Change of Heart

by Judith Keim

  Marty Caster was a trim, white-haired man whose tan, leathery skin showed the signs of working in the sun for most of his life. But the light-brown eyes that studied her were full of life, belying his age.

  “So, little lady, you’re opening your own business?” he said, giving her a smile from where he sat behind his desk in the cluttered office.

  Seated in front of him, Em bristled and then reminded herself that in every business there were others ready to belittle you if you let them. She pulled out a copy of her business plan and handed it over to him.

  “I think you’ll find all the information you need here, but let me break it down for you. What I’m asking for is the ability to market my business through you. In return, you would have the opportunity to provide plantings and maintenance to those properties I work on through deals made with the owners. Though I would also be advertising on my own and through Rainbow’s End, it seems natural for us to work together. Our two businesses complement one another. It would, I believe, be of financial benefit to both of us to team up.”

  Marty sat back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and chuckled.

  Offended, Em tensed and waited for him to speak.

  “My God! You’re Julia Jordan’s granddaughter all right. That’s the kind of talk that got her business up and running. And now that I know you’re just like her, I would be inclined to say yes, but you’re going to have to convince me that I should even consider it.”

  He gazed at her intently. “Why should I take the risk of introducing you to my clients, when your business is untested, unproven? It could be disastrous for me and my business.”

  Em felt her mouth grow dry. Her mind went blank.

  “There are other landscape designers I’ve sometimes used in the past, and I’m happy with those relationships.”

  “But ...” she began, her mind whirling.

  “What do you bring to the table that they don’t have?”

  Em felt her cheeks grow hot and forced herself to straighten in her chair. “I appreciate your need to ask those questions. I’ll try to answer them one by one. This is a small town in which many people know me from my work with flowers and plants at Rainbow’s End. It’s true I haven’t set up my business before now, but it’s not true I don’t have any experience with landscape design. I studied it in college. Several people are aware of that and have asked me to come and look at their gardens for ways in which they can be improved.”

  “Really? Interesting,” said Marty. “Go ahead.”

  At his encouragement, some of Em’s confidence returned. “I’m not pretending, as others might, that I have all the answers. The reason I’m coming to you is to take advantage of your knowledge of this particular growing area and use it along with my creativity to design and implement a plan that will satisfy our joint customers.”

  Marty’s eyebrows shot up. “So, we would, in essence, be partners?”

  “Only on certain projects,” Em said, hoping that wouldn’t ruin the deal, but she wanted to run her own business. “What I bring to the table is a lifetime love of flowers and plants, along with an ability to see how they can be integrated into pleasing, easy-to-care-for designs.”

  Em sat back in her chair and kept a steady gaze on Marty’s face though she felt sweat break across her brow. “I believe my business and yours can work well together and I intend to prove it to you.”

  “Okay,” Marty said, holding up the business plan she’d given him. “Give me time to look this over before making any final decision. If necessary, and I think it might work, we can tweak it. Sound like a plan?”

  Em smiled happily. “Yessir, it does.”

  “Good.” He rose. “You’re a smart woman, Emerson. I hope we can work together.”

  After they shook hands, she walked to the front door of the large greenhouse feeling as if she could fly.

  She drove to the flower shop in excitement. Even if she had to make a few concessions to her plan to work with AAA Landscaping, she knew it was a big win.

  ###

  That night, Em dragged herself into her apartment tired to the bone. She’d worked frantically to complete the transformation of Rainbow’s End from a Valentine theme to one of spring and setting up a display of new gift collections for sale. The end result was worth every ache in her body.

  Too tired to think of fixing dinner, Em pulled out a can of bubbly, flavored water from the refrigerator. After she sat a while, she’d make herself a sandwich and go to bed.

  She wandered into the living room and clicked on the television. The news was depressing. She was about to get up and go back to the kitchen when she heard the sound of her doorbell.

  She hurried to answer it, hoping Elena and Andrew had decided to stay another night.

  She peeked through the peephole in the door and stared at a man wearing the baseball cap with the name of her favorite pizza place on it. Had Elena surprised her?

  Keeping the chain on, she opened the door a crack.

  “Sorry, I didn’t order any pizza.”

  “Not to worry. A friend ordered it for you.”

  Smiling at the kindness of her sister, Em opened the door wider to accept the pizza.

  The delivery man handed her the box, then pushed her inside and followed.

  “Wait! You’re not the delivery boy!” Em said, getting a closer look at the man’s face, his glassy eyes. She dropped the box of pizza onto the entry tile. “Get out! Get out right now!”

  He laughed, slammed the door shut behind him, and locked it. “I’m not going anywhere until you pay me. Besides, I think you and I ought to have some fun. How about it, sweetheart? You look like you could stand a little excitement.”

  Em glanced at her cell phone lying on the table next to the couch, and wondered if she’d have time to make a dash for it and call 911.

  The man noticed where she was looking and lurched toward the phone to grab it.

  With his attention on the phone, she ran to the door. She screamed when he grabbed an arm. With the other, she managed to flick the front porch lights on and off a few times before he dragged her back into the hallway.

  “Okay, I’ve got you. Let’s start with the money and then we’ll move on to the entertainment,” the man said, chuckling in a menacing way.

  Gagging at the thought of him touching her, she indicated the kitchen with a nod of her head. “My purse is in there.” Maybe, she thought, I can grab a knife.

  Holding onto her arms painfully, pinning them behind her back, he dragged her over to the television.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, trying to hold in her panic even as adrenaline pumped through her.

  “I don’t want nobody to hear you scream,” he said, turning the volume on the television way up.

  Em’s breath left her in a gasp of terror as he forced her to walk toward the kitchen. Afraid of what might happen there, she fought him with everything she had. She soon discovered she was no match for his size, his strength. In the struggle, he released one arm and slapped her across the face so hard she saw stars. She clasped a hand to her cheek and barely managed to stand on her feet.

  A loud bang shattered the air, and her front door flew open.

  Nick Munro charged toward them.

  The man behind her was as shocked as she, released her arm, and staggered back. “What the fuck?”

  Em was pushed aside as Nick quickly wrapped large, muscular arms around the man’s body and pinned his arms before he kicked his legs out from under him, threw him face down and then sat on him, pinning him to the floor.

  The man struggled to resist, but he was no match for Nick.

  Stunned, struggling to stay on her feet, Em watched Nick quickly bind the man’s hands behind his back with a large zip-tie he’d pulled from his jacket pocket.

  Breathing heavily, Nick stood up and straightened. “I saw the flickering lights and came running. I’ve called the cops. They should be here shortly”

  Confused, she said, “But it
’s Monday. You’re day off.”

  “Your boyfriend paid me extra to stay on until he was sure you were safe.”

  Em began to cry deep, wracking sobs of relief, her body so weak she barely made it to the couch before sinking onto it. The horror of what had almost happened to her made her feel faint. She lowered her head between her knees and fought for air to fill her lungs. How, she wondered, could she ever thank Devin? He had, in his own way, saved her life.

  Two policemen came running in, said hi to Nick, and then lifted the man to his feet, handcuffed him, and took him into custody. One of them took the man away, and the other walked over to the couch and sat down beside her.

  “Are you okay, Ma’am?”

  She nodded and whispered, “I think so.”

  “Okay, I need some answers.”

  Nick stayed right at her side as she told the policeman as much as she could.

  “Do you have family to call?” Nick asked her gently when the questioning ended and the policemen left.

  “Yes. My father,” she said numbly. She knew how upset her parents would be, but she’d already decided she needed to spend the night here, or she’d never be able to be alone in her condo again.

  “I’ll get some of the carpenters here to fix the lock on your front door. When I kicked the door in, part of the door jamb shattered, but it can be fixed easily.”

  Later, sitting in the living room with her parents, Em fought the urge to curl up in her mother’s lap as her father paced the room.

  “No way you’re going to be alone here at night until you’re completely ready. We’ll sleep here tonight until I can be sure you’ll be safe. You don’t mind, do you, Donna?”

  “Of course not, dear,” her mother said. “Emerson’s safety is the most important thing.” She gave Em another hug. “I wish you hadn’t decided to move in right away.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I know, but I can’t go back to living at your house. It’s important for me to be here.”

  Her father came to her and held her in his arms. “Your mother and I are here for you, Em.”

  She knew then she’d made the right choice to stay in Ellenton.

  ###

  The next day, Elena called her first thing. “I heard all about the intruder and the close call you had. I’m shaking just talking about it. Mom also told me about the thoughtful thing Devin did in hiring the guard to protect you. If that isn’t the sweetest gesture, I don’t know what is.”

  “I will always be grateful to him for that. Last night’s episode was the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I thought he was going to rob and rape me before killing me.” Em’s voice wobbled with emotion. “I was so scared.”

  “Mom said you fought the guy.”

  “Yeah, but I couldn’t stop him. That’s the most frightening thing of all.”

  “Is there anything I can do for you? I feel so helpless.”

  “Just be well and happy. The thought of being an aunt is a pleasant one, giving me strength to get through this.”

  “Okay,” said Elena. “Call me anytime you need someone to talk to. Promise?”

  “I promise,” she said. As she clicked off the call, she checked to make sure the chain was locked in place on the door, the deadbolt lock secured, and all the windows on the ground floor safely locked.

  ###

  That afternoon when Em arrived home from the flower shop, her father was waiting for her at the front door. He held a small bag in his hand. “Here. Your mother and I bought these things for you.”

  After going inside, she opened the bag. “What’s inside?”

  Her father winked at her. “Your mother did a little research online. These are the five things you should carry with you to get you out of an uncomfortable situation.”

  She lifted out a can of pepper spray, a small personal alarm, a whistle, a small flashlight and a hollow piece of plastic labeled a Kubotan. “Wow! These are great!”

  “Yes,” her father agreed. “And your mother and I would like to pay for a self-defense course if you’re interested.”

  Smiling, Em nodded. “Thanks, I’ll look into it.”

  Her mother arrived carrying a casserole. “I thought you could use a nice, hot meal.” She smiled at Em. “It’s your favorite lemon chicken casserole.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” she said. She loved their concern but didn’t want to give up the idea of being independent.

  ###

  With dinner over, her mother gone home, and her father resting on the couch in front of the television, Em went up to her office to work on logo ideas for her business. She loved the name Living Designs but wanted to add a tagline for it. After noodling around on the computer, seeking other names for businesses like hers, she came up with” Living Designs – Fresh Ideas, Beautiful Results.

  Pleased, she started working on designs for the name.

  She was trying to decide between a green background or a brighter color when her cell rang. Seeing Devin’s name, she grabbed up the phone.

  “Hi, Devin! Bless you! You saved my life!” she gushed. “I have to tell you what happened to me.”

  “Elena just called me. Are you all right now? And are you going to be okay staying at your condo?”

  “Yes, thanks to you. Hiring the special security guard for me is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. How can I thank you? Nothing I say can express my gratitude.”

  “I’m just glad you’re fine. I didn’t like the idea of you there alone and wanted to be sure you’d be safe. What’s the development company doing to make it safer for you and everyone else?”

  “I got a call from them today. They’re going to make it a gated community, and they’ve hired more guards. One of my closest neighbors is moving in tomorrow and three others this weekend.”

  “Sounds good,” said Devin. He hesitated. “I’ve thought a lot about you and what you want to do with your life. I may need your help with something. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “I’m happy to hear from you. Call me anytime.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do that,” he said.

  Em could hear the smile in his voice and knew him well enough to understand how pleased he was. Listening to him, realizing how much he cared, she felt safer already.

  As the days passed, she continued to feel stronger, even as she became more aware of her surroundings as she’d been warned. Talking to Devin on a regular basis helped too. They talked about everything. In one conversation, he quizzed her on her desire to adopt, and when she assured him that she wanted to do that in the future, he said, “I have something in mind.”

  That was a piece of information she kept to herself. Though the idea of a possible adoption was thrilling, she didn’t want to do anything to take away from Elena’s excitement about her baby.

  When Kat called to invite her to lunch in the city, Em hesitated a moment and then accepted. She hadn’t been in New York City for some time, and she was in need of a change. She’d been feeling housebound with bad weather and working at the flower shop.

  Traveling on the train into the city, she recalled how excited she’d been with her first job while temporarily living at home. Meeting Kat and her other roommates at the advertising agency where they all worked was a tremendous help. Not only did they work together, they played together. Two of them had married and moved on, but Kat and another friend still stayed at work and in the apartment that Em once owned with them.

  As agreed, Em was to meet Kat at Rennie’s, a small, neighborhood bar they both loved not far from Kat’s workplace in midtown. Rennie’s was known for its excellent bar food—anything from oysters on the half-shell, to fresh, crisp salads, thick deli-style sandwiches, big burgers, and beyond. Em wasn’t sure how they did it, but she’d never had a bad meal there. And for her, the servings were large enough to provide leftovers to take home for another meal.

  At one o’clock the place was jammed. Em looked around and saw Kat sitting at a small high-top table in a corner.
Em elbowed her way through the crowd to get to her.

  Kat jumped off her chair to hug her. “It’s so good to see you! I feel as if it’s been years, not months.”

  Em smiled. “I know. So much has happened in those months. It feels good to be back, but I’ll be happy to get home too. I’d forgotten how crowded, how impersonal the city can be. So much activity, so much noise.”

  “Wow! You sound like a country girl. You’re really happy in Ellenton?”

  “Yes,” said Em, realizing how deeply she felt. “It’s home. Tell me all about you. Anything new on the dating scene? What’s happening at work. The boss still the same?”

  Kat laughed. “Boss man will never change. Nothing too great on the dating scene. I still see Dave from time to time. How about you?”

  “I’ve met a special guy. We’re not dating, but he’s a wonderful man. He’s a doctor who lives in Miami and does volunteer work in Costa Rica.”

  “A doctor, huh?’ said Kat, wiggling her eyebrows. “A nice, rich catch. If you’re just friends, maybe you can introduce me to him, huh?”

  Em looked at her with surprise. “First of all, being a doctor doesn’t necessarily mean you’re rich. Besides, he devotes time and money to children in Costa Rica. In fact, he knows I’m looking to adopt a child and may be able to help me.”

  “Whaaat?” Kat shrieked. “You adopt a child? What for? You’re not even married?”

  Em held up her hand to stop her. “Hold on! Hear me out! After Jared dumped me, I realized that what I’ve wanted all along was a big family. And then I understood I don’t need to be married to do that. There are thousands of children everywhere who need a good home. Not only here in this country but in places like Central America and Africa. Why not adopt? And if I find a suitable guy along the way, fine. But that isn’t my main goal now.”

  Kat frowned. “But a lot of these kids are from different ethnic backgrounds or don’t have much intelligence, that kind of thing. Why would you saddle yourself with someone like that? You’d be stuck with them for the rest of your life.”

  Listening to her, Em suddenly realized she didn’t like Kat very much. First, there was the betrayal issue with Jared and now, this. Thinking back through the years, there were many other incidents that should have caused alarm. In the past, she’d kept quiet to maintain peace between them. Now, she couldn’t. Not after seeing Kat for who she really was—greedy, unkind, and selfish.