Room to Grow

by Lisa Heaton

  “Positive,” he said. “This is the right job for you. I could see it when you talked to Mrs. Wilkes. This’ll be good for you.”

  “Good for me how?”

  “It’ll give you your confidence back.”

  She studied his words. “Is that what I’m missing?”

  “Yeah, without a doubt.” He kept his eyes on the road. “This past year has hit you hard. I can see it.”

  “It’s that obvious, huh?”

  “Probably just to me.”

  Chapter Two

  The drive into Nashville from Brentwood didn’t take long since it was midday, less than fifteen minutes.

  “What time will I need to be at work each morning?”

  “Seven on Mondays. We start with a planning session. Rodney, Justine, and I get together to map out the week. Then the rest of the week we touch base as needed for updates. You can arrive at seven thirty those mornings.”

  “You never know what to expect on I-65.”

  He nodded. “Never. I come out this way often. Brentwood and Franklin are where most of my clients live.”

  Josh pulled in front of the nursery and hesitated before parking. “What do you think?”

  Sophie looked out the window. “‘Room to Grow’ – I like how that looks on the sign.”

  “I added the little flower in the O of the word grow for you, but it’s faded on the sign so much that you can’t tell it was once purple.”

  “Purple is still my favorite flower color.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me.” He pulled into the lot in front of the main office. “And your favorite all-time flower is a sunflower.”

  “I can’t believe you remember little things like that.”

  “Little things are usually the most important.” He smiled and pointed to his business.

  “You’ve taken a house and made it your office,” she said. “I love that.”

  “It doesn’t feel as commercial here, at least not in this area. Plus, I’m in walking distance of the restaurants. That helps since I live above the office.”

  Sophie looked up at the confederate blue house. The white trim stood in stunning contrast to the deep color. It looked homey, nothing like a business.

  “That’s handy,” she said. “I love these older Craftsman houses. So much more character than my ’70s ranch.”

  “It’s handy alright. I can be at work with just a trip down a staircase.”

  He led the way up the porch steps, through the entryway and into his office, which was once the living room of the home.

  Sophie looked around and tried to take it all in. A massive fireplace took center stage at the end of the room, but with its crumbling stone it had seen better days. Positioned facing the entryway, Josh’s old wooden desk was stacked high with paperwork. Besides his desk chair, there was one other chair in the room. If clients met there, it would seem anything but inviting. The only redeeming qualities were the beautiful wood floors and thick white trim that encased the light gray walls.

  “I hope one responsibility of your right hand is to get this place cleaned up.”

  “I was hoping my right hand would say that. With your eye for decorating, I know you can make a dent in the disaster I’ve created.”

  “Do you work here with clients?”

  He nodded.

  “Yeah, this’ll have to change,” she said.

  He showed her around the rest of the lower level. Across the entryway was an ornate dining room with built-in shelving and the same warm wood floors. It had a cased opening with French doors just like Josh’s office. With an oversized picture window overlooking the street, the room was bright and sunny. It was serving as a conference room with an unattractive Formica table beneath the chandelier and shabby, mismatched chairs.

  In the back of the house next to the bathroom, there was a room stacked high with boxes. Josh entered first.

  “It’s small, but would you be interested in this as an office?”

  She had to keep herself from squealing. “I get my own office?”

  “Sure. I’ve got a room upstairs where I can move all this junk.”

  “And I can decorate it?”

  Josh chuckled. “Yeah, knock yourself out.” He pointed toward the front of the house. “Once you get me squared away.”

  “I’ll have you fixed up in no time.”

  Her heart leaped at the thought of tackling both projects. She had things around her house that were never used anymore. She would pilfer from there to enhance both rooms. Already, she could see her office with a fresh coat of paint. The bookcases in her den would be beautiful there decorated with books and flowerpots and photos.

  Last on the downstairs tour was an updated kitchen.

  “I like the white cabinets,” she said.

  “I painted the original ones and replaced the countertops. Other than stripping and staining all the hardwood down here, that’s about all I’ve accomplished.”

  He led her to the stairway. “I’ll show you my place.”

  The upstairs was in much better shape overall. Josh's bedroom and the sitting room were both tidy compared to his office.

  Next, they walked over to the nursery. The space was vast and half-filled with evergreens. It was still too soon to have flowers out since it was only early March, so most of the tables stood empty, waiting for spring flowers to arrive.

  “That’s Justine there, talking to the delivery guy.”

  Sophie watched the woman as she broke into loud laughter and slapped at the man’s arm. Even from so far away, she could see the flash of white teeth against deep mocha skin. Justine’s dark hair was long and braided, and she wore stained overalls with a RtG logo t-shirt beneath.

  Overalls was what Sophie wore to garden, a fact that made her feel at home in her new job.

  Justine caught sight of her and Josh, waved, and held her finger up indicating she would only be a minute.

  “I like her already,” Sophie said to Josh.

  “Just wait until you meet her. She’s a blast of sunshine all day every day, a woman of God like you can’t imagine.”

  She didn’t say it aloud, but a blast of sunshine was what Sophie needed. Her faith was more than shaken, and her days were mostly overcast.

  “It’s too soon to be shopping for flowers,” Justine said as she drew nearer. She held out her hand. “I’m Justine.”

  “I’m not shopping. Actually, Josh just hired me to help out around here.”

  Justine’s eyes widened as she looked at Josh. “We’re hiring? That’s news to me.”

  “Yeah, I need someone to keep me in line, and Sophie can do just that.”

  With her face blooming into a broad smile, Justine said, “Sophie Said? Is that you?”

  Sophie wasn’t sure what that meant. “Sophie Banks.”

  Justine shook her head. “No, I mean are you Sophie Said this, and Sophie Said that?” She grinned at Josh. “Is this your Sophie?”

  His cheeks grew pink. “Not my Sophie, but yes, the Sophie who taught me to love gardening.”

  “Girl,” Justine said, “I should have known it was you. Josh said your eyes are as green as your thumb.” She shook her head and made a tsking noise. “I used to get so tired of hearing your name until I learned to tune Josh out.”

  Sophie was baffled by the entire exchange, especially Josh’s awkward reaction to it. He asked Justine a few questions that sounded more like small talk and then made an excuse to get out of the nursery.

  On their way to what he called the equipment hub, he said, “Ignore all that.”

  “What was she talking about?”

  “When she and Rodney first came to work for me, I would tell them the stuff you taught me. They had never worked landscaping before but needed the work. They go to my church. That’s where we met.”

  She was quiet as she considered that long ago summer with Josh. Back then, her faith was bursting at the seams, and every encounter with God happened in her garden. That hadn’t been the case
in such a long time. It was as if the best part of her was missing.

  “You’ll meet Rodney tomorrow morning. He’s out now with a crew.”

  “How many crews are there?”

  They entered a metal building that housed large excavators, mowers, and other various lawn equipment. To one side was a small kitchen area for the work crew and Rodney’s office.

  “Four three-man crews. Rodney goes with one of the crews each day depending on the job.”

  “You have an impressive operation, Josh. I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

  “If it weren’t for the people who work here, I wouldn’t have all this. I started working out of my truck while I was still in school and then bought this place three years ago. They keep it going while I find new business.” He nudged her shoulder with his. “You’ll be doing the same thing now.”

  “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

  “You can’t possibly,” he said.

  The drive back to her car started out quiet. Sophie was lost in thought, her mind filled with all she wanted to do around the Room to Grow office. The small desk and chair that were in her home office would work. It wasn’t as if she needed them since she didn’t really do anything business related at home. She paid her bills online and often from her kitchen table. The only reason she had made herself a home office was to fill the space after Kevin had moved out. It had been a way to kill some time, something she had way too much of after the divorce.

  “Would it be okay if I bring some furniture from home for my office?”

  “Sure. I was sitting over here trying to figure out how to get you started.”

  “I’ll need your truck to move it.” She thought of what he had said. “I mean, once I get your office in order.”

  He chuckled at that. “I was just kidding. My office has worked fine these past years. Get your space ready first so you’ll be comfortable.”

  For a few seconds she was quiet, then she said, “You know I’m straightforward, right?”

  “You are.” He glanced at her. “What?”

  “Your office needs help first. You can’t have your business at the level it is and present such a disorganized front to your clients.”

  “I know it’s a mess.”

  “That’s okay. I’m the queen of organization.”

  “I remember that, Sophie.”

  She had to wonder. “Will you be honest with me now?”

  “About what?”

  “You weren’t really looking to hire someone, were you? I could tell by Justine’s reaction.”

  “No, I wasn’t actively looking, but the minute I saw you were looking for a job, I knew you were what I needed.”

  She nodded. “You can’t imagine what this means to me. I needed this, too.”

  Josh’s phone rang, so she listened to his end of the conversation. He was decisive in his answers and confident in his tone. It was hard to believe this was the same young man who had once unloaded bags of potting soil from her trunk. Back then, he was unsure of himself and what he wanted out of life. Now, this man weaving impatiently through traffic knew what he wanted. She couldn’t help but envy him that.

  After he hung up, he drove for a minute without speaking. Finally, he said, “March first, that’s the day I started working for you.”

  “I remember that. Your birthday was the second.”

  He looked at her and smiled. “I think of you every March first – how that’s the first day of spring for you.” He shook his head. “No matter that it’s not officially spring then, to you it is.”

  “I can’t believe you remember I said that.”

  “I remember much more than that, like the cupcakes you made for me the next day. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting is still my favorite.”

  “They’re my favorite, too.” She paused for a few seconds. “I didn’t do that this year.”

  “What, begin your spring clean-up on March first?”

  “Yes, everything’s a mess out there. My pots still have plant corpses from last year. Even after the fall I never took the time to cut things back.”

  “Why? That’s the stuff you live for, getting out there and working in the sunshine.” He paused and looked at her for a long moment while they sat at a traffic light, waiting to turn into the coffee shop. “Have you changed that much over the years?”

  “I guess I have, at least this last year.” She considered his question. “I just don’t have it in me these days. Even on nice days I sit on the patio and look at all the work that I need to do. I just can’t find the motivation to do it.”

  Josh pulled in next to her car, then turned in his seat to face her. “We’ll find Sophie for you. You seem to have misplaced her.”

  She smiled at that. “I’ve lost a lot recently, but now, today, I have a sense that I’ve found something.”

  Just as she reached for her door handle, he said, “Are we ever gonna talk about that last day, the things I said and what I did?”

  Sophie shook her head. “No, I think we can leave that there.”

  His grin was genuine and his cheeks once again pink. “I have a feeling it’ll come back around.”

  Once home and settled into yoga pants and a t-shirt, Sophie paused and looked in the mirror. Today was the first day in a long time that she didn’t groan at her appearance. Something about the afternoon had left her glowing.

  She removed the band from her hair and allowed it to fall over her shoulder. Maybe getting back out in the sunshine would lighten up what was becoming mousy blonde. She needed highlights, natural ones from hours spent outdoors. That was when she had felt her fittest, back when she wagged heavy bales of straw and bags of soil, when her cheeks were rosy from the sun and her muscles ached from real work.

  She needed what Josh was offering, a new beginning to bring her back to life.

  Her phone rang. It was Karen.

  “Any luck on the job hunt?”

  “Actually, a job found me today.”

  “Found you?”

  “Yes. A guy who worked for me the summer I had knee surgery has a landscaping company now. He’s offered me a job.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Karen said. “For both of us.”

  “Why for both of us?” Sophie peeled open a yogurt and reached into the dishwasher for a spoon.

  “Maybe I can forgive myself for moving off and leaving you now.”

  “I’m not sure I can ever forgive that, but I always forgave you for closing the shop and getting married.”

  “I hate it here only one percent less than last week.”

  “That’s a start.” Sophie said. “You did the right thing by going. You prayed. You waited. You prayed. You waited. This was your answer.”

  “Then why do I hate it so much in Dayton?”

  “Because I’m not there.”

  “Yeah, that’s most of it. I met a woman at the Y yesterday, but I felt like I was cheating on you when I found that I liked her.”

  “You’re not cheating. I give you permission to find a new friend. Now that I’ll be working, I will make new friends too.”

  Karen said, “I’m not giving you permission for that. I’m here in Dayton. You can’t enjoy life without me.”

  “You’re a true friend.”

  “I know.” Karen paused. “So what is your boss like? Potential love interest, I hope.”

  “Hardly. I didn’t mention that when he worked for me eleven years ago, he was only eighteen. He’s still just a pup.”

  “He’s what, nine years younger than you?”

  “Nine and a half.”

  “You could be a cougar.”

  “Never! Robbing the cradle is Kevin’s thing, not mine.” Sophie’s stomach lurched at that thought.

  “Is he at least cute?”

  “Cuter than cute. I’ll have to sneak a picture and send it to you. He’s lean and at least a foot taller than I am. He has dark hair and big brown eyes.”

  “Long or short hair?”

>   “Both. It’s long on top and buzzed on the sides.”

  “Young hipster?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. Everything I’m not.”

  “This’ll be good for you, Sophie. You need something new in your life.”

  “I have no doubt this is just what I need.”

  Chapter Three

  Friday rush-hour traffic was brutal, so Sophie cut it close for her first commute and arrived at seven twenty-five. Inside the office she found Josh working at his desk, papers strewn and his coffee cup teetering on a stack of folders.

  When she walked in, he looked up at her and smiled. “You made it.”

  “Of course I did.”

  “Part of me wondered if you would chicken out.”

  “Why would I chicken out? I was so excited that I hardly slept at all last night.”

  “Same here,” he said. “I got up and started clearing out your office at midnight.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to. I want you to feel that you have a place of your own here.”

  “I like that,” she said. “So what’s on our agenda today? Can I get started on your office?”

  “You can. First, I’ll introduce you to Rodney and the guys before they leave.”

  Sophie followed Josh outside to where a group of men were waiting by a row of work trucks. Josh introduced each by name, and the last was Rodney. He was a mountain of a man, three hundred pounds if he was an ounce. The mental image of him next to Justine with her petite frame was nearly comical.

  “I’ve heard so much about you over the years, Sophie,” Rodney said with a deep, raspy voice.

  “I hope it’s all good.”

  Rodney grinned and winked at Josh. “Better than good. You’re a bit of a legend around here.”

  She glanced at Josh, who wouldn’t look her in the eye. “What in the world have you told these people?”

  “I may have referred to you as the plant whisperer.”

  “That’s crazy. I’ve killed too many plants through trial and error to be called a plant whisperer.”

  Josh turned to look at her. “Well, that’s the way I remember it. I like my version just fine.”

  Rodney handed Josh a clipboard. “Here’s our schedule for today. Anything you need to add?”