Room to Grow

by Lisa Heaton

  “It’s about the team meeting on Mondays. While your eagerness is appreciated, that’s not where you need to be. You need to stay in the garden center so that Justine can be away without concern.”

  Avery’s eyes were wide and her tone defiant. “What’s it to you?”

  Sophie was stunned by the girl’s attitude. After recovering enough to talk, she said, “I’m the office manager, so employee performance is my responsibility.”

  “Who said you were the office manager?”

  “The man who owns this company.”

  “I thought you were just hired to help get him organized.”

  Her first thought was to explain that had changed, but then Sophie decided better. She didn’t owe Avery any explanation.

  “It doesn’t matter what you thought. I’m telling you how it is. If you want to stay on here, your role is to work in the garden center assisting customers. If you want a position different from that, then you need to look elsewhere.”

  Avery jumped to her feet. “I’ll just talk to Josh.”

  “Avery.”

  The girl turned and glared at her.

  “I’m doing what Josh asked me to. He’s kind, too kind to hurt your feelings.”

  “But you’re not too kind, I take it?”

  “My job here is to make Josh’s job easier. If that means asking you to do your assigned job, then I guess I’m not too kind.”

  Tears welled up in Avery’s eyes, causing Sophie to soften her firm tone.

  “Avery, I can see that you like Josh. I’m sure he’s flattered, but he wants to remain on a professional level with you.”

  “He said that?”

  “Yes.”

  Avery left with a slammed door, and Sophie blew out a long breath of air. Seconds later Josh entered and shut the door behind him.

  “Sooo,” he said. “How’d it go?”

  “I was direct. She was rude. She left crying.” Sophie shook her head. “I can’t believe you dumped that on me.”

  “If it were any of the guys, I wouldn’t have a problem. I just can’t stand to see a girl cry.”

  “Well, I’ve handled it. Monday morning, we shouldn’t have a problem.”

  “I’ve given you a raise for your new position if that helps.”

  His sheepish grin made her grin. “I don’t need a raise, Josh. I love being here. I don’t love making girls cry, but I enjoy what we’re doing here.”

  At lunchtime Josh poked his head in her office. She finished a call and looked up. “Hey.”

  “Let’s grab a sandwich.”

  “Give me a minute, and I’ll meet you out front.”

  When they got to the café, Sophie noticed an extra stool there next to Josh’s.

  “I guess they know you’re part of the crew now, huh?” Josh said to her.

  “Is that what I am?”

  “You are.”

  Dena arrived with water for Sophie and a Coke for Josh. “So, who’s hosting movie night?”

  “I did last time,” Josh said. He turned to Sophie. “Drake’s place is out because of his crazy roommate, and Dena’s smells like cat pee.”

  “It doesn’t smell like cat pee.”

  “Sorry, cat urine.” He grimaced and looked at Sophie. “She doesn’t even have a cat. The former resident had twenty.”

  “She had three cats, and I’m getting the carpet replaced as soon as I can.”

  “How about your place, Soph?” Josh said.

  “My place?”

  “You’re part of the crew, so yeah.”

  “I thought you meant the work crew.”

  “You’re part of that, too.” He slurped his Coke. “How ‘bout it?”

  “Sure,” Sophie said. “I’m in.”

  “Don’t do anything special. We’ll bring pizza.”

  Dena left and came back with their sandwiches. “Drake said it’s time to revisit Star Wars.”

  Sophie spoke up. “I’ve never seen Star Wars.”

  Josh’s mouth dropped. “What? Are you kidding me?”

  She shrugged. “I raised a girl. We watched princess movies.”

  “I’m not sure I can even be your friend after this discovery,” he said.

  “Is it that big a deal?”

  Josh rolled his eyes. “If you have to ask, you might be out of the crew.”

  Just after six o’clock, Sophie answered the door, trying to steady her breath. It had taken her an hour to get home in traffic, so the minute she stepped through the door, she had begun tidying the kitchen and cooking. She hadn’t entertained in the past year, so this was a big night for her, even if they were just watching a movie.

  Josh walked in first, carrying a stack of pizza boxes. “We should have plenty.”

  Dena came next, wearing ear muffs and carrying sodas; next, Drake appeared, wearing an ape costume.

  When Sophie stood gawking at them in wonder, Dena said, “Duh, Princess Leia and Chewbacca.”

  Josh called from the kitchen. “Hey, this is supposed to be low key. What’s all this food for?”

  In the kitchen with Josh, Sophie looked at the spread of appetizers. “I can’t have company and not make food.”

  “Nothing special means let’s just eat pizza. You’re a major overachiever.”

  “This place is beautiful,” Dena said when she came in the kitchen. “Josh said you had a nice house. I didn’t know he meant rich-people nice.”

  “I’m far from rich. I have a nice house and little money.”

  Drake was making some groaning noise in the other room which Josh and Dena seemed to understand as hurry up.

  “Let’s eat the pizza in here. I don’t want to mess up Sophie's couch,” Dena said.

  “It’s no big deal. I live in this house.” Sophie grabbed the stack of pizza boxes and took them to the living room, then returned for the trays of appetizers.

  Josh was still in the kitchen. When Sophie reached for a tray, he grabbed her arm. “Hey, I didn’t mean to put you out like this.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m glad to have the company. I’m alone here all the time. Entertaining is me in my element.”

  “When are you not in your element?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she said.

  “I haven’t seen anything you’re not fabulous at.”

  Sophie just smiled. “Come on. The monkey wants to start the movie.”

  “The monkey?” Josh laughed and shook his head. “You have much to learn, young Padawan.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  Josh took one of the trays from her. “Just come watch the movie and get your education.”

  An hour into the first movie, things began to click for Sophie. Some of her new crew’s humor was starting to make sense. Often, she didn’t watch the movie. Instead, she kept her eye on Josh and how he interacted with Drake and Dena. They were all closer than Sophie had understood.

  At times she felt old, too old to be hanging out with twenty-somethings. Other times she found herself not overthinking it. She enjoyed the night.

  Josh was sitting next to Sophie with Drake on the other side of him. Stripped down to half of his wookiee costume and a white t-shirt, Drake was still eating hors d’oeuvres long after everyone else had stopped. He didn’t say much, but when he did it was usually something humorous or sarcastic.

  With the two together, Sophie could now see how much Drake and his sister resembled one another. His dark hair had more wave to it than Dena’s, but otherwise their coloring and features were similar. Both were tall and lean, Drake just shy of Josh’s height. Sophie’s earliest observation came to mind, they all three could have been related.

  “This is the movie place from now on.” Drake dropped a little smokie in his mouth. “Much better than cat pee.”

  Josh turned and grinned at Sophie. “Your place is a hit.”

  “I suppose it is. Now I know why I was drafted into the crew.”

  “Yep, it’s your food and comfy couch.
”

  “Shh!” Drake said. “Somebody’s about to go down.”

  This time Josh leaned in close enough to whisper, “It’s not your food or comfy couch at all.”

  A moment happened between them. There was a long, quiet stare that Sophie couldn’t break even when she tried. He was gazing into her eyes with an expression she wasn’t sure she grasped. She suspected, but that seemed ridiculous. He wasn’t flirting with her. Of course he wasn’t flirting with her.

  The night wore on, and one movie turned into two. Sophie didn’t mind. More than enjoying the company, she liked the playful banter between Josh and Drake. They acted like brothers, cutting each other down one minute and play-fighting the next. Sophie appreciated this side of Josh, how lighthearted he could be. At work he was often so intense that she thought he might explode. Once with a supplier, an exchange had gotten so heated, it nearly came to blows right there in the office. This man reclining on her sofa with his sock feet propped on her coffee table was a different Josh.

  “Are we imposing? I know it’s getting late.” Josh moved so close to her that his hand was touching hers, but he spoke without ever taking his eyes off the screen.

  “No,” she said. “I’m having fun. Glad to have the company.”

  He didn’t move away. In fact, he wiggled a little closer, and the back of his hand was still resting next to hers. Sophie sat motionless, not wanting to move her hand. Her chest felt warm, and her heart thumped faster.

  That was an accident, right? she wondered. It wasn’t intentional that he was touching her hand. That would be crazy. He was only twenty-nine.

  Dena left the room to take a call, and when she returned, Sophie noticed how she glanced at them with a knowing smile and even looked down at their hands.

  For the past half hour, Sophie had needed to use the bathroom, but she didn’t dare get up since she wouldn’t have the courage to sit back down so close to Josh. His laugh was too infectious to be any farther away. The way he whispered lines before the characters spoke them was endearing. She could watch Star Wars time and again if it felt this… That thought trailed off, and Sophie wasn’t sure how to finish it. What did this feel like? It was foreign. It was ridiculous. It felt like a crush.

  With that thought Sophie jumped to her feet. “I need to take a bathroom break.”

  Josh looked up at her. “Want us to pause it?”

  His expression was soft, a fact that made her need to pee all the more. “No, I’ll hurry.”

  When she returned, she made it a point to sit farther away from Josh.

  He looked over at her and held her gaze. His voice was quiet. “Did that bother you?”

  “What?” It was easiest to play dumb.

  “Me sitting so close.”

  “I don’t know. Yes and no.”

  A grin tugged at his lips. “More yes or no?”

  “Shh!” she said. “Somebody’s about to go down.”

  Josh fell over with laughter, making Drake shush him again.

  By the end of the movie, Josh was as close as before. Instead of the back of his hand touching hers, he had reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. From that moment on she had no clue what was happening in the movie. This was a middle-school moment, where the cute boy liked her and his cool friends wanted to hang out at her house.

  Reality rarely interrupted her enjoyment of the night. More aware of her heartbeat than anything, she was pleased to discover she still had one. Kevin hadn’t destroyed it after all.

  The movie ended, and Drake and Dena made a quick exit with Josh following behind. At the door he stopped and turned back. “I left my phone on the couch.”

  Sophie went to get it for him. He took it from her but hesitated still.

  “What I said back then, I meant. I know you didn't believe it, but I was in love with you.”

  She looked away. “That was a long time ago.”

  He took her chin and turned her to face him. “It was like yesterday to me. I never once regretted putting myself out there and telling you how I felt.”

  “Josh…” With a step back she held out her hands.

  “Don’t pull away.” He took her hands in his and pulled her back to him. “Have dinner with me.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Sure, it is. I’ll shower and wear a shirt with real buttons. I’ll open your car door for you and walk you to your door at the end of the night.”

  “We work together. I don’t want to mess that up.”

  “How will that mess anything up?”

  “What if it doesn’t go well?”

  “How can it not?” he said. “But if it doesn’t, we’re grown-ups. We will still work together well.”

  When she said nothing, he said, “It’s the age thing, isn’t it?”

  “That’s part of it.”

  “Why does age matter?”

  “I don’t know.” She couldn’t hold his gaze. “But it does.”

  “Is that the only thing that makes you hesitate?”

  “I just don’t think I’m ready to put myself out there.”

  “Sophie, if you’re safe with anyone in this world, you’re safe with me.”

  “Your crew is waiting in the car,” she said, hoping to shut down the conversation.

  “They know what I’m doing. I’m sure they are out there praying you’ll say yes.”

  “Why would they be doing that?”

  “Because I came up with this movie night scam just to get this opportunity to spend the evening with you.”

  Her heart grew warm and began to beat out of rhythm. “You did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, I’m not really part of the crew?”

  “You’re definitely part of the crew.” He rested his forehead on hers. “Say you’ll think about it.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “I’ll take that,” he said with a playful wink.

  His headlights weren’t even out of the driveway before she was dialing the phone.

  “He asked me out,” Sophie said the moment Karen answered.

  “Who?”

  “Josh.”

  “Your ‘just-a-pup’ boss?”

  “Yes.”

  “You said yes, right?”

  “No. I’d be crazy to say yes.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s too young. I’ll look ridiculous.”

  “So, men can do it – Kevin can do it – but a woman can’t date a younger man?”

  “You know it’s different.”

  “Give me a good reason why.”

  “I can give you more than one: stretch marks, forehead wrinkles, that last five pounds of baby weight from Chloe, the fact that I don’t even know what they’re saying half the time. Come to find out, when they say they’re down for something that means they’re up for something.”

  “Who’s they?”

  “The crew.”

  Karen said, “You are making no sense. You know that, right?”

  “Nothing makes any sense in this new dimension I’m living in.”

  Sophie hung up the phone to find a text from Josh. It was a selfie, him with puppy dog eyes and paleeeze as a caption.

  Her stomach fluttered over how much she wanted to say yes. Until recently, she hadn’t considered Josh that way. He was more like an old friend who took her mind back to better days. It was that snug-fitting t-shirt and tattoos that had drawn her in.

  She had been fascinated by the beauty of the art on his skin. Josh said he had drawn them himself, twisting and intertwining vines and flowers that reminded him of her. When he had said it, she thought he meant how she had inspired him. After tonight she was beginning to wonder.

  She forwarded the photo of Josh to Karen.

  Karen’s response took less than three seconds: If you don’t go out with him, I will!

  Sophie replied to Josh: I’m thinking.

  Josh: I’ll give u the weekend.

  Chapter Six />
  Awake bright and early, Sophie threw the covers back and bolted from the bed. Though it had taken her hours to get to sleep, once she had fallen asleep she slept hard without waking, even to use the bathroom. That was rare.

  Her usual morning routine began as she brushed her teeth, rinsed the sleepy goo from her eyes, and got dressed, today in her overalls since she was on a gardening mission. She would finish what they had started the Saturday before. All week she had looked out the back window to see the half-completed task. Rather than overwhelming her as it had before, the work ahead was inviting her like a long-lost friend.

  With coffee in hand she stepped out onto the patio to find Josh already at work. Her heart skipped a beat, and her coffee sloshed in her cup.

  “What in the world are you doing?” she said.

  “I always finish what I start.”

  It was a cool March morning, so Josh was wearing a hoodie. That his tattoos and biceps were hidden helped only a little. The way he smiled at her and returned to his task of cutting back dead monkey grass was just as attractive. If he unloaded the dishwasher, she would agree to go out with him even before he closed the silverware drawer.

  They worked in harmony over the next hour, like in the old days. He never mentioned the date thing, which was a relief. She wasn’t ready to tackle that topic yet. What was most notable about their morning was how he often mentioned the little lessons she had taught him about gardening and faith. In her current mindset she needed every reminder.

  He was trimming the tops of some overgrown shrubs. “These are way too top heavy.” He grinned at her. “Too much of a good thing can weigh you down.”

  “I said that to you about football.”

  “I know you did. It helped me to get it in perspective eventually. I had to admit to myself how much I did it for my dad, just to keep him happy.”

  “He was hard on you,” she said.

  She had been in a book club with Josh’s mother. Since they always began with prayer, that was often Kim’s prayer request, Josh’s relationship with his dad. Sophie had been praying for Josh long before she met him that spring. Even before he arrived that first time, she started caring about him and his future.

  “Yeah, he was. Still is.” Josh kept trimming. “That’s why I saw Kevin for who he was. He’s a lot like my dad, controlling and critical.”