Must Love Flowers(18)

“While you’re away I’ll move a few things around in Nick’s old room.”

“Oh, please, let me. I can—”

“Nonsense. Don’t be late for dinner.”

“I won’t.” As she walked back to her car, Maggie felt as if she was walking on air. One door had closed and a sliding glass one had opened. This was big. This was amazing. Only a day earlier she’d been fighting to keep her spirits up. Within less than twenty-four hours, everything had turned around. Joan was asking for a cheaper rent than Mrs. Royce wanted. It felt like a miracle, and perhaps it was. She couldn’t discount that her mother had been behind this from heaven.

Now all that was left was letting her father know she was moving out.

And frankly, that was a task Maggie dreaded, knowing how much he counted on her to help with the bills and his daily supply of beer.





Chapter 8





Joan stood in the doorway as she watched Maggie drive away. What she’d told the young woman was true. Joan was rarely, if ever, impulsive. Reaching out to Maggie had been completely out of character.

Before she’d left the salon, Charlene had hinted about Maggie’s unhappy home life, which had weighed on Joan’s mind. Her heart had gone out to the girl. Now, after personally spending time with her, she couldn’t imagine not helping the young woman.

After she’d spoken to the manager at Starbucks, Joan had been even more reassured. She’d learned Maggie was prompt, kind, and patient with the customers. The manager claimed she wished she had a dozen employees just like her.

Joan had also learned that following Maggie’s nursing classes, she tutored children with reading disorders. Every minute of her day was taken up. All Maggie really needed was a hand-up.

Now, after meeting Maggie, Joan was so grateful to Charlene and to her sister for suggesting Joan take in a boarder in the first place.

Joan found it difficult to admit how lonely she was. It had been easy to deny the silence. She’d always been more of an introvert and appreciated quiet times. For most of her life, she’d been a deep thinker, methodical, rarely acting rashly or on impulse.

She had that night. After talking to Charlene, as hard as Joan tried to put Maggie out of her head, she couldn’t. For reasons she would likely never understand, Joan had made the call.

Their conversation didn’t last long. The meeting time was set. The relief that followed was uncanny. As silly as it sounded, she recognized deep down with a certainty that she didn’t question that she was meant to help Maggie Herbert. For whatever reason, God had put Maggie in her path.

Eventually Nick would discover what she’d done. For now, she’d keep the information to herself. Nick rarely stopped by the house, and if he did happen to drop in when Maggie was present, she’d introduce the two and let the chips fall as they might. As she’d told Maggie earlier, Joan made her own decisions.



* * *



—

After Maggie’s ramshackle car had disappeared around the corner, Joan closed the front door and returned to the kitchen. She had taken a small roast out of the freezer for dinner. It’d been a long time since she’d cooked for someone other than family. She had a recipe Jared had especially liked: Mississippi pot roast. Seeing that it was years since she’d last cooked it, she opened the kitchen drawer where she stored papers she wanted to keep. Everything was neatly filed. It didn’t take her long to find what she wanted.

As she pulled out the typed sheet, a small piece of paper was stuck to the backside. When she went to remove it, she realized it was a name and a phone number.

Not just any name or any phone number, though.

It was the grief counselor Gennie had recommended shortly after Jared had been laid to rest.

If this wasn’t a sign from God, Joan didn’t know what was.

Wow. Talk about getting hit over the head. She set the paper on the kitchen counter and stared at it, her mind abuzz.

Tomorrow. She’d make the call tomorrow. Better yet, she’d wait until Monday, get a fresh start to the week. Her limit for change had been reached. She’d stretched herself as far as she could go for now.

Contacted a lawn maintenance company.

A hair appointment.

Dinner out with Nick.

Taking in a boarder.

That was far and away more activity in the last three days than she’d had in years.

Something she couldn’t name had taken hold of her on her birthday. The emptiness had hit her hard, and Joan realized she needed to make a change. She felt that God had just given her a giant shove in the right direction, and she had followed through. Next was meeting with Phil Harrison regarding her lawn. She looked forward to it, which was silly of her, really. He’d sounded friendly and kind. Human contact was something she’d been missing. Now Maggie was moving in with her, and Joan felt almost giddy, eager to get to know this young woman. Knowing that she was helping Maggie filled her with a certain pride. Which reminded her of something Steve had once mentioned. It had felt like it was coming out of the blue when he suggested she do volunteer work, thinking that might help her. She’d blown off the idea but realized now her son had been right; already she felt better about life, about the future.

Earlier, following the recipe, Joan had put the roast in the Crock-Pot. Now it was time to add the potatoes. She’d just finished dumping the peelings into the garbage when her doorbell chimed. Checking her watch, she saw it was fifteen minutes before her scheduled appointment with Harrison Lawn and Landscaping. She didn’t mind that he was early.