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Title Page

Book Description

Epilogue

About the Author

A HUSH OF GREEK

(Out of Olympus #4)

Tina Folsom

Book Description

After a devastating heartbreak, Eros, the god of love, is disillusioned with love and refuses to shoot his arrows. As a result, people on earth aren’t falling in love anymore. When Zeus gets wind of it, he’s furious and seeks help from Eros’s best friends and fellow gods Triton, Dionysus, and Hermes. They are tasked with making Eros believe in love again. And what better way than to make him fall in love with the enticing human florist Psyche, who’s just as cynical about love as Eros?

ALSO BY TINA

Stealth Guardians

Scanguards Vampires

Phoenix Code Series with Lara Adrian

Out of Olympus

Venice Vampyr

Eternal Bachelors Club

* * * * *

A Hush of Greek

* * * * *

Love. The biggest con of all time!

Eros huffed and strolled aimlessly along sleepy King Street in the center of Charleston. A canopy of sparkling stars blanketed the night sky, providing a romantic backdrop for the cozy restaurants lining the street, many of which had thrown open their windows and French doors to provide al fresco dining on this unusually warm Valentine’s Day. But there was no romance in the air.

Despite the tempting offers of half-price prix-fixe dinners for couples, there were few takers. No young lovers walked hand-in-hand to celebrate their new relationship, no marriage proposals were being made tonight. All because of Eros.

It was ironic. He’d always loved Valentine’s Day, because it was the day on which he could see the fruits of his labor in all their glory. First love, engagements, happy couples. It was what he’d lived for ever since he could remember. Being the god of love had seemed like the best job in the world. Shooting his arrows and making mortals fall in love had never been a chore. He’d taken pride in it, and his heart had warmed every time he watched another couple fall in love and start a life together.

But he hadn’t had the same luck he’d bestowed on so many mortals. No, he, the god of love, had experienced heartbreak so painful that it had obliterated his belief in love altogether. He now knew that love was only an illusion. It wasn’t real. Never had been. So how could he in good conscience make mortals fall in love, when he knew that it was all a lie? Why do it when it would all end in pain and sorrow, in tears and broken hearts? No, he couldn’t be that cruel.

So he’d done the only thing he could to save the mortals from what he’d been through: he stopped shooting his arrows. While some mortals still fell in love for some inconceivable reason, they made up only a tiny percentage of the world’s population. The rest needed that little push that his arrows provided. And which he was now withholding.

As he continued walking, restaurant owners tried to entice him to enter their establishments, but he declined and continued on his aimless path. He passed a shop called In Vino Veritas, a wine store, which belonged to the wife of his fellow god Dionysus. Dio had found love with a mortal several years earlier. But how long would it last? What if Ariadne were to leave Dionysus too, despite having given him a son in their first year of marriage? How could anybody ever be sure that their love would last? How could they live their lives with such uncertainty hanging over them, knowing it could end in a flash?

A lightning bolt suddenly split the sky, followed by deafening thunder. Eros glanced up at the cloudless canopy and lifted his right hand, middle finger extended.

“Screw you, Zeus!” he hissed under his breath.

Eros knew all too well that he was being summoned, but he had no intention of accepting Zeus’s invitation to join him on Mount Olympus. Apparently Zeus didn’t appreciate that, because a few moments later, more lightning lit up the night, and the rumbling thunder grew more threatening.

“I heard you the first time, old man,” Eros grunted. “Can’t you take a hint?”

All of a sudden, he felt a surge go through his body, and realized he was being teleported away.

“No, and apparently you can’t either,” Eros heard Zeus say the moment he felt solid ground under his feet again.

He didn’t have to glance around to know where he was. This was Zeus’s study in his palace on Mount Olympus. It was early morning here. Large French doors led out to a terrace overlooking the mortal world of Greece, while a large, round, mirror-like inlay in the floor provided Zeus with a view to anywhere in the world: his all-seeing eye. The room was as opulent as the mortals would imagine the god of the gods’ palace to be: white marble everywhere, columns galore, murals on the walls, and skylights in the ceiling. But Eros didn’t take even a second to appreciate the beauty in front of him. Nor to greet his grandfather, who looked like a handsome man in his prime, impeccably dressed, as always, in designer clothes that made him look like he’d just come back from a fashion shoot for a men’s magazine.

“What do you want?” Eros barked.

“A little respect would go a long way, boy.”

“I’m not your boy!”

“Then why are you behaving like one? You’ve been neglecting your duties.”

Eros narrowed his eyes. “Leave me be.” He tried to turn and teleport away, but felt a strange force rooting his feet to the ground, rendering him immobile.

“Obviously you’re not going anywhere. So you might as well listen to what I’ve got to say.”

“A whole lot of good that’ll do,” Eros grunted under his breath.

“In light of the fact that you’d rather be somewhere else, I’ll make this quick,” Zeus said pleasantly.

But Eros knew his grandfather well enough to know what was brewing under the other’s seemingly calm exterior. He’d been at the receiving end of one of Zeus’s rants before and knew what was coming. He wasn’t afraid. There was nothing the old man could do or say to sway him. His mind was made up: there would be no more romantic love in the mortal world.

“Do you have any idea of the problems your inaction has caused?” Zeus thundered, his face suddenly only inches from Eros’s though he hadn’t seen the god of gods move.

Fuck! He hated it when Zeus did that. It involuntarily made his heart race, and he’d vowed never to let Zeus rattle him. Instinctively he balled his hands into fists. He’d never struck his grandfather, but there was a first time for everything.

“Not talking, are you, boy?”

He hated that, too, the way Zeus called him boy as if he were a servant, not a fellow god. But he’d be damned if he let the old man goad him into a response.

“Then let me lay it out for you, since you clearly can’t see your own mistakes.” He pointed to the eye in the floor. “Businesses are closing because of you: florists, wedding planners, hotels, wedding chapels, wedding dress designers. There’s a shortage of housing, because nobody’s moving in together anymore. Restaurants are empty. Nobody’s going on dates. Midwives are abandoning their profession. Do you get the picture?”

Eros tightened his shoulders. “Are you done?”

“No, I’m not done! I’ll be done when you start doing your job again! You’re the god of love, for fuck’s sake! You have a duty. And you’ve been slacking off for how long? A year? Eighteen months?”

Eros filled his lungs with air, unable to hold back the answer. “One year, two months, and thirteen days, since you’re asking.” As if he could ever forget the day he’d been betrayed.

“Pull yourself together. I’ve given you some time, boy. I’ve been lenient, but this has gotten out of control. Aphrodite is appalled at your behavior.”

“Let’s leave my mother out of this.”

“Let’s not.” One side of Zeus’s lip curled up slightly. He knew about Eros’s unconditional love for his mother and would exploit it if it suited him.

“Cheap shot, Zeus, even for you.”

“Would you rather we involve your father?”

Eros contemplated his grandfather’s words for a moment. Zeus was locked in a constant battle with Ares, the god of war, and had done everything to destroy the union between him and Aphrodite. Maybe because Zeus had wanted Aphrodite for himself—lecherous old fool. However, there was no way Zeus would admit to Ares that he couldn’t bring Eros back in line. So Eros called his bluff.

“Given that good old Dad loves a good war, I think he’ll be on my side in this little dispute.” He folded his arms over his chest, waiting.

Zeus poked his index finger into Eros’s pectorals. “You listen to me, boy. You get that magical bow and arrow of yours and start shooting twenty-four hours a day.”

Eros didn’t budge an inch. “Shoot ‘em yourself.”

Zeus raised his arms, and suddenly bolts of lightning shot from his fingers. The lightning bolts exited through the doors and rolled down the mountain. His anger was palpable now.

“You know as well as I do that you’re the only one who can shoot the arrows.”

Eros was fully aware of it. Should another god ever shoot one of his arrows and hit someone, it could have devastating consequences. He remembered all too well what had happened to Triton after Orion had shot him with one of Eros’s arrows. Triton, who’d temporarily lost his godly powers, fell in love, even though the arrows normally had no effect on a god. And even after gaining his powers back, Triton remained in love with his now-wife Sophia, although the effect should have vanished at that point. Eros could only speculate what would happen if another god shot mortals with the magical arrows. Quite possibly they could even have the opposite effect.

But he shrugged nevertheless, because he didn’t care anymore. He’d stopped caring a year, two months and thirteen days ago. “Too bad. Guess we’re done here.”

“I say when we’re done!” Zeus thundered even louder than before. “I will punish you! You hear me?”

“I hear you, and so does half of Greece.” Eros jerked his thumb over his shoulder indicating the mortal world below the mountain. “Go ahead. Punish me! See if I care.”

To his surprise, Zeus let out a heavy sigh. “Why, Eros?”

“True love is a lie. I should have seen it earlier.” He stared right at his grandfather, hoping that maybe now he would understand. “How can I do this to those mortals? Make them fall in love and then watch as they get their heart ripped out? Have some compassion!”

“We all get disappointed from time to time,” Zeus hedged.

“Disappointed? You think I’ve been disappointed? Try betrayed.” The thought of it still produced a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Nothing can have been so bad—”

Eros lifted his hand. “How would you know? You’ve never loved anybody but yourself.”

Zeus lifted an eyebrow in apparent surprise. Slowly he shook his head. “I’ve loved many women.”

“You mean you lusted after them,” Eros corrected him. Zeus was well known for his raging libido, his affairs, and his many illegitimate children, both in the world of the gods and the mortal world.

Zeus narrowed his eyes. “I know the difference between love and lust. But maybe you need a lesson.”

“Not interested.” Even lust had deserted him. He hadn’t touched a woman in over a year. He’d had no urge for sex, no appetite for chasing any woman, no interest in vigorous bed sport.

For a moment, there was silence in Zeus’s study, then the god of gods turned abruptly and walked to his desk. He sat down, then looked up at Eros. “My blood runs through your veins. Don’t think you’re so different from me. You need love just as much as the rest of us. And I’m going to prove it to you.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Eros scoffed. “Are we done?”

“For today.”

Eros turned on his heel.

“And Eros, I don’t think you know what love is. Not yet, anyway,” Zeus claimed.

“If that’s the case I’m sure not gonna learn it from you.” Choosing not to wait for Zeus’s retort, Eros teleported away.

Dionysus had spent the weekend with his wife Ariadne and son Thoas at his vineyard in Napa and had teleported the three of them back to their home in Charleston earlier in the morning. After dropping Ari off at In Vino Veritas, the wine shop she owned, he’d planned on taking a stroll along the waterfront with his son. He loved spending time with him, particularly now that Thoas had started walking and babbling quite happily. The boy had a thick head of dark hair and looked like a miniature version of himself. Dio couldn’t be happier that Ari had gifted him with a son.

Looking back at his life before he’d met her, when he’d been a incorrigible philanderer and drinker, he could have never imagined how much he would love being a family man and being faithful to the love of his life. Perhaps he should ask Zeus to give the job of god of wine and ecstasy to somebody else—though he still loved his wine, and ecstasy with Ari was a frequent occurrence and better than ever.

His walk with Thoas was cut short by a text message from the god of seafarers and sailors, his best friend Triton.

Urgent, the message said. Get your ass here pronto.

Here was Triton’s home on Battery Street, a vast old villa his mortal wife Sophia had inherited and turned into a B&B, the Olympus Inn.

Dio looked around. Lots of people were milling about, walking to work or school. He lifted his son into his arms.

“We’ve gotta go see Uncle Triton,” he told the boy.

Thoas let out a gurgling laugh. “Triton, zip-zip!” He clapped his hands excitedly.

“Sorry, Thoas, no zip-zip today.” There were just too many people in the vicinity who could witness him teleport—an action Thoas was calling zip-zip, because of how fast the trip was. Thoas loved it, and Dio was constantly instilling the need for secrecy in him, hoping that soon his son would understand when teleporting was acceptable and when it had to be avoided. “We don’t want to get caught, remember?”

He looked at Thoas who gave him a disappointed stare. “No zip-zip?”

“Maybe later, okay?” Seeing the frown on his son’s face, Dio added, “Wanna ride on my shoulders?”

“Yay!”

He lifted the boy onto his shoulders and, holding onto his hands so he couldn’t fall backwards, he made his way to the B&B. At the door, which was always left unlocked during business hours, he lifted Thoas off and carried him up the stairs, where he set him on his feet.

“Shall we find Uncle Triton?” he asked the boy, bending down to him. Triton was, of course, not Thoas’s uncle but Dio’s cousin, but the boy was too young to know the difference, and both Sophia and Triton treated Thoas like a nephew.

It turned out a prolonged search wasn’t necessary. Sophia, Triton’s lovely wife, came out of the dining room and smiled at him. “Morning, Dio. He’s in the study.”

“Morning, Sophia.”

She approached and reached for Thaos. He ran toward her and threw himself into her arms, trusting her to catch him. She cuddled him for a moment, then looked up. “Do you want me to watch him while you talk to Triton?”

Dio was about to accept her offer, when Thoas twisted himself out of her arms and ran toward him again. “Uncle Triton,” he babbled.

Dio smiled at Sophia. “Guess he wants to be with the boys.” He took his hand. “Do you know what’s so urgent?”

Sophia shrugged. “Not sure. Hermes showed up a few minutes ago. He said Zeus wanted a word.”

“Well that’s just great. Hope I can keep my breakfast down.” Seeing Zeus was never high on his list of favorite activities. He usually needed a few drinks before he could stomach his sire.

“I thought you guys are getting on better these days,” Sophia said.

Dio forced a smile. “Because we see each other less.”

Sophia chuckled. “Ah, so there was a reason…” She turned toward the stairs. “See you later.”

“See you.” He watched her walk to the third floor, then he bent to his son. “Looks like you’re gonna see Grandpa today.” And luckily Zeus was quite taken with his grandson. Maybe that would take the heat off Dio, because whenever Zeus showed up unannounced or requested a talk, it was bad news.

Holding his son’s hand, Dio walked toward Triton’s study, which was located at the end of the long corridor and overlooked the large and well-maintained garden. Dio knocked briefly, and when he heard “Come in”, he entered.

Triton wasn’t sitting behind his desk where he normally took care of the finances and other business associated with running a B&B. Instead he was leaning against it, while Hermes, the messenger god—and another one of Zeus’s many sons—paced near the window. From the corner of his eye, Dio saw a movement and turned his head. Zeus rose from a comfortable armchair.

“About time you showed up!” Zeus growled, obviously in a bad mood.

Deciding not to dignify these unreasonable words with an answer, Dio let go of Thoas’s hand and bent toward the kid. “Wanna say hi to Grandpa?”

“No!” Thoas proclaimed and suddenly wrapped his arms around Dio’s leg and held on for dear life. He had to hand it to his son: he had good instincts. It was better not to approach the old man when he was in one of his moods.

Zeus only briefly glanced at the boy, nodded quickly, and said, “Later then.” Then he looked at Dio, Triton, and Hermes, his expression one of determination. This was no family visit. The god of gods had come to discuss business.

Dio exchanged a quick look with his two friends, but both remained silent, clearly just as clueless as he about who’d pissed off Zeus this time.

“Now that we’re finally all assembled, let me get to the point,” Zeus started, his voice deep and gravelly, much like the thunder that often rumbled through the sky in this part of the world. “Eros is out of line.”

A collective sigh of relief went through the room. It seemed Dio hadn’t been the only one who’d assumed that he’d done something to anger Zeus.

“What do you mean, out of line?” Hermes dared ask.

Bad move. Zeus turned his glare on Dio’s half-brother. “He’s refusing to shoot his arrows.”

“Oh,” Hermes murmured and dropped his gaze to his winged sandals.

Triton grunted something unintelligible, and Dio coughed, while patting his son’s hair. They were all aware that their good friend was in a slump and was taking a break from his usual activities. Apparently that fact had finally come to Zeus’s attention.

“Fuck me!” Zeus cursed. “You all knew about this? And none of you thought it necessary to inform me earlier?”

A lot of shoulder shrugging followed Zeus’s question. What was there to say?

“He just needs some time off,” Dio said, hoping Zeus would cut Eros some slack. The guy had been through a lot.

“Yeah,” Triton chimed in, “he’ll be as good as new soon.”

“Totally,” Hermes added.

Zeus took a step toward Dio. “Time off? He’s a fucking god! He doesn’t get time off. He needs to be taught a lesson he’ll never forget. Do you have any idea what his inaction is doing to the world?”

“So a few less people fall in love.” Dio shrugged. “No big deal.”

“No big deal?” Zeus was right in his face now. “Let me explain to you what a big fucking deal it is.” He glared at Triton and Hermes to make it clear that the explanation was meant for all of them. “There’s a housing shortage, because young people are living on their own. They’re not moving in together anymore. They’re not shacking up, not getting engaged, not getting married. Businesses are closing: florists, wedding planners. Even restaurants. Nobody’s going on dates, nobody’s buying flowers for their new love. Hotels complain about huge vacancies, particularly on weekends, when the business travelers are home. There are no young couples going on vacations together. Birthrates are down dramatically. Hospitals are letting midwives and nurses go.”

Dio cleared his throat. “Surely, people are still having sex. I mean—”

“Yes, they’re still having sex,” Zeus shot him down and pulled a cell phone from his pocket, pointing to it. “That’s all they’re having. They use some App to hook up. Tinger or something.”

“Tinder?” Hermes asked.

Zeus narrowed his eyes at the messenger god.

Hermes quickly raised his hands in defense. “Must have read an article about it recently. Never used it myself, of course. Penny and I, we’re very happy.”

Dio could attest to that. The couple couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and the sight was positively nauseating.

“Yeah, whatever. The only thing that’s up in this economy is the stock price of this Tinder App and condom sales. But all these people do is have sex. There’s no emotional connection. No interest in relationships. They see no future. This world is doomed because of Eros. Because he’s had his fucking heart broken by some floozy.”

“It was a tough breakup,” Triton defended his friend. “He loved her.”

Zeus made a dismissive hand movement. “Bullshit! That boy has never truly loved any woman. He has no idea what true love is. Otherwise he wouldn’t deny happiness to millions of mortals.”

Dio sighed. “Why don’t you try talking to him? I’m sure he’ll come ‘round once you’ve made your point.”

“What the fuck do you think I did yesterday?” Zeus growled. “I summoned him. And what does he do? He practically spits in my face and tells me to kiss his ass.”

Dio looked at his two friends. Both grimaced. Yes, what Zeus described sounded very much like something Eros would do.

“And he refused point blank to shoot any more arrows,” Zeus continued.

Dio lifted his hands in resignation. “Then I’m not sure what you want from us. All we can do is help him through this, and eventually, he’ll be back to his usual self.”

A sly smile formed on Zeus’s lips. “Now that’s where you’re wrong. Where you’re all wrong.” He pointed at the three of them. “You’re going to make sure he starts shooting his arrows again. You have one month.”

“What?” Hermes choked out.

“But how?” Triton grumbled.

Dio shook his head. “He needs time to heal.”

“Bullshit! He needs to get his head out of his ass and do his duty. And the three of you are going to make sure that’s exactly what he does.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Dio said, sighing heavily. “You can’t force things like this.”

Zeus narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. “I’ll bet you’ll consider otherwise when you realize what’s at stake for all of you.”

Dio swallowed hard. He didn’t like Zeus’s tone; whenever he employed that tone, bad news was coming. “At stake for us?”

“You have one month from today to get Eros back in the archery business. Or I’ll ban all three of you from the mortal world and confine you to Olympus.” He paused for effect. “Without your wives.” He looked down to where Thoas was still hanging onto Dio’s leg. “Or your children.”

Dio’s heart stopped, and instinctively he pulled his son up into his arms, pressing him to his chest and holding him tight. “That’s bullshit. You can’t do that.”

“I can, and I will.”

As the threat rippled through the room, Dio could sense that Triton and Hermes were in the same state as he. Neither wanted to lose their family. Both of them had married for true love and were prepared to risk everything for the women who owned their hearts.

Sobering, he asked, “What do you expect us to do?”

“Make him believe in love again.”

“But how?”

“That’s up to you. But be quick about it. My patience is wearing thin.”

Before anybody could say anything else, Zeus vanished in front of their eyes.

Thoas stretched his arm out to where his grandfather had stood only moments earlier and blurted, “Zip-zip, bullshit.”

Dio wanted to curse. “Thoas!” Not only had Zeus given them an impossible task, but he’d also just taught his two-year-old son his first swearword. “Ari is going to kill me.”

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He turned his head and found Hermes frowning at him. “That’s the least of our problems right now. Besides, you’re immortal. She’ll probably just withhold sex for a few weeks. You’ll be fine. You’ve done it before and survived it.”

Dio didn’t miss the underhanded punch. Before their marriage, Ari had dealt him the abstinence card in order to get back at him for his terrible behavior toward her. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“What are friends for?”

“Can we get to the problem at hand?” Triton interrupted.

Hermes nodded, as did Dio.

“We need to sit Eros down and tell him what’s at stake. I’m sure once he sees reason, he’ll turn this whole thing around,” Hermes claimed.

Dio shook his head. “He’s too stubborn, and frankly, at the moment feeling too sorry for himself. He won’t budge. He’s already risking Zeus’s wrath. He’s got nothing else to lose.”

Triton pushed away from his desk. “I agree with Dio. We tell Eros nothing about Zeus’s demand. It will only make him resist more.”

“But if he knew what was at stake for us,” Hermes added, but Triton stopped him.

“He can’t know about it or he’ll start an all-out war with Zeus. Love will be the last thing on his mind.”

Hermes raised his hands. “So what do you suggest? We just wait for him to fucking get over it and start shooting again?”

Dio grabbed his arm. “Hermes, not in front of my son.”

“What?”

“You said fuck.”

“Oh sorry.” Hermes shrugged. “But now you said it, too.”

Dio sighed.

“I have an idea. Anybody want to hear it?” Triton asked casually.

Heads turned to him. “Shoot,” Dio said.

“When he and Gloria broke up, he lost his belief in true love. Ergo, we have to make him believe in love again. Simple.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Hermes asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Easy: make him fall in love.”

“But—”

“Gods don’t need the help of Eros’s arrows to fall in love. We just have to find the right woman for him and make sure the circumstances work out so that he opens his heart. It’s a little manipulative, but once we throw them together and the chemistry is right, we just have to sit back and wait.”

“May I remind you that we only have a month?” Dio said. He stroked his hand over his son’s soft hair. “And I’m not leaving Ari or my son.”

“You won’t have to,” Triton assured him. “Not if we work together and find the right woman. We all know what he likes in terms of looks and personality. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“What about the woman? What if she isn’t receptive?” Hermes asked, his voice full of doubt.

“Have you ever met a woman who was able to resist Eros when he turned on his charm?” Triton asked.

Dio started grinning, and Hermes joined him. Eros had a way with the ladies. Resistance was futile once he set his sights on somebody.

“Good,” Triton concluded. “Let’s get to work then. Let’s find him a woman he won’t be able to keep his hands off.”

“Agreed. Let’s do this.” Dio looked at Thoas. “Right, son?”

His son gave him a toothless grin as if he’d understood every word the men had spoken.

“Okay,” Triton said, all businesslike. “Who do we know?”

Psyche heaved the potting soil from the back of her old pickup truck and hoisted it over her shoulder. She’d already carried her gardening tools into the garden of the Olympus Inn, a B&B she did flower arrangements for. On-site gardening wasn’t usually part of her service, however, after many of her other steady jobs had dried up—namely providing flowers for engagement parties and weddings—she’d approached Sophia, the owner of the inn, to ask if she wanted her garden spruced up.

She’d been in luck. Sophia, a sweet woman her own age, had proclaimed that she’d been searching for a gardener since she and her husband Triton couldn’t do the work themselves any longer. Neither of them had a green thumb, she’d claimed. Whether it was true, or whether Sophia had somehow guessed the dire situation Psyche was in and wanted to help, didn’t really matter. It was a job, and Psyche was grateful for it. Her small florist shop was in financial distress. She’d let her assistant go two months earlier, unable to continue paying her wages. But even with the severe cuts she’d made to her overheads, she wasn’t certain that her business would survive.

Strangely, her flower business wasn’t the only one that was doing badly. She’d noticed that all over Charleston the smaller florists had closed shop. Only the larger ones and those who could get commercial work, such as providing floral services to corporate offices and public gardens, were surviving. Psyche was determined to be one of them and not let her dream of owning her own business die, even if that meant she had to cut back on other things.

Psyche carried the heavy bag of soil into the garden and dropped it next to her tools. The garden was a beautiful oasis of colorful flowers, bushes, and small trees, with a tranquil fountain in the middle—though many of the plants needed tending to. Access from the huge villa was through French doors from the rooms on the ground level, as well as via a wooden staircase connected to the large porch on the second floor of the house. More French doors led from the house onto the porch. Several were open, and Psyche could hear the voices of several men drifting toward her.

She looked up for a moment. The voices were coming from Triton’s office. She’d visited the inn almost every week for the last year, picking up her check at the same time as she took care of the flower arrangements inside the house. She’d fallen in love with the house the moment she’d first stepped inside. She considered working in its garden a privilege.

A short while later, she wiped the sweat off her brow, admiring the new row of perennials she’d planted. She sat back on her heels and took a swig from her water bottle. It was rather warm even though it was only mid February. The fifteenth to be exact. And the only reason she knew the date, was because yesterday had been Valentine’s Day, and when she’d closed up at the end of the day, her sales hadn’t even added up to a quarter of her sales from the previous Valentine’s Day. Even the year before, Valentine’s Day hadn’t been stellar. She sighed. There was no use crying over spilled milk.

“You okay, Psyche?”

Psyche turned her head and saw Sophia descending the stairs from the balcony.

She rose to her feet and smiled at her client. “Everything’s fine. Hope you like the colors.” She pointed to the row of newly planted flowers. “I thought you could use a little variety.”

Sophia, dressed in slimming navy Capri pants and a loose cream colored blouse, joined her on the lawn. Her long dark hair grazed her shoulders and looked like she’d just stepped out of an expensive hair salon. Psyche could only imagine what she looked like in contrast. Most likely like a scarecrow, strands of hair having escaped her ponytail and dirt staining her ripped jeans and baby-blue tank top.

With a glance at the flowers, Sophia said, “They’re gorgeous! I’m so glad you’re doing this. Triton and I just don’t have the time. There’s so much to do in the house with the guests, you know.”

“I’m really grateful for the job. And it’s a wonderful property. I’ve always admired your garden. It has so much potential.” The moment she’d said it, she wanted to take it back. “I mean, I’m not trying to say it’s in bad shape or something—”

With a hand on Psyche’s forearm, Sophia cut her off. “You can say it. We made a mess of it and should have hired you a long time ago. I’m afraid a lot of plants had to die in the meantime.” She grimaced, then laughed. “But I can see this place is in good hands now.”

Psyche smiled back, not knowing how to respond to the compliment.

“Oh, before I forget it,” Sophia added, “do you think we could switch your tending to the flower arrangements inside from Wednesdays to Thursdays? It’s just that I get most of our deliveries on Wednesdays and there are just too many people swarming around.”

“That’s not a problem at all. I’d be happy to come by on Thursdays instead. It’s not like it’s very busy in the shop.”

Sophia cast her a look of pity. “Not a lot of weddings going on, huh?”

Psyche shook her head. “Even considering how many florists have already closed, there’s still not enough work for everybody.” She shrugged. “I’ll make do.” She tried for a laugh. “At least that gives me plenty of time for fighting with my insurance company.”

Sophia’s forehead furrowed. “Are you telling me they still haven’t paid up?”

“Nope. Not a cent.” She and Sophia had been discussing the water damage to her little condo on and off over the last few weeks. “They claim it was a pre-existing condition.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Sophia huffed.

“That’s what I told them too, but they said the previous owner should have disclosed it when I bought the place, or at the very least the building inspection should have revealed it. They told me to sue the previous owner.”

Sophia shook her head in disgust. “Well, isn’t that typical? As soon as an insurance company is supposed to pay up, they blame somebody else. So what now?”

Psyche lifted one shoulder in a helpless gesture. “I sent them the report from the plumber, who claims that the damage came from normal wear and tear. His professional opinion is that the previous owners wouldn’t have known about it either. So the insurance should cover it. But in order to do his report, he had to open up a lot more of the wall so he could really see what was going on. The place is practically uninhabitable right now.”

“Oh, my! Are you staying in a hotel?”

Psyche shook her head. “I wish! But since the insurance company is refusing to pay for the damage, they’re also refusing to pay for alternate accommodation. I’m sleeping in my office in the back of the shop. And I shower at the gym.”

“I’m so sorry, Psyche,” Sophia said softly. “I wish I could help you. But we’re fully booked because of that Mystery Writers Convention that’s in town. And the week after there’s a big—”

Psyche waved her off, interrupting quickly. “Don’t worry about it. I would never expect that. But thanks for offering; it’s really nice of you. I’m fine. And who knows, maybe the plumber’s report will finally sway the insurance company.”

But she had her doubts. Still, it wasn’t Sophia’s problem that Psyche was sleeping on a lumpy couch in her office, because she couldn’t afford to rent another apartment. There was no room in her budget, not after paying the plumber and continuing to pay her mortgage and the rent for the shop.

She smiled at Sophia and joked, “There are few moments when I regret not being in a relationship. Right now, a boyfriend with an apartment would come in handy.”

Sophia chuckled softly. “They are good for other things, too, you know.”

“So I hear. But I haven’t been interested in anybody in quite a while. Can’t force those things, right?” Even though she’d met a few men, there just hadn’t been any spark, and she’d given up on dating.

“It always happens when you least expect it. It did with Triton and me. And I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Sophia mused. “He’s everything to me.”

“You’re lucky you found each other.”

“You could find somebody, too.”

Psyche wiped a few drops of sweat from her brow. “It’s not that easy. And to be honest, I’m happy on my own.” She pointed to the flowerbeds. “I should get back to work.”

Sophia nodded. “If you need a cold drink later, just stop by the kitchen. Alice will give you something.”

“Thanks Sophia.”

Sophia walked back into the house, and Psyche kneeled down in the grass again. She picked up her tools and devoted all her attention to the plants in front of her, all the while ignoring the voices still drifting down from Triton’s office. She blocked them out as best she could, but while she couldn’t make out any specific words, she could tell that the men were agitated.

She sighed and shook her head. They were probably discussing something trivial like the latest football match or baseball game. Not that she even knew whether it was football or baseball season. Another advantage of not having a boyfriend: she didn’t have to keep up with sports games on TV.

By the time Psyche was done with the planting, the sun stood high in the sky. What was wrong with this weather? It was only February and already it was sweltering hot. Sweat ran down her neck and disappeared beneath her tank top. She felt sticky and uncomfortable and kept wiping her nape and forehead with her earth-stained hands. She needed a cold drink and a shower. But first, the new plants needed watering or they would wither away in no time.

Psyche rose and stretched her back, then glanced around for the garden hose. She spotted it hanging on a hook outside the little storage area next to the house. She walked over and took it off the hook, turning on the spout. Nothing happened. No water came through the hose. When she followed the pipe, which lay exposed along the building’s foundation, the reason became evident in an instant: the pipe led nowhere. It had been disconnected.

Great, now she’d have to lug water from the house.

Eros was heading for the front door to the Olympus Inn, when he noticed the gate to the garden standing open. Always one to take a shortcut, he marched in and heard male voices coming from Triton’s study. He recognized not only Triton’s voice, but also Dio’s and Hermes’. What were the guys discussing, and why hadn’t they invited him to join them? He was always up for shooting the breeze with his best friends and felt a little miffed that they hadn’t told him they were getting together.

Straining to listen in on the conversation on the second floor, he hurried past the garage and toward the stairs, turning the corner and lifting his foot for the first step. But he didn’t get any farther. Instead, he crashed into something: somebody carrying two buckets of water. Before he could steady himself, he fell backward, grabbing on to the nearest thing for balance: one of the buckets.

Water sloshed over him as he landed on his back, the grass cushioning his fall. But the water wasn’t the only thing that landed on him. A split second later a gasping woman fell onto him, her knee only barely missing his groin, while she made futile attempts to get up.

“Crap!” she cursed.

“Shit, I’m soaked!”

She finally managed to scramble backward. Only now did he get a good look at her. She was as drenched as he, her chestnut colored shoulder length hair wet and so tangled it looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in months. Her tank top was soaked through. Involuntarily his eyes were drawn to what lay beneath. Perfectly round and firm breasts, the nipples that topped them hard from the cold water.

Well, that was just perfect! A siren! Could he not get a break from troublesome women? By Hades, he was doomed!

“Thanks for the shower,” he said, before she could open her mouth. “A bucket of water in the face is exactly what I needed today.”

Her eyes widened. “What did you expect? You pulled on the bucket! I had both my hands full. How was I supposed to keep my balance with you dragging me down?”

Eros managed to sit up, while she jumped to her feet. “Oh, you’re making this my fault?” He lifted himself up and braced his hands at his hips. “Typical woman!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she ground out, her eyes narrowing.

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