marktreble@earthlink.net
Rose Borland is the aunt of Mike's (The Finding Series) Virtual Assistant, Pam Borland. She is about sixty and a recently-retired nurse. Mike (straight) and his boyfriend, Luke (gay) are invited on a luxury yacht for a working vacation. Shortly before the departure date Luke is injured in an unfortunate encounter with a steer having a bad hair day. His ankle is shattered.
Surgery to stabilize the ankle is performed. Luke insists on accompanying Mike on the voyage because he doesn't want his "straight boyfriend let loose on a yacht with a bunch of naked women." The solution is to take a nurse with them. Rose is very solicitous of Luke and supervises his care, his actvities and his diet. She tells Mike if he wants somebody to care for him he needed to hire his own nurse.
Rose rules with an iron fist. She examines Luke, bathes him, monitors his medication and in general keeps Luke and Mike apart when they want alone time. Mike threatens to smother her if she plans to sleep in the same suite with them. Rose bans alcohol for her patient and supervises every morsel going into Luke's mouth. She announces he needs a high-protein diet. Mike offers to help with that.
Rose eventually relents and allows Mike to help with Luke's bathing and the guys get plenty of private time to snuggle and kiss and whatever. The last night of the trip Rose finds Luke high on pain medication and alcohol, incoherent, and in flagrante delicto with a male crewmember. Mike is devastated. The yacht returns Luke to port and Rose accompanies him to a hospital in an ambulance. Mike's client, who has paid for the trip, orders Mike to go ashore and stay in a hotel.
Rose joins Mike at the hotel and Mike breaks down. Rose tells him to forgive Luke. Mike refuses. She talks him through why that is not just the right thing to do, but the necessary thing to do. And that talk drives the remaining three-quarters of Finding Closure.
Rose will appear again in as-yet-untitled book in the Gulfside City Series.
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