Page 50 of Wish You Faith

Rosie liked the feeling of being with Evan. The quality time they’d had with each other either in person or on the phone made her quite confident that he was the one.

She had prayed for a confirmation from God, and here they were today on what would’ve been a normal Thursday in December, hearing Evan call himself her boyfriend.

Rosie felt giddy trying to wrap her emotions around the feeling of belonging.

Slowly, Travis rose to his feet. “I’m sorry, Miss Hamilton. I thought you were available. If I’d known sooner, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself.”

Rosie didn’t reply. It had happened so fast for her that she hadn’t had time to sit down and process it all. One day she was single, and the next day she was a girlfriend to this lovely man who was still holding her waist.

Rosie heard footfalls. Someone running toward them. She could guess who. He was always running.

Lorenzo appeared around the corner. Behind him were tree farm workers and a family of four, chatting about the “perfect tree” for their living room. They had brought a dog with them.

After he caught his breath, Lorenzo, who was lanky but slight and had perhaps a third of Travis’s muscles—which he made up for with his big brain—handed Rosie’s phone to her.

“You left your phone at your office.” Lorenzo panted. “It’s been ringing.”

“Oh no. Mom!” Rosie didn’t know why she said that, but every time the phone rang, she worried that something bad had happened to Mom.

Rosie grabbed her phone and swiped it. Mom did not call. SSLR did not call. But she had a voice message from the oncologist.

Hand shaking, she briskly walked away from Travis and Lorenzo. She could hear Lorenzo say, “May I interest you in a Christmas tree, Mr. Boone?”

Rosie realized that she was walking fast and that Evan was keeping up with her pace—or perhaps he was slowing down to match her strides. He had longer legs than she had and could have walked ahead of her, but instead, he walked slightly behind her, as though to protect her.

From Travis.

As she reached a pair of sliding glass doors at the greenhouse, Rosie glanced back, didn’t see Travis, and expelled her breath. Relieved.

She had to listen to the voice mail from the oncologist again for a second time because she hadn’t paid attention. Thank God it was only a wellness check from the nurse. They wanted to know how Mom was.

A smile crept up her face.

“Good news?” Evan asked.

Rosie almost forgot he was there. She lost count regarding how many times he’d rescued her from Travis. Today, it was all cleared up, and she was confident she didn’t have to worry about the failed suitor anymore.

“The oncologist’s nurse was checking in on Mom. Meanwhile, Mom’s at the SSLR clubhouse, living it up.”

“She likes it there, huh?”

“Yeah. I told you about the three-year waiting list. She won’t make it in, but the Thursday afternoon day care is the closest she can get.”

Evan didn’t say a word.

The greenhouse door opened, and a small group of customers walked out. Some were pushing carts with poinsettias and outdoor decorations in them. Several talked about getting new potted trees so that they could have the same tree next year.

“A bonsai Christmas tree,” another said.

“A novel idea.” They all laughed.

“Actually, we do have bonsai Christmas trees,” Rosie told them. “Some are about three or four feet tall. We also have a grove of them, like a miniature forest.”

“For real?”

Rosie nodded. “Would you like to see them?”

A few said yes, but then one customer asked how much they cost.

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