by Kait Nolan
“I’m sure we can find some volunteer work for you to do,” her mother suggested.
“No, I want a real job. A way to make my own money. I’m twenty-six years old, for crying out loud. I’m not a child who should be living off my parents.”
“Well, I don’t know what you could do. You would have to find a job that suited you. I won’t have you working for any of my friends. They would never let me live that down.”
Anna sighed. “Must you be such a snob? There’s nothing wrong with good, hard work.”
“May I ask you a favor? Will you please wait a while before pursuing this? I would really like to spend time with you and take you around to get reacquainted with our circle of friends. I know you met some at the party last night, but I would really like to visit some of them at their homes. Something a little more private.”
Anna was suddenly suspicious. “Some of these friends of yours don’t happen to have single sons, do they?”
“Of course some of them do, dear. It won’t hurt to meet them, you know.”
Anna groaned. “Really, Mother? Please don’t play matchmaker. You know I already have Bill.”
“But Bill’s not here, is he? Does he plan on coming here and meeting your family?”
This virtual boyfriend thing was proving to be a little problematic. “He has a job he can’t leave right now. I’m sure I’ll see him in the near future.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He sells insurance.”
Her mother looked at her in surprise. “Insurance? I hardly think that’s the kind of life you want.”
“Mother, I used to work in an insurance office.”
“I know, but that was just for a little spending money. And to keep you from being bored.”
“Besides, look what Brian did for a living. He worked in a fitness club.”
“Yes, but he owned the club.”
“Apparently, the bank owned the club, Mother.”
Anna got through the day of shopping with her mother and actually enjoyed it. Especially since she talked her mother into cutting the trip short. She had expected more resistance, but she could see her mother was tired.
They ate lunch at a trendy outdoor café. She happened to glance across the street at a public garden and saw Luke Talbot trimming shrubs. Her heartbeat sped up as it usually did when she saw him. And she hated it.
Her mother saw the object of her attention and said, “Anna, are you still pining over that boy?”
“He’s hardly a boy. Besides, I’m not pining. I was just watching him work. He seems so engrossed in what he’s doing.”
“He does a very good job. He seems to enjoy gardening.”
That sent her thoughts toward another man who enjoyed gardening. Bill. She had a sudden urge to talk to him.
“Mother, if you’re done, I’d like to go. I think I want to sit in the garden and read for a while.”
Chapter Seven
Anna took her mystery novel and a glass of iced tea out to the little bistro table in the garden. As she sat down, she saw another glass sitting on the table. She frowned, remembering the glass of tea she’d brought out for Luke. She ran her finger along the rim, imagining his lips touching it as he took a drink of the cool beverage. Stop it!
The best way to get one man off her mind was to think of another. She got out her cell phone and started typing, Hi, Bill. Are you finished in your garden?
BILL: Actually, just finished tweaking a garden in town. Eating lunch now. Are you finished shopping? Did you have lunch yet?
MANDY: Yes, I convinced my mother to only shop half a day. We ate at a nice little café. I had tea, little cucumber sandwiches, and crumpets. So English, don’t you think? LOL
BILL: Hmm. I guess I’m pure American. I had a cheeseburger and fries.
She smiled. Nothing wrong with that. I love a good cheeseburger.
BILL: Really? Most women are so finicky when they eat. They’re so afraid they’ll gain a little weight. I get kind of tired of women who are so thin they look like they’ll blow away at the first gust of wind. I don’t mean to offend if that describes you.
She laughed out loud at that. I’m certainly not that thin. Nor would I want to be.
BILL: I want to ask you something, then, but I don’t want to be rude or too forward.
MANDY: Ask away.
She waited while he apparently hesitated. Then the words came on her screen. What do you look like? I’m just curious. I’m trying to build a picture of you. What color hair and eyes do you have?
MANDY: I’ll start with the simple stuff. My hair is dark brown with red highlights in the summer. My eyes are green. As far as body type, I guess you would call me athletic. I used to be involved with a man who owned a health club, so I worked out a lot. I also run, although I haven’t done that in a few days. I stay fit. I burn off a lot of calories, so I can eat a lot. Including cheeseburgers. LOL
BILL: You sound perfect.
MANDY: I’m not so sure about that. LOL. What about you? What do you look like?
BILL: Nothing special, really. Dark hair that needs cutting right now. Gray eyes. Average build. Just an ordinary guy.
She wondered if his eyes were the same color gray as Luke’s. I don’t think you’re ordinary. :)
BILL: Thanks! Neither are you. *grins* Well, I have to be off. Lunch is over, and I have more work to do. I hope you enjoy your time in the garden this afternoon.
MANDY: That’s where I am now. I’m getting ready to do some reading. Have a great day!
Anna tried to concentrate on her mystery novel, but her mind kept drifting back to her conversation with Bill. She knew that probably wasn’t his real name. He probably wasn’t even an insurance salesman, but that was his profile, so that’s how she would have to picture him. But she just couldn’t. He was definitely not the type to work cooped up in an office. She just knew that. She wondered what his job really was. As they got to know each other better, would they start being more honest about who they really were? She wanted so much to open up to him, to tell him everything. And she wanted the same from him. Would she ever meet him? It was against the rules, but maybe after her subscription ran out, she could bring up the subject. But what if he didn’t want to meet her? What if he had a girlfriend, and this was just a job for him? That thought made her stomach clench up and feel like a fist punched through her gut. She shouldn’t be feeling this way.
With a dawning dread, she realized she was falling for Bill, or whoever he really was. And what was she going to do about it? Nothing. There was nothing she could do. Unless she could make him feel the same way. Could she? Time would tell.
~*~
Luke drove to his next job, which was a small cottage at the end of town. It was a quaint little thing surrounded by all kinds of flowers and trees. This was his favorite. The cottage was owned by the oldest resident in town, a tiny little lady of ninety-one. She was still in perfect health, but she had decided she was too old to take care of all her plants. It was rumored she was the richest resident of Palmer, even though she lived in such a modest little house.
He waved at her when he saw her looking through the window. He got out all his tools and started pruning and weeding. The fragrance of all the flowers filled his senses, and he knew this was what he was meant to do. He thought again about his profile as an insurance salesman, and he felt a stab of guilt. He wanted to tell Mandy the truth. He wanted to let her know what he really did for a living and how much he loved it. He wanted to tell her that Bill wasn’t his real name.
After a while, Evie Marsten came out with a glass of iced tea. He couldn’t help but remember when Anna Palmer had brought out a glass of tea for him and how that conversation hadn’t gone very well. Had he been too hard on her? Should he have given her a chance? Had she really meant to flaunt her BMW, or was she just driving through town, reminiscing?
“My flowers look wonderful, Luke,” Evie said. “I knew you were the man for the job.”
/> “Thank you, Evie. You took such good care of them before, so it wasn’t hard to maintain.”
She beamed at him. “I tried. Say, I noticed you were frowning a little as you were working today. Is something the matter?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said with a smile. “I just had some things on my mind.”
“A woman, maybe?” she said, a sly grin on her face.
He had to laugh. “A couple of them, maybe.”
“Can’t choose between them?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Just some things I have to work out. Thanks for the tea. I better get back to work.”
As the little old lady walked back into the house, Luke shook his head and smiled. He guessed if a person got that old, they learned to be perceptive. He would have to watch his expressions from now on.
Luke finished there and decided to call it a day. He had a few more places to take care of this week, but nothing that had to be done today.
As he drove home, he heard sirens in the distance, and a bad feeling came over him. He drove as fast as he could, and when he got home, he saw an ambulance in his driveway. He jumped out of his truck and rushed into the house. Paramedics were working on his father, and by their expressions, things weren’t going well. He tried to get to his father, but his sister held him back.
“Let them do their jobs, Luke. Don’t get in their way.”
He knew she was right, but it was hard not to go to him. What if he died and he didn’t get to hold his father’s hand one last time? He and Lucy watched helplessly as the paramedics tried to save their father’s life.
After several gut-wrenching minutes, one of them looked up and said, “He’s stable. We’re taking him to the hospital now. You can follow us.”
When they got to the hospital, Luke and Lucy had to wait until they got him into the emergency room, then finally in a room in ICU. This was a small hospital, but because of the wealthy community, they had the best doctors and the best equipment. But, being small, the hospital was also lax in the visiting hours for ICU, so they were allowed to stay with their father.
When Bo woke up, his two children were still there with him. “How long have I been here?”
Luke jumped up from the chair and went over to his father’s bed. “Several hours. How do you feel?”
“Like I was run over by a truck. And you?”
Luke had to smile. His father always had a sense of humor, even at a time like this. “I’m not doing too well, Dad. You gave us quite a scare.”
His dad sobered. “You know how sick I am, Son. I could go at any time. You need to be prepared for it.
Lucy, who had been dozing in a recliner, came over to the other side of the bed. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, Sweetheart,” Bo said. “It looks like you two need to get some rest somewhere besides those chairs. Go home. Go to bed.”
“No way,” said Luke. “We’re not leaving you.”
“Look, you both have jobs. You need to work. I’ll be fine. They’ll take good care of me here. You can come back later.”
After much protest, Luke and Lucy finally gave in. It was always hard to win an argument with their father. When they walked out of his room, the first person Luke saw was Anna Palmer standing against the wall on the other side of the hallway.
“What are you doing here?” Luke demanded.
He saw Anna wince, but she kept her chin up and said, “I heard about your father. It’s a small town. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do.”
“Why?”
Lucy said, “I’m going to go down to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat since we didn’t have supper. Then I’m going to call in and tell them I’m not working today.”
Before Luke could protest, Lucy was gone. He looked back at Anna. “I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“I told you why,” she said.
“I know what you said, but I still don’t understand.”
“Luke, you may not believe this, but I really do care about what happens to you and your family. I thought we used to be friends, and I still don’t know why that changed. I do still care.”
He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was all about. His perception of her was not what he was seeing now. What was she doing?
“I’m sorry I was rude,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “I’m just upset.”
“What do the doctors say?”
“He’s been sick a long time, Anna. It’s his lungs. I’ve known for a while that he won’t live too much longer. But I’m not prepared to give him up yet.”
“I’m so sorry, Luke. What can I do?”
“Pray. That’s all any of us can do.”
“Do you need food? Do you need me to help with something?”
“Thanks for the offer, but Lucy can always grab something from the diner or here at the cafeteria. Look, I know you mean well, but….”
“It’s the least I could do for an old friend,” she said.
Anna stepped toward Luke, and at first he wanted to step back, but he restrained himself. She touched his arm for a brief moment. “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”
Luke watched her walk down the hallway. She had always been so graceful, almost as if she was gliding. His chest tightened up as he watched her disappear around the corner. He needed to talk to Mandy. She was the only one who could make him feel better.
He started to take out his phone, but then he decided he wanted to check on his father one last time. He saw Lucy start toward him, so he waited until she got there before opening the door and walking in. They stood on opposite sides of the bed, each taking one of their father’s hands. He woke up and looked at both of them.
“Ah, I see neither of you listened to me, after all. Well, I guess that’s good. I’m going to have to leave you now.”
“No, Daddy!” exclaimed Lucy.
“It’s time for me to go meet the Lord. Please don’t be sad.”
“I’ll get the doctor,” said Luke, but his father held on firmly to his hand.
“No, Son. It’s time. Please don’t try to hold me back. As much as I love the two of you, my life has been hard the past few years. You have to let go. I love both of you, and I’ll tell your mother hello for you when I see her.”
Tears scalded Luke’s cheeks. Lucy sobbed, and he pulled her against his chest. Luke held his sister at their father’s bedside until the nurse came in and gently pulled them away. She checked Bo’s vital signs then looked at Luke and Lucy. “He’s gone.”
After they had both pressed a gentle kiss to their father’s forehead, Luke and Lucy left the room while the staff prepared their father for the pick up from the funeral home. They held each other and cried, and then they left the hospital after Goodner’s Funeral Home came and picked up their father’s body.
Back at home, they both fell into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter Eight
The next few days were a whirlwind to Luke. He barely had time to grieve while everyone was around him. During the funeral, he had seen Anna sitting with her parents, but she hadn’t tried to talk to him. She just gave a silent nod, which he acknowledged. It was as if she knew she needed to keep her distance during this time, which he respected.
A couple of days after the funeral, he was in his room alone. His sister was working, but he had taken a few days off from work to deal with everything that went with the death of a loved one. All his customers had understood.
The wave of grief hit all at once. He was alone, and everything was quiet, so thoughts of his father overtook him. Silent tears streamed down his face as he let the memories flood his brain. When he had no more tears to cry, he went to his computer and initiated chat. He hadn’t talked to Mandy since his father had died except to tell her he had a family emergency, and it would be a few days before he could talk.
He stared at the screen, wondering how much he should tell her. He typed, Hey.
MANDY: Hey yourself. Are you ok?
&nbs
p; BILL: I guess so. A member of my family died, so I’ve been trying to deal with that.
MANDY: Someone close?
BILL: Yeah.
He watched his screen, wondering if she was going to answer back. Then, It’s ok, you don’t have to talk about it.
BILL: I really don’t want to right now. Let’s talk about something else.
MANDY: Ok. I really missed you.
That made him smile. It was only a few days.
MANDY: So, you didn’t miss me? Never mind, that was stupid. Of course you had too much going on to think of me. I’m sorry.
BILL: Actually, I did miss you. I really wanted to talk to you, but I had to deal with things. You know?
MANDY: I understand. I have a friend who just lost his father, so I totally get it.
He was surprised at that. Was she telling the truth or just playing a role and trying to commiserate with him?
BILL: That’s odd that two people you know lost someone close at the same time.
MANDY: I was thinking the same thing.
He sat there for a moment, thinking. Maybe she was telling the truth about that. He tried to think of something to say, but words weren’t coming to him. Then he saw something come across his computer screen.
MANDY: Bill, do you sometimes wish you could turn back time?
BILL: Sure I do. What’s bothering you?
MANDY: I’m just thinking. What if I had met you first? Before him. What would my life had been like?
~*~
She held her breath, especially when he didn’t answer immediately. Had she gone too far?
Then she saw the words. I wish that’s how it had been.
She let out the breath. Really?
BILL: Yeah. I can’t explain it, but I feel like we were meant to….
When he didn’t finish, she typed, Meant to what?
BILL: I don’t know. Meet? Get to know each other? It just feels right when we talk. Does that sound weird?
MANDY: No, it sounds just like I feel.
BILL: Then it’s fate! *grins*
MANDY: Yeah, maybe it is.
~*~
Luke sat there for a long time, not really knowing what to say. He had never felt closer to any woman than he did Mandy, but he knew he shouldn’t feel that way this soon. But he couldn’t deny it. Before he was able to think of a response, he saw more words come across his screen.