Page 30 of Must Love Flowers
Phil thought for a moment and then shook his head. “No need to rush into it. He’ll show his personality soon enough. When the time is right, you’ll figure out one that’s perfect for him.” He passed and then added, “Amanda had a dog when she was little. Oh, how she loved that silly dog. He followed her everywhere. She named him Cocoa.” His eyes became sad. “Cocoa died shortly before she left for college. Losing him nearly broke Amanda’s heart.”
“I’m sorry.” Joan felt bad for bringing up unhappy memories.
“That loss was a good life lesson for us both. A painful one for sure.”
Feeling bad for him, she paid attention to the puppy and changed the subject. “Until he shows me his personality, I’ll call him No Name.”
Phil chuckled. “No Name,” he repeated, and appeared to find that amusing. He waited a moment and then said, “It’s time I headed out.”
Joan hadn’t wanted this dog, had never considered getting a pet. Having No Name thrust upon her was a shock, and yet she found herself warming to the idea.
Phil handed the puppy back to her. “Thanks for the banana bread.”
“Oh, wait, I have the loaf ready for you.” With the puppy still in her arms, she returned to the house and collected the loaf, handing it to him.
“Thanks.” The warmth in his eyes revealed his appreciation. “The two of us are going to enjoy this immensely. I’ll be back later in the week. Can we discuss the flower beds then? I know you want to work on those, but I have a few ideas I’d like to pass along, if you’d like.”
“That sounds wonderful. Later in the week would be great.”
Again, he hesitated. “Before I go, I wanted to check to see if everything was okay with Maggie.”
“It’s working out well. I’ve never had a boarder before, and the truth is I had a few qualms about taking one on. Once I heard the circumstances surrounding her home life, I felt the need to act quickly. I’m grateful I did. Maggie’s a delight.”
“From what little I’ve seen of her, I agree.”
“Maggie’s decided she wants to check in on her father now and again to be sure he’s getting along okay without her.”
“That alone says a lot about Maggie, doesn’t it?”
“It does. I didn’t mean to detain you, but I wanted to thank you again for your help.”
“Like I said, no problem.”
Phil left her then, and she watched him go.
As his truck disappeared around the corner, it came to Joan that she was moving forward. A few baby steps at a time. When Jared was alive, she had purpose, working together with her husband, day to day. Her routine was set. She knew who she was and was comfortable in the work she’d been given. For the first time she could feel that again.
The puppy whined, and, thinking he might need to do his business, she placed him on the freshly mowed lawn, where he smelled the grass and hopped—yes, hopped—like he was walking on hot coals, causing her to laugh. He raced back to her and stretched up, using her leg for balance.
Joan returned to the house and poured herself a cup of coffee, which she took to the front porch, taking No Name with her. With the sun on her face warming her, Joan sat on one of the Adirondack chairs Jared had purchased the year before his death.
She held No Name in her lap, and the puppy promptly fell asleep. For the first time she could remember in a long while, Joan felt perfectly content.
Chapter 13
Maggie checked in for the early shift at Starbucks and reached for her apron. She was scheduled to handle the cash register again this morning. The rush in the morning sometimes overwhelmed her as she did her best to keep up with the orders and keep the line moving. She looked forward to seeing the two guys from the construction crew who routinely stopped in before heading to the jobsite. The completion of the apartment complex was on schedule, if the chatter the men exchanged was anything to go by.
Einstein was a big tipper and had captured her attention. Because of work and school, Maggie didn’t have time for relationships. High school was the last time she’d been out on a real date. That didn’t mean she was blind to attractive men, though. It flustered her how much this one construction worker hadtaken hold of her imagination. She looked forward to seeing him, especially when they had the chance to exchange a few words. He’d flirted with her, and she’d flirted back. Today, working the register would give her the opportunity again. She could hardly wait.
“You seem to be in a good mood,” Leanne said, as she put on the headset to take orders from the drive-through.
“I am,” Maggie concurred. Since moving in with Joan, everything was looking up. Living with the widow had worked out far better than she could have ever hoped. Although it had been less than a week since Maggie had moved in, Joan had quickly become a trusted friend, almost like a second mother.
“How’s the puppy?” Leanne asked.
The morning before, Maggie had arrived to work blurry-eyed because the dog had cried most of the night. She knew Joan had been up and down until dawn, caring for the distraught puppy.
“It was better last night.” Maggie sympathized with the sweet dog. He was miserable without his siblings and his mother. Joan was infinitely patient with him. She hadn’t asked for the dog and explained it was a gift from her son. Apparently, the puppy was Nick’s way of persuading her not to take in a boarder. Since he knew nothing about her living at the house, the puppy was supposed to help with Joan’s loneliness.
