very sorry about Joe."
Her smile faltered. "So am I, Nina. So am I. But he's at peace now. I have to keep reminding myself of that." Clapping her hands, she said, "No melancholy today. I'm too happy to see you after all this time." She turned to Bridget, tsked lovingly. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing Nina? I would've set out lunch, or tea, or something."
"I didn't know. It just sort of came up. And actually, I can't stay all that long." She lowered herself into a chair, stretched out her long legs, rested her hands on her belly. Dark circles under her eyes were beginning to glow beneath her translucent skin. "I have an appointment in an hour."
"You should be resting, honey," Mrs. Sandowski said, rubbing a hand over Bridget's hair. "It's not good for the baby, you working so hard."
With great effort, Bridget shifted. "We're fine. Really, we are. You know I wouldn't take any risks."
Mrs. Sandowski clucked. "I know. I just hate seeing you working yourself to the bone."
Strands of pale blonde hair fell forward onto Bridget's face. She pushed them back behind her ears. "I hope you don't mind us stopping in."
"Not at all, honey." To me, she said, "Sit, sit." She pulled out a chair for me. "Catch me up with you. You're in landscaping now, right?"
I smiled, thinking about Taken by Surprise until I remembered those damn hoes. "It's not your traditional landscape company."
Her wrinkled face puckered. "Oh?"
"It started that way until a client offered me an absurd amount of money to be done with her job in a day. She wanted to surprise her husband while he was out of town."
"And you did it?"
"Do I look like someone who'd turn down an absurd amount of money?" I laughed before I realized who I was speaking to—someone who had turned down an absurd amount of money.
My discomfort eased, though, as Mrs. Sandowski laughed.
I pressed on, talking fast to cover my nervousness. "I realized there was a whole market out there for garden makeovers. One client became two, then three. A local paper did a story on us, then the local news, and now I have to turn people away."
"Do you enjoy it?"
"I love it. I try to do as much hands-on as I can, but between consultation and design meetings, it's tough."
"Joe always loved puttering around those gardens out there with you."
"I loved it too."
She tsked. "He hated that he couldn't take care of the garden once he became ill."
A thick lump of sorrow lodged in my throat. It was hard to talk around it. "I wish I had known. I'd have been glad to help out. Actually, I'd still like to help. Maybe get things back to the way they were. Make Joe proud."
Bridget sniffled.
Mrs. Sandowski's eyes filled with tears. "I'd really like that," she said.
"So would I."
We sat in silence for a long minute before she picked up another ear of corn. She smiled at us. "So what brings you here? A trip down memory lane?"
"Uh," I stammered, looking at Bridget. "Not quite."
Bridget stiffened. "How's Jumper?"
Mrs. Sandowski's smile faltered. "Better," she said warily. "Doc said he'd be home in a few days."
Bridget cleared her throat. "That's why Nina's here, Mom."
Hazel eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Tell me you did not tell her about this."
I felt her anger as much as saw it and was glad that I wasn't at the receiving end. Still, I felt guilty for having caused such feelings in the first place.
"Nina wants to help. And we need help. You and I both know it."
She shook her head. "We can do this on our own. You shouldn't have involved Nina in this. It's none of her concern."
Bridget paled.
I leaned forward, trying not to feel hurt that Mrs. Sandowski didn't want me around. "It was my idea, Mrs. Sandowski. Don't be angry with Bridget."
Mrs. Sandowski picked up an ear of corn and ripped it open, revealing a golden yellow cob. Honestly, how could she continue to work in the stifling heat?
As sweat trickled down my hairline, I said, "I know that you didn't want any outsiders helping, but you're in
Her smile faltered. "So am I, Nina. So am I. But he's at peace now. I have to keep reminding myself of that." Clapping her hands, she said, "No melancholy today. I'm too happy to see you after all this time." She turned to Bridget, tsked lovingly. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing Nina? I would've set out lunch, or tea, or something."
"I didn't know. It just sort of came up. And actually, I can't stay all that long." She lowered herself into a chair, stretched out her long legs, rested her hands on her belly. Dark circles under her eyes were beginning to glow beneath her translucent skin. "I have an appointment in an hour."
"You should be resting, honey," Mrs. Sandowski said, rubbing a hand over Bridget's hair. "It's not good for the baby, you working so hard."
With great effort, Bridget shifted. "We're fine. Really, we are. You know I wouldn't take any risks."
Mrs. Sandowski clucked. "I know. I just hate seeing you working yourself to the bone."
Strands of pale blonde hair fell forward onto Bridget's face. She pushed them back behind her ears. "I hope you don't mind us stopping in."
"Not at all, honey." To me, she said, "Sit, sit." She pulled out a chair for me. "Catch me up with you. You're in landscaping now, right?"
I smiled, thinking about Taken by Surprise until I remembered those damn hoes. "It's not your traditional landscape company."
Her wrinkled face puckered. "Oh?"
"It started that way until a client offered me an absurd amount of money to be done with her job in a day. She wanted to surprise her husband while he was out of town."
"And you did it?"
"Do I look like someone who'd turn down an absurd amount of money?" I laughed before I realized who I was speaking to—someone who had turned down an absurd amount of money.
My discomfort eased, though, as Mrs. Sandowski laughed.
I pressed on, talking fast to cover my nervousness. "I realized there was a whole market out there for garden makeovers. One client became two, then three. A local paper did a story on us, then the local news, and now I have to turn people away."
"Do you enjoy it?"
"I love it. I try to do as much hands-on as I can, but between consultation and design meetings, it's tough."
"Joe always loved puttering around those gardens out there with you."
"I loved it too."
She tsked. "He hated that he couldn't take care of the garden once he became ill."
A thick lump of sorrow lodged in my throat. It was hard to talk around it. "I wish I had known. I'd have been glad to help out. Actually, I'd still like to help. Maybe get things back to the way they were. Make Joe proud."
Bridget sniffled.
Mrs. Sandowski's eyes filled with tears. "I'd really like that," she said.
"So would I."
We sat in silence for a long minute before she picked up another ear of corn. She smiled at us. "So what brings you here? A trip down memory lane?"
"Uh," I stammered, looking at Bridget. "Not quite."
Bridget stiffened. "How's Jumper?"
Mrs. Sandowski's smile faltered. "Better," she said warily. "Doc said he'd be home in a few days."
Bridget cleared her throat. "That's why Nina's here, Mom."
Hazel eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Tell me you did not tell her about this."
I felt her anger as much as saw it and was glad that I wasn't at the receiving end. Still, I felt guilty for having caused such feelings in the first place.
"Nina wants to help. And we need help. You and I both know it."
She shook her head. "We can do this on our own. You shouldn't have involved Nina in this. It's none of her concern."
Bridget paled.
I leaned forward, trying not to feel hurt that Mrs. Sandowski didn't want me around. "It was my idea, Mrs. Sandowski. Don't be angry with Bridget."
Mrs. Sandowski picked up an ear of corn and ripped it open, revealing a golden yellow cob. Honestly, how could she continue to work in the stifling heat?
As sweat trickled down my hairline, I said, "I know that you didn't want any outsiders helping, but you're in
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