“I have?” She didn’t seem to have noticed. “Listen,” Joan said, “why don’t the two of you take Edison out for a walk? By the time you return, I’ll have dinner going.”
Nick looked to Maggie for the answer.
“Sure,” she said, although Edison was a bit small for much of an excursion. She had put him on the leash before, without much success. He’d twisted his head around and tried to chew on the cord.
While Nick collected the leash, Maggie got the puppy. They were about to head out the door when Maggie remembered Phil had asked her to give Joan a message.
Glancing out the front door, she saw that his truck remained parked outside, so he was still at the house.
“Joan, I almost forgot. Phil asked to talk to you.”
“Did he say why?”
“He didn’t.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“You ready?” Nick asked, tugging Edison along behind him. Maggie could see it was going to take some effort to train the puppy to the leash. As she stepped onto the porch, Phil was coming up the steps.
“Tell Phil I’ll be out in a minute,” Joan called.
“Did you hear that?” Maggie asked the landscaper.
“I did. I’ll just wait here.”
“She won’t be long,” Nick added, and the two started down the street with Edison.
Edison resisted, and they ended up nearly dragging him along, to the point that they were both soon laughing.
Just maybe they could be friends after all, Maggie mused. Good friends.
Chapter 17
Joan walked over to the sink to wash her hands before venturing outside to talk to Phil. As the warm water poured from the faucet, she realized she was nervous. He’d said so little during the group session, and she feared it was because of her.
They’d both been flustered at the unexpectedness of finding each other there. While in the group, Joan had been completely surprised by the way everyone had welcomed her. Already she’d heard from Mary Lou, and the two had planned a lunch out. It’d been such a long time since Joan had enjoyed female companionship—that is, until Maggie had come to live with her. Mary Lou, however, was her contemporary. She felt an immediate kinship with the other woman.
Drying her hands with unnecessary zeal, Joan suspected Phil wanted to talk to her about the group, and secretly she would be glad to clear the air. It was best to talk this over so there wasn’t any discomfort on either side.
“You asked to speak to me…？” she said as she met him on the porch.
Phil nodded and motioned toward the flower bed. “I had a few ideas, and seeing how important loving flowers is to you, I felt obliged to offer a couple suggestions.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
“You’re going to enjoy teasing me about that ‘must love flowers’ comment, aren’t you?”
“Yup.”
She was pleased to see that any discomfort he had felt with her in the group didn’t show.
“I was thinking blue star juniper would go nicely. It’s easy to maintain and attractive to the eye.”
Joan was familiar with the plant. Juniper was an excellent suggestion, and one Joan wished she’d thought of herself. The shrub was resistant to insects and diseases and a perfect complement to the lavender rhododendron she’d planted several years earlier. Rhododendrons were the Washington state flower. “I like that idea.”
“If you’re looking for a bit more color, how about a dwarf burning bush? It is a brilliant red and a hardy shrub.” As he went on about why he thought it would flourish in her yard, Joan realized he was uneasy mentioning the elephant in the room.
Joan folded her hands in front of her. “That’s another good idea. But I prefer the blue star juniper.”
“Great, I’ll get one ordered.”
“Perfect.”
Again, he hesitated, and Joan knew she would need to take the initiative. “Was there something more than the plants you wanted to discuss, Phil?” she asked, amused at the way he delayed what was really on both of their minds.
He exhaled and shrugged, aware she had found him out. “Suggesting the flowers was a good excuse, although I really do love flowers. They’re a must,” he added, grinning.
“They are,” she agreed. “But I have the distinct feeling what we really need to talk about is the grief therapy group.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, you’re right. I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize?” She couldn’t imagine why.
“The thing is, I’d wanted to tell you about the group soon after we met, thinking it might help you. I’ve found the support meaningful, which is why I’m still attending after five years. I regret that I didn’t, and then when you arrived, I was kicking myself for delaying. Plus, I wasn’t sure if I should mention that I already knew you or not.”
“I was thinking the same thing. We were both being ridiculous, you realize. When you didn’t say anything about knowing me, I thought it best to remain silent.”
“That was my thought, too,” he said, grinning now. “I’m sorry, Joan.”
“Don’t be silly, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
“Thanks.” His relief was obvious. “I hope you’ll return.”
“I plan on it. I think if I was a no-show, Mary Lou would come get me.”
Phil chuckled at that. “Then we’re square?” she asked.
“We’re square,” he concurred, and gave her a dazzling smile.
Just then Todd came racing up to the front of the yard.
“Can I play with Edison?” he asked. “Mom said I could if it was all right with you.”
“I’m sorry, Todd, but Edison is on a walk with my son and Maggie.” Todd had already met Maggie when he and his sister had stopped off earlier in the week.
Todd hung his head in disappointment but recovered quickly. “Mom said if you offered me a cookie, I could have it.”
Joan had baked a couple days earlier, seeing how often Todd and Ellie came by to play with Edison. “Let me check the cookie jar.”
She entered the house, and when she returned, she saw Phil talking to the youngster. He was showing him a snapdragon plant that was in the bed of his truck, along with several flats of flowers. Todd’s eyes were huge as he hung on every word Phil said.
“Joan, Joan, did you know snapdragons can talk? Phil showed me. It’s really cool.”
Joan handed him a chocolate-chip cookie and Todd’s smile covered his whole face. “Thank you,” the boy said, ever-so-politely.
“You’re most welcome.” Todd had chocolate smeared on both sides of his mouth as he quickly downed the treat.
“Guess what? Dad’s getting the backyard fenced soon and then I can have a dog of my own,” he said with his mouth full, too excited to swallow before he shared the good news.
“That’s great,” Joan said, exchanging a smile with Phil as he loaded his equipment into the bed of his truck.
“Hey, what about me?” Phil called out. “Don’t I get a cookie, too?”
Joan chuckled and shook her head. “I’ll see what I can do.” Returning to the house, she brought out a couple more cookies for Phil.