jack to look at Deb’s garden the following weekend. He promised to ask him about it anyway.

  Aaron greeted Tyler with a wide smile and a wink when Tyler arrived at work the next day. He perched on the edge of Tyler’s desk and gave him a thorough once-over as Tyler gingerly lowered himself into his chair. “Somebody had a fun weekend by the looks of it.”

  Tyler shook his head and then groaned. His neck and the top of his shoulder ached. It hadn’t hurt this much when he’d gone to bed, but he must have slept funny. “I helped my auntie Deb move in to her new house.” He opened his desk drawer and searched for the ibuprofen he knew was in there somewhere. “Aha!” He pulled out the packet, popped two pills, and slipped them into his mouth.

  “Hmm. Well, that’s disappointing.” Aaron passed him a cup of coffee to wash the tablets down with, and Tyler smiled in thanks. “I was hoping for some juicy details about your torrid weekend of debauchery.”

  Tyler stared at him.

  “Sorry. I watched a surprisingly dirty period drama this weekend.” He waved away Tyler’s raised eyebrows and leaned forward conspiratorially. “You saw Jack Friday night, though, didn’t you? How did that go?”

  A quick glance at the office clock told Tyler they should be working and not sitting around chatting. “Yes, I saw him. It was great, but I have loads to do today, so shift your arse. Please.”

  “Fine.” Aaron stood and smoothed out his trousers. He ducked down as though he was looking at something on Tyler’s screen. “At least tell me you got him naked and orgasms were involved.”

  Tyler grinned, unable to help himself, and warmth bloomed in his cheeks.

  Aaron patted him on the shoulder as he straightened. “Nice one.”

  He left for his own desk without another word, and Tyler turned his PC on, ready to start his day.

  Despite wincing almost every time he moved, Tyler found the morning flew by, and before he knew it, it was twelve o’clock. By the time he got to the pub, Jack was already at the bar. Tyler greeted him with a smile.

  Jack grinned. “Hey. I’ve ordered you a Coke. That okay?”

  Tyler nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

  Jack paid for their drinks and then led them over to a table. Tyler sat down with a heavy sigh, and Jack asked, “Are you all right?”

&n
bsp; “My aunt has a lot of stuff.”

  Jack grinned. “Are you suffering today?”

  “You could say that. I thought I was relatively fit, but apparently not.” Tyler wondered how his dad was faring. Tyler had done most of the heavy lifting, so hopefully Dad wouldn’t be that bad. “But at least she’s all moved in now.”

  “That’s good, then. I bet she was glad of the help.”

  Tyler nodded as he took a drink of his Coke. “She was. I mentioned that you wouldn’t mind taking a look at her garden, and she almost bit my hand off. It’s a real mess at the minute.” He paused and shifted position again to try and relieve the ache in his back. “In fact she asked if you wouldn’t mind coming over at the weekend.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “I’m away Friday and Saturday night, but we could go over on Sunday if you’re free?”

  Jack paused to let the waitress set their food on the table, and then he smiled. “I am, but will you be back in time?”

  “Yeah, I’m only going up to Gloucester to see my brother. I’ll probably be back mid-morning.”

  “Okay, Sunday it is.”

  They made plans to meet for lunch and then go over to Tyler’s aunt’s afterwards, and Tyler smiled at Jack’s easy acceptance. Not that he’d been expecting him to refuse, but it was still nice to see him eager to meet her.

  Tyler sat back in his chair after finishing his sandwich. “So, what did you get up to at the weekend?”

  Jack’s smile was huge. “I arranged to meet with an estate agent—Zena’s cousin—and started making a list of things I’m looking for in a property.” He laughed and fiddled with his empty glass. “It’s still early days, but it feels as though I’ve turned a corner. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, and that’s great. If you need anyone to come and look at houses with you, then I’d be happy to help.”