Page 19 of Wish You Faith (Christmas Sweethearts #1)

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.

“They vary in prices, but yes, bonsais are always pricier than regular potted trees that we also have.” Rosie escorted a few who wanted to see the collection.

She was surprised that Evan went along.

“I want to see the bonsai trees too,” he said.

Rosie wondered if that was his only reason. She felt relieved that he had come to her rescue back there, but he really didn’t have to follow her around. She had her phone now and could call for help. Besides, the public was here. She wouldn’t be alone the rest of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo would take care of Travis. If needed, he’d call the police to throw Travis out.

Rosie reminded herself to never go anywhere alone in the tree farm from here on out until Travis dropped his pursuit for good.

Rosie took them to a covered porch on the other side of the greenhouse.

It was rustic, with pine floorboards, and potted plants interspersed with rattan furniture in the sitting areas for guests.

She could smell the cloves and cinnamon from the hot apple cider brewing in a slow cooker at a table by the wall.

Customers milled about the wide porch. Sitting down, stepping off. Coming and going.

“Every plant on this porch is for sale,” Rosie said.

“You break it, you buy.” Someone laughed.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Rosie showed them a section of the porch where bonsai were.

“I thought they should be indoors,” a customer remarked.

“These are pine bonsai trees, and they need to be outdoors but in the shade, like this porch.”

As the customers snapped photos of the bonsai, Rosie explained that they have a contact with a local bonsai expert. “Chevy and his wife have been growing bonsai for forty years. Some of these trees have lived that long.”

“How many of these are sold every year?” someone asked.

“As you can see, we only display five every year. By Christmas, at least three—if not all—of these will be gone. No two bonsai are the same and next year, there will be new ones.”

Evan was eyeing a bonsai in a blue willow porcelain pot. The dwarf pine was about two feet tall.

“You like that one?” Rosie asked.

Evan barely nodded. “How old is this?”

He didn’t ask how much. That surprised Rosie.

“This tree is thirty years old.” Rosie pointed to a note card on the table. “Chevy wrote something on the card about this tree. He started growing it when his son was a baby. The son is married now, and his wife is expecting.”

“So it’s a special generational tree.”

“It’s also at least a hundred grand,” Rosie said softly.

Evan didn’t flinch. “My mother would love this bonsai.”

“There’s no employee discount on any of the bonsai because Christmastown didn’t grow them. Chevy works at the SSLR greenhouse, and he knows Amy and Cyrus. They let him display his bonsai here. Some of Chevy’s other bonsai are on loan to botanical gardens in the region.”

“That so?” Evan picked up the card. “How do I buy this tree?”

“You find a cart and take it away. Checkout is over there.” Rosie pointed to the checkout counter where Christmastown workers were busy. Two lines had formed. Rosie decided she’d go check on them in a minute.

“Or you can scan the QR code on the card and pay from your phone.” Rosie picked up the card beside the bonsai and pointed to the QR code on it.

Evan scanned the QR code with his phone, surprising Rosie.

They had known each other for two weeks, but Rosie hadn’t thought of Evan as more than a seasonal worker.

They hadn’t talked about money, and Evan dressed normally like Rosie did, with no name brands.

Well, Rosie liked Eddie Bauer and LL Bean clothes, and she wore a pair of Keen hiking boots to work, but other than that, she didn’t own any designer items. Evan didn’t seem to either.

Perhaps that was how he had a hundred thousand dollars in his bank account, enough to impulse-buy a bonsai for his mother.

Then again, it was for his mother. Rosie would have and could have bought her own mother a lot of things, but Mom prevented her from doing so. Mom didn’t want things. She only wanted to make sure that Rosie could go on.

“I need to keep it someplace safe because I don’t get off until five o’clock and I don’t think I should put this in the back of my truck until then.”

Rosie snapped back to the present. She was still at work. Focus, girl. “It needs to be outdoors.”

“My rental apartment has a balcony, but it’s cold outside.”

“When are you going to take it to your mom?” Rosie asked.

“Christmas Eve.”

Oh. That meant Evan would be gone for Christmas. She wondered if they’d miss each other. “Are you driving home?”

“I’m not sure yet. It’s a long way from here to Seattle.” Evan smiled. “I’ll miss you too.”

Rosie cleared her throat. “I meant that if you drive home, you can easily put the bonsai in your truck. We have special shipping boxes for live plants that you can use.”

Evan didn’t stop smiling.

“If you fly, I don’t know how you fly with this bonsai.

” Rosie kept talking because she didn’t want to talk about missing Evan in a future tense.

Right now, she couldn’t bear to part with him.

“Some people have flown with their bonsai. But I think it would be damaged in the overhead bin and it won’t fit under the seat in front of you. ”

“That so?” Evan stared at her, amusement in his eyes.

“Uh-huh.”

“So I’ll just buy a second plane ticket for this bonsai tree.”

Rosie chuckled at Evan’s silly suggestion.

Evan didn’t laugh with her.

Rosie cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose you can do that. Wouldn’t it be a waste of money? Then again, it’s an expensive bonsai, and it’s a special gift for your mom, whom you clearly love. Well, I’m guessing the last part. I don’t know you or your mom. I mean…”

Evan smiled.

“What?” Rosie asked.

“You asked me a question and then you answered it yourself. Do you talk a lot when you’re nervous?”

Nervous?

Rosie didn’t know what to say.

Evan lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “We’ve already kissed.”

Rosie remembered their first kiss under the fireworks by the Savannah River the Friday before.

It had only been three days since then, but they had spent time on Saturday and Sunday with each other and Rosie’s mom—who had approved of Evan right away.

Mom seemed to be in more of a hurry than both Rosie and Evan.

Rosie took a half step back. “We’re at work right now, Evan.”

Evan eyed her lips.

Rosie cleared her throat. “The bonsai should be okay in the greenhouse for a few hours this afternoon. The greenhouse is warm all year round, obviously, and mimics the great outdoors.”

Evan patted her shoulder. “Stay here and watch over my tree while I go find a cart.”

Rosie dug into her other apron pocket and pulled out a white t-type plant label and a red marker. She wrote “SOLD” on it and inserted it carefully at the edge of the bonsai container, away from the roots, in that spot where the soil met the porcelain wall.

She chattered with new customers who stopped at the display. A small new crowd grew, and she repeated herself a couple of times. Eventually they thinned out and disappeared.

Rosie realized that she hadn’t taken her own lunch break.

She made her way to the apple cider stand and poured herself a paper cup of hot apple cider.

Sipping it, she returned to the bonsai and looked around to see if Evan was back.

She didn’t want to leave the tree until she handed it over to Evan.

It was for his mom, and Rosie wanted to leave a good impression.

A good what?

She busied herself standing at the bonsai display, feeling more nervous than usual.

Rosie, Rosie. Calm down.

She took a deep breath and busied herself checking the bonsai display.

She made a mental note to invite Chevy and his wife to teach another master class during the offseason.

Christmastown got busy for Christmas starting July every year, but there was a lull between January and May.

During that period, the tree farm often conducted classes for the public and welcomed school field trips in the spring semester.

She stayed close to Evan’s bonsai, just in case someone messed with it.

Funny how she hadn’t been that concerned about the bonsai or any of the other plants and trees in the tree farm until now.

After all, the entire place had security cameras everywhere, so vandals would eventually be arrested anyway.

Still, this was now Evan’s tree—or his mom’s, for that matter.

Rosie wondered what his mom was like. Would she like Rosie as much as her own mom liked Evan?

Then again, their relationship was between just the two of them. Whether Evan’s mom accepted her or not, Rosie would still go out with him if they both wanted to. It wasn’t his mother’s business, even though it would be nice to have parental blessing on their relationship. After all, she liked him.

Well, do I really like him?

She chuckled at her own thoughts. What kind of a question was that? They had held hands. They had kissed. They had cared for each other more than anyone else—besides Mom—this month. They had seen each other every single day for two weeks. That was a lot of time wasted if Rosie didn’t like Evan.

“I’m back.” Evan’s cart rumbled across the pine floor. “Is my tree okay? Did you protect it with your life?”

Before Rosie could answer, Evan eyed her apple cider. “The cinnamon smells so good. Allspice and everything nice.”

He took the paper cup from Rosie and sipped it. “Mmm. Temperature is just right.”

“That’s mine,” Rosie protested quietly. She had never shared a cup with anyone—not even with Mom.

“I’ll get you some more.” Evan emptied the cup.

His eyes were on her lips—again. He was smiling—again.

“Sweet,” he said.

Rosie’s knees wobbled.