Page 95 of Must Love Flowers
“Yes,” she whispered, hardly able to find her voice.
“What about you? Are you ready?”
Nodding, she offered him a gentle smile. “I believe I am.”
“Good,” he said, his own voice gruff with emotion. He dropped his hand and leaned forward to kiss her.
Joan had often wondered how she would react to another man’s touch. When Phil’s mouth settled over hers, any doubt she’d feared instantly evaporated. They became fully involved in the kiss until they were both breathless.
With their foreheads touching, Joan smiled, and Phil did, too. “Are you ready for the rest of your life, Joan Sample?”
“Absolutely.”
“Me, too,” he whispered.
Epilogue
Joan sat back on her knees and wiped the perspiration from her brow. Edison was lazing on the lawn at her side, perfectly content to nap in the sunshine. Joan had been working, clearing out her front flower beds, getting them ready to plant the columbine and marigolds, two of her favorites. It was hard to believe that at this same time last year, she’d found it difficult to walk out the front door, let alone work outside in her yard.
What a difference a year can make! She still missed Jared and the life they’d once shared. She’d come to realize that revolving her entire life around him and his career had left her empty to enjoy her own pursuits. At the time she hadn’t minded. They were partners, best friends, soulmates. Without him she had felt depleted, lost, and so terribly alone.
No longer. With the help of the grief therapy group, she’d found the wherewithal to move forward and take hold of life. Alife she barely recognized now and that was, in some ways, better than the one she left behind. Mary Lou had become a treasured friend, and Sally, too. Mary Lou had briefly dated Doug, but it hadn’t taken her long to realize they were never meant to be more than friends.
Steve and Zoe had married in December. Her son faithfully called her every Sunday afternoon, and their conversations often weren’t long but were always meaningful as they more openly shared details of their lives. More than once, he’d told her he didn’t know why he’d waited as long as he had to marry Zoe. The two were building a future together. Zoe was full of life, laughter, and fun, spontaneous and joyful. Just hearing the happiness in her son’s voice thrilled Joan. He’d taken over as manager of Dick’s Sporting Goods’ warehouse in the Phoenix area, and while he worked long hours, he made sure he was home for dinner every night and spent ample time with his wife.
Nick and Maggie were going strong, too, and that pleased Joan. It had been a blow to Maggie when her father died suddenly of a heart attack three months after he left the Turning Point Treatment Center. Maggie took his passing hard, as he was her only living relative. Thankfully, Roy Herbert hadn’t taken a drink of alcohol in all that time. Another positive was the loving relationship that had developed between Maggie and her father. He was no Prince Charming, and his words were often peppered with grumbles and profanity, but he learned to show his love for Maggie in a dozen different ways. Before his sudden demise, Maggie had told Joan that for the first time since her mother died, she felt like she had a good relationship with her father.
Maggie had inherited the house, and with Nick’s help and the bank loan, she had managed to renovate it into the star of the neighborhood. Joan and Phil had helped as much as they could. The transformation in the front yard gave Joan pride, as the flower beds were full and abundant. Maggie had recently mentioned that people often stopped by to comment on how beautiful her yard was. Some had known her parents and had said how pleased they were to see the home come to life again.
Joan understood exactly what Maggie’s neighbors had been saying. Like the flower beds at Maggie’s and her own yard, she, too, had a renewed life. And it was a good life. One filled with such happy expectation. Joan Sample had found herself. Her days had purpose, and she felt she was giving to others instead of hiding behind locked doors, fearing whatever was on the other side.
—
Joan fully expected Nick and Maggie to marry as soon as Maggie finished her studies. Nick had stopped by earlier in the week to ask Joan’s opinion on diamonds, which told her he was eager to get a ring on Maggie’s finger.
Satisfied that her gardening was finished for the day, Joan stood and removed the gloves from her hands and dusted off her knees. At the sound of Phil’s truck, Edison barked his welcome. Joan turned and watched as he parked in front of her home.
A smile came over her as soon as she saw him, and a light, happy sensation flowed through her. Phil was an instrumental figure in her new life. They each had suffered a significant loss and gathered the strength to find their way through the pain.
“Hey,” she said, meeting him halfway up the walkway.
“Hey, yourself,” he said, and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“I’m excited to get everything planted.” The afternoon was perfect, and Joan didn’t want to waste the sunshine.
“I don’t know if I ever told you about the first time we met.”
“Told me what?” she said, as she slipped her arm around his waist.
Edison demanded attention, and Phil bent down and patted his head. Content now, her puppy chased after a butterfly.
“Your message on the phone when you asked me to come to give you an estimate.”
Even now, that call embarrassed her. She could already feel the heat coming into her cheeks. “What about it?”
“You said I must love flowers.”
“Don’t remind me,” she said and groaned. “I can only imagine what you thought. I was so unsure, so scatterbrained, I found it hard to make a simple phone call.”
