Baby's Breath (Garden of Love 2)

by Melanie Wilber

  “He went to Eugene for a few days,” she said. “He had some things to take care of down there.”

  Allison seemed satisfied with her answer. Josie hated telling half-truths where she wasn’t lying, but not being totally honest either. She took comfort in the thought that Brandon would tell Allison when he returned, and the reason for his absence was for her benefit.

  The evening passed quickly, and Josie found Patrick and Tommy waiting in the foyer when she emerged from the gym. She had driven the van to the church, and Faith had already taken it and left with the girls.

  “Faith said to tell you thanks,” Patrick said in the car on the way to her apartment. “She needed it more than she thought.”

  “I owe you two a lot more than one night out.”

  “Why do you always do that?”

  Josie looked at her brother. “Do what?”

  Patrick sighed. “You don’t owe us anything, Josie, okay?”

  “Okay,” she replied, not understanding her brother’s insistence. “If you say so.”

  Patrick dropped them off at the front entrance to the apartment building. Jogging alongside Tommy with raindrops beginning to fall around her, she noticed a figure sitting on the bench near the door in the shadows. If Patrick hadn’t been waiting for them to get inside, she might have been nervous. A few more steps lessened her anxiety further, seeing it was a woman.

  A suitcase sat at her feet and another smaller bag was on the bench next to her. She had on a velvety black hat. Josie wondered if she might need some help and decided to approach her. Taking a step closer, she stared at the profile in disbelief: short golden-blonde hair, high cheekbones, tiny button nose.

  “Natalie?”

  Looking up from the electronic reader in her hand, Natalie sprung from the bench. “Josie! You’re here!” she squealed, throwing her arms around her and holding her tight. “I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to sit out here all night or find someone to take pity on a poor homeless girl and let me in.”

  “Natalie, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you call to say you were coming?”

  “I wanted to surprise you,” Natalie said, her sapphire-blue eyes dancing. “Surprise!”

  Patrick came up from behind. He hugged her and repeated Josie’s words. “Why didn’t you call? We could have picked you up at the airport,” he said, sounding like a concerned older brother.

  “Well, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing, and I didn’t give it much thought, I guess,” she replied, sounding like the little sister Josie remembered. “Can we go in and I’ll give you all the details? I’m freezing!”

  Patrick couldn’t stay. He needed to get home, but Josie and Natalie promised to come over to the house the following evening.

  “Go get ready for bed, honey,” Josie said to Tommy when they entered the apartment. She hung Tommy’s coat in the closet and removed her own. She saw Natalie place hers on top of her suitcases along with her black hat.

  “It’s great to see you, Jose,” Natalie said, turning to face her. “I’ve missed you.”

  “It’s great to see you too. You’ve been on my mind a lot lately.”

  “I hope it’s okay I dropped in on you like this. I know your life is hectic enough without--”

  “No, Nat. I’m so happy you’re here! Please know that,” she said, giving her another hug. “How long can you stay?”

  “I’m not sure,” Natalie replied. “Yesterday my editor told me it would be a few weeks before he decided where to send me next, so I figured it was a good time to come home for as long as I can.”

  Josie went to put Tommy to bed. When she returned to the living room she saw Natalie sitting on the floor with her legs crisscrossed in front of her and a can of soda in hand. Her shoes and socks had been removed and she was flipping through the scrapbook album on the coffee table.

  Josie walked to the kitchen and put on the tea kettle. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  “Starving!” Natalie said, clutching her narrow waist. “Can we order pizza?”

  “Sure,” Josie laughed. “I’ve got it on speed dial. Number five.”

  Natalie ran to the phone. “What do you want?”

  “Anything is fine.”

  She heard Natalie order pepperoni with olives and mushrooms. After waiting so long to see her sister again, she felt giddy to suddenly have her here. Josie hoped she could stay for more than a few days.

  “Would you like some tea, or have you finally given in to coffee?”

  Natalie made a face. “Not a chance, Sis. Do you have any hot chocolate?”

  Josie placed her Irish Cream spoonfuls in her cup and a packet of instant cocoa in the other one. Returning to the sofa, Josie set them both on coasters.

  “How was Spain?”

  “Different than I expected. I’d only been to Barcelona before.” Natalie began rattling off her month-long itinerary, city by city, until their pizza arrived. Josie could tell how much Natalie enjoyed her photography work.

  They stayed up past midnight. Natalie’s adventurous life made for some great stories. But she sounded glad to be home.

  When Josie woke the next morning to get Tommy off to school, she padded around quietly and told Tommy to whisper to let Natalie sleep in. She dressed in navy-blue sweats and a white hoodie, planning to go for a brisk walk after seeing Tommy off.

  Walking along the waterfront under overcast skies, Josie used the time to think. She wondered what Natalie’s sudden arrival meant for her. She felt happy and excited to see her again. Last night had been wonderful. Laughing, talking, and crying--the perfect evening for two beloved sisters. They had always been close, but she marveled at how well they got along, picking right up like time never separated them.

  Natalie slept until noon, and Josie took her to lunch. Sitting at a table at the Harborside restaurant, they talked long after their plates were empty. Josie told her about Mark’s marriage proposal and why she hadn’t accepted. Natalie had only met Mark once when they had gone to visit her at Tahoe last spring, but she had voiced her approval of him back then and was sorry to hear things hadn’t worked out. But she also supported her for following her heart when that had not been an easy thing to do. Natalie asked if she had any bright prospects at the moment, and she told her no.

  “Do you have to work tonight?” Natalie asked as they walked along the waterfront before returning to the apartment.

  “No. Not until tomorrow.” Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

  “Sure. Whatever it is, the answer is yes.”

  “Okay. I need to borrow a thousand dollars--”

  “I see you haven’t lost that corny sense of humor, Jose.”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t let that one pass by. Actually, I want to know if you would mind watching Tommy while you’re here? His sitter has been having some back problems, and I’d like to give her some time off.”

  “I’d love to. Thanks for asking.”

  “You’re not just saying that?”

  “No. I mean it. The one drawback to traveling a lot is the loneliness. All I want to do while I’m here is be with you and everyone else as much as possible.”

  Josie stopped by Mrs. Ramsey’s apartment to check on her. Vivian appeared to be moving smoothly again and said she felt fine. But she did sound grateful for the two weeks off Josie offered her--or rather insisted on.

  “I think I may call my daughter and see if she would mind having me for a few days. I haven’t seen her for such a long time now.”

  “The one in Colorado?”

  “Yes. Susan. I haven’t even seen my youngest grandson yet. She’s been begging me to come visit.”

  “You do that and stay as long as you want. Even if Natalie leaves before you get back, I can always take Tommy to my brother’s.”

  Vivian’s face lit up with anticipation, and Josie left her to call her daughter and start making plans. Vivian called her that evening to let her know she was flying out the fol
lowing day and would keep in contact to find out when she needed her back.

  After hanging up the phone, Josie couldn’t help but wonder if Vivian might want to stay indefinitely once she got there. In a way Josie hoped Vivian would. She often wished Tommy was able to see his grandparents more. Vivian’s daughter likely felt the same about her own children.

  But who would watch Tommy if Mrs. Ramsey didn’t come back? She could only take him back and forth to Patrick’s for a few weeks before the extra bus commute across town would get tiresome. She didn’t like the thought of having to look for someone new; someone that could work with her crazy schedule and be reliable and trustworthy.

  She tried not to think about what may or may not be, recalling some words of Jesus she had read a couple of nights ago while reading her Bible. She had written them down in the journal she kept, personalizing them for herself: ‘Do not worry about tomorrow, Josie. Trust in Me, not in what you see.’

  At the time she had been concerned about her relationship with Brandon and where her sister was and if she would be seeing her anytime soon, but she hadn’t remembered that until now.

  Okay, God. I won’t worry. You know my needs even before I do. I trust you to take care of Tommy and me, just as you always have.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The next few days were filled with more laughter and catching up with her sister. Natalie told Josie all about her time in Europe during the last few months: places she had photographed, food she had eaten, and people she had met from all over the world.

  Josie enjoyed viewing Natalie’s photographs portraying lush country landscapes and vineyards; magnificent coastlines and majestic snow-covered peaks; colorful city gardens and fields of wildflowers; charming chateaus and grand cathedrals; cityscapes and picturesque villages. Her sister definitely had a gift. Josie had never been to Europe, but Natalie’s artistic flair coupled with her running commentary made Josie feel as though she had.

  Natalie had been to Europe more times than Josie could count. Her first time had been at seventeen when she had gone to France as a foreign exchange student. Natalie had learned to speak fluent French in high school and majored in French and German at Stanford. She returned to Europe during college on an overseas study program, attending campuses in Paris and Berlin.

  Since graduating from Stanford with a Masters degree, Natalie had been teaching French, German, and photography at a high school in northern California and spending her summers traveling in Europe. In addition to French and German, she also spoke some Italian and Spanish. Josie had always been amazed at her little sister’s accomplishments, but Natalie took them in stride. She never bragged about her success. In fact, she often did the opposite, seeming to always think she could do better.

  Photography had only been a hobby until Natalie sold some shots to a stock agency a few years ago. She had made more stock sales since then, sold some photos to a greeting card company, placed some framed prints in local businesses, and submitted her work to Travel Europe for consideration. She had been shocked when they had decided to do a feature article based on her photos of charming country chateaus in France.

  That breakthrough had gotten her additional assignments for the major magazine and led to her temporarily leaving her teaching job last spring to pursue her combined interest in photography and traveling around Europe. Josie knew Natalie would be off somewhere again soon. She wanted to enjoy this time, however long it lasted.

  Natalie’s intelligence, caring nature, and passion for life made her one of the most special people Josie had ever known, but she knew Natalie did not have the one thing she needed the most: a relationship with God. Josie longed for Natalie to know God as she did and hoped this visit would provide the opportunity for her to share more of God’s truth and love with her sister.

  On Friday afternoon, Josie woke to go meet Tommy at the bus stop. Before she left, Natalie informed her she’d had a visitor the previous evening.

  “Brandon stopped by,” she said. “I think I caught him by surprise.”

  “I’ll bet,” Josie laughed, pressing the microwave panel to warm her muffin. “What did he want?”

  “He said he was looking for you, that he had some news to share,” Natalie said with a curious tone. “So, he’s your neighbor, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “He said he’d seen a picture of me in your scrapbook. You holding out on me, Sis?”

  Josie lifted her eyes to Natalie’s, unable to stop her lips from curving up. “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean,” Natalie said. “Are you two--?”

  “No, we’re just friends.”

  Natalie remained silent.

  “We are!” Josie insisted.

  Natalie tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear. “Would it be okay with you if I got to know him better then?”

  Josie knew what Natalie meant, and she looked away. An unexplainable pang of something swept through her. Fear? Jealousy? Concern? Perhaps a combination of all three.

  “Come on, Jose,” Natalie coaxed. “Remember, we’ve always been honest with each other.”

  “You’re only going to be here for another week or two. You can’t seriously be interested in him.”

  “I’d stay longer for someone who looks that good.”

  “What about Samuel?”

  “He lives in London. Brandon is right next door.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but he has a girlfriend. And it’s not me.”

  “And if he didn't?”

  Josie glanced at the clock. She needed to go meet Tommy, but she knew Natalie would not let it drop if she tried to delay her reply. Natalie would get it out of her sooner or later.

  “Well, maybe I would mind,” she said. “But that is to remain confidential. Understand, little sis? I’m pulling rank on this one.”

  “My lips are sealed,” Natalie said, holding out her pinkie. Josie hooked her finger with her sister’s, securing the deal.

  Josie knocked on Brandon’s door after she and Tommy came from the bus stop. She sent Tommy on ahead. “I need to talk to Brandon for a minute. Natalie said she would have a snack waiting for you.”

  “Are you going to ask him if he’s coming to my soccer game tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’ll ask,” she promised.

  No one came to the door, and Josie decided she would try to call him later. Her phone rang before she had a chance as they cleaned up the dinner dishes. Hearing his voice made her realize she had missed him.

  “Hi,” she said. “How was your trip?”

  “Good,” he said. “I stopped by last night to tell you about it, but you weren’t there.”

  “I know. My sister told me.”

  “I didn’t know she was coming to town.”

  “She surprised us.”

  “Sounds like we both have things to share. When would be a good time?”

  “Well, Tommy has a game tomorrow. He asked me to tell you about it. Maybe afterwards?” Josie asked, turning to look at Natalie who gave her the thumbs-up signal.

  “I’d like that,” he said. “What time is the game?”

  “We need to leave by two-thirty.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  “Okay, see you then.”

  “Is he coming?” Tommy asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Aunt Natalie, are you coming too?”

  “You bet,” Natalie said, lifting her eyes and smiling. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  ***

  The next morning the sound of heavy rain and wind whipping onto Josie’s bedroom window told her Tommy’s game would likely be canceled. The weather only got stormier as the day went on, turning into an all-out downpour by two-thirty. Brandon came by anyway.

  “Sorry, buddy,” he told Tommy. “Looks like I’ll have to catch the next one.”

  At Tommy’s downcast and sullen face, he added, “But the ice cream shop is open.”

  Tommy’s face brightened. “Really,
can we?”

  “If it’s all right with your mom,” he said lifting his eyes to hers.

  “Can we, Mommy?”

  “Sounds good. You want to come too, Nat?”

  They all went, making a mad dash from the apartment building to the ice cream and candy shop along the deserted RiverPlace promenade. Josie and Natalie shared one umbrella, and Brandon shared his with Tommy, but they still got soaked.

  “All right. Whose bright idea was this?” Natalie asked, stomping her wet shoes on the sopping mat inside the door.

  They all laughed, and Brandon gave them a sheepish grin. In attempting to share his umbrella with Tommy, he had let himself get quite wet. He swept back his dark hair and wiped his face with a napkin from the counter. Josie stared at him.

  What kind of guy does this for a neighbor boy?

  Brandon ended up paying for all of them and gave Tommy a quarter for the big gum-ball machine when they finished their ice cream. They waited inside until the rain subsided somewhat. On their way back, Josie felt Brandon take her elbow and draw her close, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

  “Would it be all right if I took Tommy swimming?”

  She turned and met his gentle brown eyes, giving him a slight nod. “That’s fine,” she said.

  He smiled.

  Once Brandon and Tommy had left for the pool, Natalie opened the floodgates.

  “Josie! Just friends? Are you blind? Brandon is a man in love if I ever saw one!”

  “Natalie,” Josie said in her big-sister tone. “He is not. At least not with me.”

  “He goes to Tommy’s soccer games, takes him for ice cream in the pouring rain, and spends his Saturday swimming with a six-year-old. Come on, Josie. Open your eyes!”

  “He’s only--”

  “Being friendly? Give me a break.”

  “He’s a nice guy and wants to spend some time with a boy who needs positive male role models.”

  “What he wants is to get to know you,” Natalie said.

  Natalie’s words stung, and a wave of nausea swept through her. Shooting a look at Natalie that she knew bordered on rage, Josie told herself to think before she spoke, but she couldn’t hold back.