Must Love Flowers(59)
“Dad was miserable living by himself and was going through the motions with the business, tending only to his longtime customers. When he saw me working in my own yard, digging and planting, he asked if I’d be interested in taking over for him. He listed the advantages and offered to guide me and handle the bookkeeping. Planting flowers, growing my own vegetables, helped bring me back. Letting that seed die in order to produce new life. I found comfort in the warm earth, feeling it with my hands and sifting the dirt through my fingers. It was a reconnection with life. It fed my spirit and led me back to a time and place where I could find acceptance after losing my daughter. The promise of spring and the seeds growing and bearing fruit showed me I could learn to live life without Amanda. It didn’t take long for me to realize stepping in for Dad would be good for both of us.”
“I’m searching myself,” Joan admitted. “I worked as Jared’s assistant, bookkeeper, and janitor for all those years, and now I do little but twiddle my thumbs all day.”
“Do you need to work?”
“Financially, no. At the same time, I don’t want to waste what remains of my life. I’d like to find something to do that’s meaningful and needed.”
“There are any number of worthy charities that would welcome you, Joan.”
Dr. O’Brien had said as much and had encouraged her to reach out to aid others in need.
How crazy it was to share such a meaningful conversation in a Shari’s parking lot. “Thank you, Phil. Would you mind if I gave you another hug?”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”
Phil hugged her back. She’d been impressed with him before, especially after he’d helped Maggie. Her admiration grew even deeper after learning about his daughter.
Chapter 25
Maggie arrived at work, excited for the upcoming day. As always Starbucks was hopping with early morning traffic.
Leanne noticed her friend’s chipper mood right away and pulled her aside.
“You got a hot date with Einstein again?” Leanne asked, arching her well-shaped brows with the question.
“As a matter of fact, I do have a date, but not with him. It’s the last day of school.”
Leanne frowned, drawing those same brows together in a sharp inverted V. “I thought your classes let out a couple weeks ago.”
“Mine did,” she confirmed. “It’s the last day for Caleb and Victoria, the second-graders I tutor. I promised them a reward if they could raise their reading level to third grade, which they’ll start in September. I’m taking them to Wild Waves.”
Leanne looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Are you nuts? Do you have any idea of what a crazy place it is, especially at this time of year?”
“Not really. I’ve never been.” Not that it mattered. Maggie had gotten permission from both parents, then collected Caleb and Victoria’s swimsuits and beach towels and stored them in her car’s trunk. Neither student had any idea of what she’d planned. All they knew was that Maggie had a surprise especially for them. They’d both worked hard to improve their reading skills. Best of all, they were now eager readers, going through books by the dozens, as if they couldn’t get enough. There was a world of difference from when she’d first started working with them.
Leanne pulled her aside. “Girl, take it from someone who knows. Wild Waves is a madhouse, with a bazillion kids, running around like banshees. You won’t have a moment’s peace. Don’t even think about lounging on the beach for fear of stampeding eight-year-olds.”
All Maggie knew was what she’d heard from the kids at the elementary school. The park had more than a wave pool; there were carnival rides and booths that sold all the typical fair food. Maggie was quite certain neither Caleb nor Victoria had ever been, as both came from single-parent families and lived in a low-income area.
“Did you take a loan from the bank?” Leanne asked next. “Because you’re likely to need one.”
“Ah…the entrance fee didn’t seem overly outrageous.” It’d been a stretch in Maggie’s already tight budget, but she didn’t hesitate before ordering their tickets. Both children were small, and she was able to get a discount because of their age. The website said that the one-day pass included all the rides plus the water park.
Maggie had packed a lunch and had hoped to avoid buying overpriced snacks. She hadn’t seen anything on their website that prohibited bringing in food. That wasn’t the case in many places.
Leanne chuckled and shook her head. “You’re a better woman than me.”
Maggie promised to update her come morning.
“If you survive, that is.” Leanne patted Maggie’s back and wished her well as Maggie left the building.
Now that her shift was over, Maggie drove to the school. She’d already told the children to wait for her there. As she parked outside the building her phone buzzed. Caller ID told her it was Nick.
He rarely phoned, almost always communicating via text. They’d been to dinner and Maggie had participated in the trivia night with him twice now. She’d had a lot of fun, and not just because she was able to answer the majority of the medical questions when no one else could. It’d been almost a week since she’d last had contact with him. The construction project was on a deadline, with huge fines to be leveled against the contractor if the work wasn’t completed within a certain time period. This meant Nick was working a lot of overtime hours, which resulted in them being out of communication.