A Christmas Rose...

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

I needed a new driver and fast, Valentine's Day was right around the corner and I had no one but myself to deliver the hundreds of bouquets and Heath was perfect in every way for the job and was absolutely beautiful to boot but I wasn't about to let that get in the way of a great working relationship, after all, I knew the rules, you don't mix business with pleasure. If only my heart knew it too...
Ellis' delivery driver has let him down at one of the busiest times of the year and his new recruit is pretty much perfect for the job in every way - the fact that he's absolutely beautiful is just the icing on the cake, but Ellis feels it inappropriate to have a romantic relationship with his employee and starts to date another guy. As they get to know each other better throughout the year, it's becoming harder for the pair of them to deny their growing feelings for each other.
Heath continues to date guys through his dating app, realising that things are never going to happen romantically between the two of them, particularly now that Ellis has a boyfriend.. Everything is fine until one of the guys Heath dates turns out to be the very same guy that Ellis is calling his boyfriend...
Heath now has a dilemma on his hands, does he risk his friendship with Ellis, scuppering any future they may have together romantically by coming clean about his boyfriend, or does he keep quiet and hope it all goes away quietly...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780463465677

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

A Christmas Rose...

(Flower Power #1)

Heather Mar-Gerrison

Smashwords Edition

Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2022

Fabulous front cover courtesy of:

Shutterstock Designs

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.

Prologue

I sighed as I turned the OPEN sign over to show that I had closed business for the day. It had been an exhausting day and I was ready for a slobby evening in front of the TV in my PJs, the wood-burning stove on and a nice cup of hot chocolate – maybe with a little Baileys added for good measure... So what if I’d decided to give up alcohol as my New Year’s resolution...?

Can I have a quick word, boss? Susie called from the back where she was just collecting her coat to get herself off home for the night.

I suppressed a groan. This was going to hurt. Something was definitely up with Susie this week. Every time we’d had a few minutes together, she’d been jumpy – like a cat on a hot tin roof – and let’s just say I wasn’t surprised that she’d got something she needed to get off her chest.

I groaned inwardly. Susie was my one and only employee – it was, after all, a very small business – and she was brilliant. She was also very bright and I knew this job was only a stop-gap for her before she landed her dream job in marine biology and I had therefore, always known this day would come. I can tell you that I really wasn’t ready for it. Pasting on a bright smile that I really wasn’t feeling on the inside, I turned around, Sure, what’s up?

She bit her lip and eyed me with her head on one side. She could clearly sense the meltdown occurring within, Maybe you should sit down. She said, offering a small, apologetic smile.

Excuse me? Was I really that flaky that I couldn’t handle my employee handing in her notice? Well, yes, I probably was.

I sat down at the counter. The girl had a point.

She came towards me like a vet approaching a horse with a nail in it’s hoof. You know how I’ve got a degree in marine biology?

I nodded and tried to smile, Yes. I replied. She never let me forget it and I tried not to be jealous of the fact that she went to uni when I dropped out of college to go to work for my parents in their flower shop – that was now all mine, so it all worked out brilliantly, but still...

Unable to contain her excitement, even though she was ruining my life (okay, so not my life but I did tend to lean towards the dramatic) she squealed and did a little victory dance on the spot, I got the job at the university. I start next month!

I forced a grin while on the inside I was a hot mess. Where the hell was I going to magic up a new driver this close to Valentine’s Day? Th-that’s great. I said, nodding my head and trying my best to look happy for her. I was happy for her – she was going places with her career, doing what she loved. It wasn’t her fault she was making things impossibly difficult for me. I should have prepared better for this moment. Hell, I should have hired two drivers when I hired her anyway. She was just incredible. You’ll be a tough act to follow, sweetheart. I said.

She smiled charmingly, Thank you, she demurred, And right back at you. She came over and threw her arms around me – all back to touchy-feely now that my head hadn’t whirled around on my neck or exploded or something equally as grim. You’re the best boss ever!

I chuckled, Any ideas where I might find someone equally as brilliant as you?

She sighed and her smile disappeared, Well, no. Not really, she said, But my boyfriend works for the Really Big delivery company and they’ve just laid off a few guys – and those that are left there hate the new boss. Maybe if you put an ad online...

I wrinkled my nose, I don’t want to put an ad online. I hate doing anything like that. It was true. I was a total technophobe when it came to business. I could game with the best of them over the internet and I was addicted totally to my phone when it came to watching cute videos of kittens and dogs – and people making up new dance crazes that I always felt compelled to master – but from a work point-of-view? Well, let’s just say it didn’t cross over into my working life.

Hell, it had taken me all my time to get a website created that I could be bothered to update – something that had actually been really great for my business and now accounted for a good thirty per cent of my orders...

She gazed at me in exasperation, "Would you like me to place the ad?"

I smiled sweetly at her, It could be your parting gift to me. I said, Just please, make sure your replacement is perfect.

Susie smiled, "I will find the most perfect person. I promise. You’ll love him."

Him? Interesting choice of words. Did she already know someone? Just what was she up to?

Chapter 1 – The Interview...

Heath

I wouldn’t say I hated my job but it was something I said more often than I didn’t so, you know, maybe I did hate it...

I loved driving. I liked people and enjoyed a chin-wag at the door with the old dears – and the younger people too. All of those aspects of my job were enjoyable. Of course, no one likes traffic jams and queueing on the motorway is the biggest ball ache on the planet, but it wasn’t even that. It was the boss. He was a class A wanker. A total Neanderthal who lived to have a dig at me for having boyfriends instead of girlfriends. I mean, seriously? In this day and age? Get with the program, Granddad... Oh, and let’s not forget that the pay could definitely be better.

So, get a better job. I hear you mutter under your breath as you roll your eyes at my grumbling. And yes, good point, well presented. And so that’s what I decided to do. When my cousin Susie mentioned she was moving on from her current job, it made sense for me to at least have a look at applying for it, since she raved on about how great the pay was and how wonderful her boss was...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I did apply, and I got an interview. I knew the shop, of course I did but not only because my cousin had been working there for the last year or so. No, I knew it long before then because it had been a presence in the small town close to where I lived for as long as I could remember and it was charming even if it did have the worst name for a floristry ever. It was rare that they ever advertised for drivers, however and if it hadn’t been for Susie giving me the nod that she was quitting, I would never have known. I wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass me by to deliver locally rather than all the way around the country. Time was precious and I wanted a little me time back, thanks very much.

The pay really