I glanced at the clock on the wall for the third time and let out a heavy sigh. Another long, empty afternoon in this oversized house.

My husband had left before I even woke up, no note, no kiss, nothing. I tightened the belt on my silk robe and waited for the plumber and gardener I had called yesterday. The kitchen sink had been leaking for weeks and the backyard garden looked like a jungle.

The doorbell finally rang. I walked over and opened the door. Two young men stood on the porch. They looked incredibly young, probably nineteen or twenty at most. Both were tall, fit, and strikingly handsome....