Change of Heart

by Judith Keim

  “Last night, Gran and I decided to go ahead and hire him on a trial basis to manage the flower shop. Tinker turned down the offer but suggested we hire him. He’s sold his share of Town Florists and is looking for something to fill his time.”

  “Oh, my! Julia was okay with this?”

  “Gran was okay with being his boss. Tinker says he was great to work for and taught her a lot. I don’t have the time to train someone who is not capable nor a good business person. I’m too busy with Living Designs.”

  “Well, if you need me to referee them, let me know, and I’ll be there unless I’m at Elena’s for the birth of the baby. Just a few more weeks to go.”

  “I hope it’s a May Day baby,” she said. “I’ve always thought that was such a romantic day.”

  “You’ve always loved the little baskets of flowers the shop makes,” said her mother. “I’m off to a tennis game, but keep me informed.”

  “And you keep me informed if any of your tennis friends want to spruce up their gardens or even their yards.”

  “Will do. Love you,” her mother said, hanging up.

  Em checked the clock. Time to go to her next appointment. It was a small job, but Em didn’t care. Her business was growing.

  Driving through the family-friendly neighborhood, Em studied the bicycles, carriages, and toys strewn in front yards. She knew in today’s world her drive to have a child might seem strange to the mothers she’d overheard complaining about their roles or the kids who were nothing but a trial. But no matter what they might say, it didn’t lessen her wish for a big family.

  The Thompsons lived in a large, one-story, contemporary house with wood siding. She parked in front of it and took a second look at it. She’d already come up with a few good ideas but needed this opportunity to see if there was anything she’d missed. As she remembered, the curb appeal was very limited because the mess by the entrance quickly drew one’s attention.

  She made her way up the stone-block pathway to the front door, bypassing the bicycles and outdoor toys thrown on the ground beside the small entry porch.

  A mother of four boys, Sarah Thompson was a tiny woman with brown hair cut in a pixie style and gray eyes that missed nothing. Her two older boys towered over her, and even the baby of the family, a toddler around three, looked like he would rapidly approach her size. Em knew the family from newspaper articles on local sports teams that always seemed to feature one of the boys.

  At the moment, Sarah looked a little flustered as she waved Em into the house. “Sorry, it’s been a crazy morning. The baby has a cold.”

  She led Em into the cluttered kitchen, moved aside a bowl of half-eaten cereal, picked up a couple of juice glasses and set them on the counter, swept up crumbs into her hand, and quickly wiped down the table all within a matter of what seemed like seconds.

  “Have a seat. We can talk here. How about a cup of coffee?” Sarah asked.

  “That sounds nice. I take mine black.”

  “I can’t wait to see the plans,” Sarah said, flitting around the kitchen, grabbing a coffee mug, and filling it.

  She handed the mug to Em and fixed one for herself before sitting down next to Em at the long, pine table.

  “Whatcha got?” she said, giving Em a curious look.

  “You complained that the house and yard always looked a mess and that one of the neighbors across the street spoke to you about it. I have an idea that will help both of you.”

  Em pulled out the sketches she’d made, showing a simply constructed wooden fence that was essentially vertical pieces of wood encased at the top and bottom by plain wooden rails. A gate opened to the walkway. The contemporary design of the fence matched the style of the house. More importantly, she’d sketched in plantings on both sides of the fence to provide an attractive border to the front of the property for neighbors, blocking the view inside the yard.

  “I love it!” Sarah said, clapping her hands. “It will give me the chance to have some flowers where the boys aren’t likely to trample them.”

  “Yes, they’ll still have the space for the basketball court to the side, and I think I’ve figured out a way to keep bikes and toys away from the front entrance. The gate to the walkway will help, but we’ll construct large flower boxes on each side of the front door entry, protecting it and preventing kids from throwing their bikes down alongside it.”

  Sarah clasped one of Em’s hands. “It all seems so simple, but I would never have thought of it.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder how I can ever survive my boys. I love them to death, but I can’t help wondering what it would be like to raise girls.” She held up her hand. “But this is it. Four kids are enough.”

  “I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a large family,” Em commented.

  “Oh, it is,” said Sarah. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  They shared a smile.

  “As soon as you officially approve the design, I will get in touch with the fence provider and talk to AAA Landscaping about the both the flower boxes and the plantings. We’ll give you an estimate for planting them or, if you wish, you and your husband can do your own planting. I would suggest, however, that it be professionally done. It can be completed in a day or two.”

  “Okay, let me check with my husband, and I’ll get right back to you. I’m thrilled, positively thrilled with what you’ve suggested.” She grinned. “My birthday is coming up, and Tom never knows what to give me. This will save him a lot of time and trouble.”

  Em laughed. “Sounds like a plan. You’ve got my business card. Give me a call as soon as possible. My schedule is filling up quickly. By combining the fee for the plan with the work of AAA Landscaping you save a lot of money. It’s an agreement I have with them that I pass onto you. And remember, I’ll be here to oversee the work.”

  Sarah gave Em a quick hug. “Thank you so much. I can’t wait to begin.”

  Em left the Thompson house feeling good about her work. Her design seemed simple, but it was well thought out. And when the actual work began, she’d be right there to see that everything turned out right.

  ###

  That afternoon Em waited with Gran in the back office for Bart’s arrival, as anxious as she. Luckily, Tinker was working that afternoon and would, Em hoped, provide a nice buffer for their first meeting with him.

  When she heard the doorbell chime announcing a customer, Em glanced at Gran and got to her feet. “Here goes. For better or worse.”

  The two women walked into the front room to see Tinker all but dancing in front of Bart. “I’m so glad you’re here,” said Tinker. The sound of her voice trilled in the air joyfully. “I told Em how much I learned from you.”

  “You were a good student.” The smile left Bart’s face as he studied Julia. “Good afternoon, Julia. I assume this is Emerson, your granddaughter.”

  “Oh, yes,” said Em, hurrying forward to shake his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

  Bart’s hand was warm. She looked into his eyes and saw kindness there and relaxed. “Come into the back office. We can discuss the situation there. Would you like coffee or tea?”

  “A glass of water sounds nice,” he commented.

  “I’ll get it, Gran,” Em said, eager to give her grandmother and Bart a few moments alone. They’d pretty much ignored one another.

  As she was carrying the glass of water to the office, Tinker called out to her. “Em, I need to know how you want me to handle this order. It was just called in long-distance.”

  “Hold on, I’ll be right there.” Em hurried into the office, set the glass of water down on the desk in front of Bart, and said, “I’ve got to talk to Tinker, and then I’ll be back.” As she left the room, she heard Bart say, “You’re looking well, Julia.”

  Em couldn’t hear what Gran replied, but her tone was a bit chilly. Interesting. Gran was nervous.

  After Em went over the proper procedure for the out-of-state order, she left Tinker to another customer and returned
to the office.

  “Ah, here she is,” said Gran, obvious relief in her voice.

  Em took a seat behind the desk and decided to hold nothing back. “You sold your share of Town Florists; why would you consider working here?”

  Bart’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “A straight shooter, huh? Well, I’ll go ahead and answer that. Town Florists was only a part of my life. I have several other business interests. Years ago, I opened the store on a dare, and while I continued working there from time to time, my partner and I began to have conflicting views of how things should be done. I didn’t need the job, and he desperately wanted to take over so his son could run it as his own.”

  Em frowned. “But you don’t really need this job either, do you?”

  Bart shook his head. “No. Not in the way you think. I live alone now. My wife has been deceased for several years. With the florist shop sold, I realized I missed getting out and meeting people on a daily basis. I’ve always loved that aspect of the business, and I do like working with flowers, designing attractive arrangements. Being creative is good for anyone’s soul.”

  “I agree,” said Gran, nodding at Bart. “It’s been a part of what’s kept me healthy and happy through the years. Being alone without contact with others is the road to unhappiness.”

  While they studied each other, Em wondered how to break the stiffness between them and blurted, “It will be wonderful to have your talents here at Rainbow’s End, which has continued to do very well, mostly because of Gran’s influence. Our customers love her.”

  “Yes, I know,” said Bart. “I’ve kept an eye on the store for a number of years.” He turned to Gran. “I remember how determined you were to succeed on your own.”

  “I’d learned not to trust anyone to take care of things for me,” Gran said. “And I had David to raise.” Her voice faltered. “I couldn’t fail him.”

  “And, indeed, you didn’t. He’s a fine man.” He glanced at Em and back to Gran. “You’ve done a wonderful job with him and his family.”

  Em was surprised by the watery shine in Gran’s eyes as she said. “Thank you, Bart. That means a lot to me.”

  Silence followed.

  “How do you feel about working for us? We’ve got a smooth operation here, but one of our helpers is leaving, and I’m becoming busier and busier with my own business. You know Tinker and how dependable and creative she is, and, of course, Gran will be here.”

  “I think it’s going to be very pleasant,” said Bart, glancing at Gran. “I assume you still have your buyer and delivery people in place?”

  Gran straightened in her chair, alert. “Yes. I’m envisioning your doing the creative work and attending to some of the business requirements. Em is taking over the business, but the simpler aspects of running the store, we can give to you. I’ll continue to do the PR work with my clients, along with Em. As you will discover, our commercial contracts are important to us.”

  Amused, Em watched conflicting emotions cross Bart’s face, but in the end, he smiled and nodded. “I’d be happy to do so.”

  “Why don’t you spend some time with Tinker? She can show you how to run the cash register and give you a tour of the property,” said Em. “Gran and I will discuss hours and pay and then, if you’re still interested, we can settle those issues.”

  Bart stood, and Gran and Em joined him.

  Em led Bart out to the front and gave instructions to Tinker to show him around and how to use the cash register.

  When she returned to the office, Gran was staring out the window to the little garden they’d planted in back of the store.

  Em came up beside her. “Wow, Gran! I had no idea Bart was so handsome or that he still had feelings for you.”

  Gran turned to her with a puzzled look. “Why would you say that? We’re just old friends.” A pink blush crept up her cheeks making her look like the attractive young woman she’d always been.

  As Em told Devin that night, “I think the next few months are going to be very interesting.”

  He chuckled. “Indeed.”

  Something about his response made Em pause to wonder why he’d sounded so mysterious.

  ###

  Over the next couple of weeks, Em left the training of Bart to Gran and Tinker. She was now the proud overseer of four different projects. As she watched AAA Landscaping workers dig and plant as she directed, she thought how lucky she was to be in charge of her life, meeting the challenges of her new business, and loving every minute of it. When she’d drawn up her business plan in Florida, she’d been very uncertain about her future, her own abilities.

  She was watching the last of the flowers being planted at the Thompson’s house when she received the phone call she’d been waiting for.

  “The baby’s here and she’s beautiful,” said Andrew. His voice broke. “And Elena is a super mom already.”

  “Oh, Andrew! I’m so glad. Everything went well? How big is the baby? How tall? Tell me everything.” Tears of joy formed in her eyes. “She’s our May Day baby!”

  “She’s seven pounds, two ounces and nineteen-and-one-half inches long. I think she’s going to look like a Jordan,” Andrew answered with noticeable pride. “We’re calling her Lillibet. I’m going to text pictures of her to everyone after I call my parents.”

  “Oh, how sweet! Can I talk to Elena?”

  “She said she’ll call you later after things have calmed down. Just wanted you to know.”

  “Congratulations, dad! I’m so happy for you!” Em’s voice wobbled as fresh tears filled her eyes. “Tell Elena I love her, and I already love the baby.”

  “Will do,” said Andrew. He clicked off the call.

  Em wiped her eyes, drew in a deep breath, and slowly let it out to meet the air. Filled with the happy news of her niece’s birth, Em swore the spring morning was even brighter.

  When she got back to Rainbow’s End, she put together an arrangement of silk flowers in a tiny, white-wicker May basket. It would be the first of many for the baby.

  ###

  Though she stayed in Ellenton to allow time for both her mother and Gran to travel to Philadelphia to be with Elena and the baby, Em talked with her sister daily, viewed pictures her sister sent, and watched videos of Elena and the baby. She loved hearing about the progress of the little girl she couldn’t wait to meet in person.

  Em opened the store every day before going off to take care of her own business projects. At night, she checked in with Bart to discuss the day’s activities. Working with Bart at Rainbow’s End, she learned he was not the stiff, crusty man he’d first presented to her. His laughter, when it could be drawn out of him, was deep and rich. Tinker, especially, had a way of putting him at ease. And watching how he was with Gran, Em saw a tenderness in him that was touching. Unfortunately, Gran mostly ignored his advances for a deeper relationship, becoming flustered in his presence.

  One morning, Bart brought in hot coffee to Em in her office. “Thought you could use this. It’s been a hectic week.”

  Pleased, Em accepted it and waved Bart to a seat in one of the two chairs facing her desk.

  “How’s it going, Bart? I hope you like it here. You’re doing a great job, and I really need you.”

  He smiled. “I like keeping busy. I’m amazed at the way Julia built her business into such a steady operation. She’s very clever.”

  “Yes, she is,” Em replied proudly.

  Bart stared out the window and then faced Em. “I’m hoping to be able to convince Julia to come to my house for dinner. I’m a great cook, and I’ve missed cooking for someone. We used to be good friends, way back when.”

  “So, I’ve heard,” said Em, amused by the earnest expression on Bart’s handsome face.

  “Ahhh, so you may have heard we even talked marriage. At least I did.” He sighed. “I couldn’t convince her she wouldn’t have to give up her independence. But now, I hope she’ll have a change of heart, and we can have the relationship we might have had all along.”
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  “I see,” said Em, leaning back in her chair and studying him. “I’m not promising to champion your cause, but I can tell you that her favorite meal is roast chicken with all the accompaniments. She isn’t much of a cook herself, but she loves a tasty meal.”

  “Thanks,” said Bart rising. “You’re the gem your grandmother thinks you are. I’ll give it a try.”

  Gran arrived at the store, looking fresh and happy. Em had been too busy to notice before, but Gran had had her hair cut and styled and wore a new pair of pants that fit her figure nicely.

  Em gave her grandmother a kiss and waved goodbye to Bart. “I’m off, but I’ll check in with the two of you tonight. Hope it’s a good day.”

  At the last minute, she turned at the doorway and looked behind her. Gran and Bart were smiling at one another.

  “Hmmm,” thought Em, grinning herself.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  May sped by quickly, pushing its way into June with unexpected energy. With the rush of spring planting over, Em began working on larger, more time-consuming projects for customers. She loved seeing the faces of her clients light up with surprise and pleasure when she placed her drawings of suggestions in front of them.

  As she told Devin one night, “Even though I’m drawing ideas on paper, it feels as if I’m standing in the garden as I envision it.”

  “Part of your creativity,” he commented. “I like that you can picture things like that. I’m more of a science guy myself.”

  “By the way, how’s that little girl you kept talking about, the one whose mother died? You haven’t mentioned her in a while.”

  “I think we’ve found the perfect situation for her,” he replied. “It’s been difficult. She’s well aware that her mother has died, and needs to know that she won’t be alone, that other people will love and take care of her. Before she died, her mother and I talked alone and then the three of us discussed the circumstance together. Cancer is a relentless disease, but at least we had the time to discuss this child’s future.”

  She heard voices in the background and then Devin said, “Sorry. I’ve gotta go. Good to hear from you.”