Page 63 of Wish You Faith

Yeah. Painful.

Lorenzo

Apparently, someone in data entry fessed up. Bellina paid her fifteen hundred dollars to change the numbers so that we would be short. The idea was to make the tree farm look incompetent.

Everyone knew that Bellina was a difficult co-worker and didn’t play nice with others, but for her to purposely sabotage work at Christmastown was spiteful and beyond the pale.

Rosie

Is the tree farm itself her real target?

Lorenzo

I suspect not. She’s been upset since the day she saw Travis pursue you but ignore her instead.

Rosie

A woman scorned, I suppose. Didn’t she get the memo about Evan and me?

Lorenzo

No idea. However, the deed was already done, and nobody thought—or wanted—to correct the records.

Rosie

I’m just glad it’s over.

Lorenzo

Me too. See you after lunch.

Rosie put away her phone. Mom and Algernon were chatting about something, but Rosie didn’t pay any attention. She was looking at the surroundings as the golf cart rumbled down the path.

This was an area of SSLR that she hadn’t frequented because no one had hired Christmastown to decorate it. Founders Row was far away from the main road and buildings, and its residents preferred the quiet.

When the golf cart made a turn, Rosie saw the sign.

Cavanaugh Lane.

She snapped a quick photo of the road sign and sent it to Evan. He didn’t reply right away. Must be in another meeting.

Seagulls glided in the wind above them as Algernon parked the golf cart at a parking lot by a row of two-story condos.

Rosie helped Mom out of the golf cart.

“Mmm. I can smell the salt air already.” Mom adjusted her fleece jacket. “Do you hear the ocean, sweetie?”

“Yes, Mom.” Rosie wanted to cry.

Even if the condo faced the parking lot, she wasn’t going to complain. She could take Mom downstairs and walk to the beach. They could have picnics and read books sitting in beach chairs. Mom would say she wished that Dad were still alive to enjoy retirement with her.

They went up the elevator to the second floor.

Algernon stopped at the entry door. “We use keypads at SSLR, so you don’t need keys.”

After he punched in the codes to unlock the keypad on the door, they entered an empty condominium. The first thing Rosie noticed was the ocean and sky outside the sliding glass doors in the living room. The curtains were pulled back such that a panoramic scene greeted her.

“Ooh. My dream came true!” Mom made a beeline for the balcony.

---