Page 19 of A Field of Beauty

Tyler looked like a fish out of water, with his mouth opening and shutting in a panic.

ten

Don’t let the tall weeds cast a shadow on the beautiful flowers in your garden.

—Steve Maraboli

Tuesday morning, Tessa was out in the field, walking up and down through rows of dahlias almost as tall as she was. Many were starting to fade from their late summer glory, though blooms would keep appearing until the first killing frost. Just a few days ago, she and Dawson had talked about whether they should try and overwinter the dahlias by covering them with straw, or dig up the tubers and store them in her little house.

Thinking about selling the land gutted her. Overwhelmed her with wrenching sadness.

As she walked down a row, it seemed as if she was practically standing on a sponge. What a difference Dawson had made in the soil! Butterflies danced over the dahlias. Bees hummed. Birds sailed past Tessa and into the boxes he’d had built for them. The man was a genius when it came to soil biology. He had turned gray cloddy dirt into something beneficial, nurturing, able to support all kinds of life.

Tessa didn’t know what she’d have done without him. Or would do without him. Tyler was right about one thing. Dawson should move on to a real job. And Dawson was right too. You never knew what was coming around the corner.

She turned in a circle, sweeping the fields with her gaze. All their work was for naught. This time next year, condos at some stage of building would be covering this beautiful field. Even if she didn’t sell her field to the developer, she would be surrounded by construction in progress. And in the end, she’d have very little sunlight for her flowers.

She heard a familiar whistle and spun around to find Dawson heading toward her, waving a large white envelope. “This just got delivered. Overnight mail. I figured you’d want it right away.”

Ugh.The developer’s offer. She walked a few paces to meet him. “I’m not sure I want to open it. Once that offer comes in, everything starts to change.”

“I’ve been doing some research on this. You can refuse the offer.”

She gave him a half smile.Dawson and his research.“What about the rest of the street? This field will be hemmed in by skyscrapers.”

He rocked his hand in the air. “Not exactly skyscrapers, but I get what you mean. I talked to a lawyer friend at church and found out you can try to block the urban density tag on this area, but it’ll mean you’ll be spending a lot of money in legal fees.”

Money that she didn’t have.

“And ... he also said that if you look at current trends in urban development, you’ll probably end up losing the battle.” He handed her the envelope.

When Tessa saw the return address, she felt a shock sizzle through her entire body. So surprised she couldn’t speak for a moment. Couldn’t open it. Trembling, she held it in her hands. “It’s ... not from the developer.”

He hesitated. “Maybe I should go.”

“No. Don’t go.” It was from Rose Reid, the owner of the flowershop in Sunrise. She didn’t want to be alone for this, whatever its contents held. She opened it up and unfolded a letter, handwritten in Rose’s lovely cursive. Tessa would know that handwriting anywhere. She read through the letter, then looked up at Dawson, who was patiently waiting, watching. “Rose, the flower shop owner in Sunrise, saw my picture in Sunday’s newspaper and realized where I’d been living.” She skimmed the letter again. “She wants me to return to Sunrise. She said she wants to retire and hopes that I might consider running the flower shop. She’s offering it to Jaime and Claire too. Those are the two girls I used to work with.”

“Where are they now?”

“In Sunrise, Rose wrote. They’ve come back.” That surprised her, especially Jaime, who was working for Liam McMillan, the hotshot wedding planner. Tessa knew that from Instagram. Knowing Jaime and Claire had felt comfortable to return to Sunrise only magnified the sense of guilt she felt. That fire was her fault.

“Maybe you should go. Check it out.”

“Gobackto Sunrise? Why would I do that? I don’t want to run a flower shop.”

“They must need flower growers there. Go find some cheap land that needs worms and compost and tilling.”

She looked at him like he was crazy. “You have got to be kidding. Start all over again?”

“Yeah. Or consider what Rose is offering you.”

“Dawson, you don’t understand. I can’t go back. I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I just can’t!” She turned and headed down the row.

He followed her. “This woman is asking you to consider something. She’s offering you an opportunity. You should at least go see what she’s got on her mind.”

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