Page 9 of Wish You Faith (Christmas Sweethearts #1)

“Connor gets along better than I ever could with Mom, so I leave the mother-son socialization to him. She likes him because he’s an overachiever.”

“I don’t have an older sibling, but I have friends who are high achievers.” Rosie pushed her bowl aside. “They spur me on, if you know what I mean. I don’t feel like I’m in their shadow at all. They motivate me to be what I want to be, and they cheer me on.”

“I’m the younger brother who can’t get a break or my own stage.” Evan sounded like he was complaining.

“Does your brother live in the same town?”

Evan nodded. “And works in the same company back home in Seattle. He’s the other VP in the company. My parents are co-Presidents of our small establishment.”

“Small? How small?”

Evan shrugged. “We make do.”

“So you fled across the country and became a delivery truck driver.”

“Funny how I can still hear Mom’s voice ringing in my ear. She’d tell me that Connor would know what to do. Well, I’m not my brother, and I don’t know what to do with my career—or life, for that matter.”

“If you ask God…” Rosie stopped herself. How could she tell him what to do? She had no idea what to do with her own career either, besides continuing her job as manager of the tree farm. How long was this going to last? She had no idea. Would she be working here in five years? No clue.

“I mean, I tell myself to ask God,” Rosie corrected what she said. She swiped her phone and read Jeremiah 33:3 aloud.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

“Good reminder.” Before Evan could say more, Lorenzo tore into the break room, carrying Rosie’s coat in one hand and her crossbody bag in the other.

“Bad news, Rosie.” He stopped to catch his breath. “Travis is in the front office with three dozen roses, a violinist, and a small red velvet box. He’s asking for you.”

“Oh no.”

“Whassup?” Evan finished his chili.

“Travis has been wanting to date Rosie for some weeks now. He comes at random times in person to ask her out. He doesn’t want no for an answer. Today takes the cake. Flowers, music, ring… It has escalated.”

“He wants to marry you?” Evan stared at Rosie. Fire in his eyes. “Ban him from the premises.”

“Can’t. He’s a customer of Christmastown. We decorate all his gyms up all over Georgia.” Rosie got up and took the coat and purse from Lorenzo. This wasn’t the first time she had to flee when Travis showed up.

“As long as he thinks you’re still in the building, he won’t leave,” Lorenzo said.

“I have to take Mom home.” Rosie tried to think about how to get out of the building without running into Travis.

“She’s on her hammock,” Lorenzo said. “When she gets up, I’ll take her home.”

“Thank you.” Rosie turned to Evan. “I’ll go with you to SSLR.”

“Go now. I’ll stall him.” Lorenzo was on his phone, telling the front clerk to keep Travis contained.

Rosie picked up Evan’s bowl and spoon and placed them in the sink. She ran water over them.

“Go already!” Lorenzo shooed them out of the break room.

“Don’t let Travis anywhere near Mom.”

“Yes, yes. I know.”

Rosie did not feel at ease if she left without seeing Mom. Evan followed her to the greenhouse.

“Does your mom come with you to work often?” Evan asked.

“She has been accompanying me a couple of times a week whenever she’s not busy at the SSLR day care she goes to.

” Rosie’s voice caught. “When she was undergoing chemo, she wanted to see me at work. I almost quit my job here to spend her last days with her, but Mom said no. She insisted that I went to work as usual while she was receiving treatment. And then, miracle of miracles, she recovered.”

“That does happen. Let’s pray she lives for a very long time.”

“It’s up to God now to keep her cancer in remission—if it’s His will for Mom. Anyway, she comes and goes whenever she wants—with Amy’s approval, of course. We set up a hammock for her in the greenhouse so she could watch us work.”

“She’s practically an unpaid volunteer, right?” Evan suggested. “She cooked chili for us today, for example.”

“It’s her love language to do these acts of service.” Rosie opened the door to the greenhouse. A blast of warm air greeted them.

“How many days a week does she come to work?” Evan asked.

“Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, she goes to SSLR for afternoon activities.”

“SSLR, where we’re heading to now?”

“The one and the same. Since she’s on the waiting list, they let her join in on the resident activities twice a week. We pay day care fees, but still, she loves going there.”

“Did you say waiting list?”

“Right. There’s a three-year waiting list at SSLR. Can you believe it? Mom might not live long enough to move to SSLR.” Rosie kept her voice even. Inside, her heart broke, knowing that cancer could soon take Mom.

Wait. Not cancer.

Cancer had no power unless God allowed it.

It was God Himself who would determine when it was time for Mom to go home to heaven.

Cancer might be the means, but God was still sovereign in all things.

Rosie had to believe that God had allowed the cancer to ravage Mom’s body, but she was thankful that Mom was not debilitated enough to prevent her from enjoying simple things in life, like visiting with friends and cooking and spending time with her only offspring in her last days on earth.

“Three years,” Evan said. “That’s a long time to wait.”

“Right.”

“Maybe they’ll build more condos soon.”

“So you know about their expansion plans to an adjacent land?” Rosie realized that she hardly knew Evan or his background.

“My parents and Roger Patel are friends. However, it’s no secret that SSLR is raising funds to buy that land.”

“Yes, Mom and I contributed too.”

“I should, but I haven’t.”

“Every dollar helps.” Rosie turned pensive. “But the new units will be too late for Mom. Even if they build the units that Mom wants that have rooms with a view of the ocean and so forth, they would be for others, not for Mom.”

“There are other oceanfront houses on Tybee Island though.”

“I know, right?” Rosie led the way past some seedlings in the large greenhouse. “Mom’s stubborn. Doesn’t want this, doesn’t want that. She gets what she wants or she won’t move.”

“I suppose SSLR has perks.”

“Right. They have end-of-life care. Mom’s best friends live there. They got in early a few years ago, before SSLR became a fabulous resort to retire in. Mom thought she’d be staying in our family home for the rest of her life—before cancer canceled her plans. Now it’s too late to get into SSLR.”

“So she’s missing out on the sunrises on Tybee Island because the only place she’d move to is SSLR, which is only a fraction of the size of the island.”

“You got it.” Rosie laughed. “You’ve seen the beach sunrises? Glorious.”

“Yeah, but it’s been a few years. Grandpa lived at SSLR until he passed away two years ago. He bought his condo a long time ago before SSLR ever existed.”

“Is this why you came to Savannah for work? You’ve been here before.”

“I’m familiar with this town and the island, so here I am.”

At the other end of the greenhouse, surrounded by green ferns and some poinsettias, Queen Sonya was reading a hardcover novel on a hammock. Strands of colorful lights hung from both ends of the hammock stand.

Rosie was glad that Lorenzo hadn’t tied the hammock up somewhere. This way, the hammock was portable and could be moved around, including to the outdoors when the weather warmed up.

The more Rosie thought of the upcoming seasons, the more pain she felt in her heart. There was a great likelihood that this was Mom’s last Christmas on earth.

She steeled herself and drew a deep breath. Put on a smile and quickened her pace. “Mom!”

She reached Mom in double steps. “I thought you were napping.”

“I will in a minute, sweetie. Got to return this library book soon.” Mom’s eyes were on the page she was reading. She didn’t bother to look up.

“How about renewing it for another two weeks then?” Rosie asked gently.

Mom put down her book. “You came all the way here to tell me that?”

Rosie shook her head. “I came to tell you that I have to go to SSLR this afternoon.”

Mom’s eyebrows rose. “Because of what? Travis causing problems again?”

“How did you know?”

“I can guess.” Mom slapped her book shut. “Go, sweetie. I’ll stall him.”

“Lorenzo’s on it. I don’t want trouble. Just nap here, okay? When you wake up, Lorenzo will take you home—or to SSLR to see the outdoor Christmas lights.”

“Nah. I’d rather stay home and read a book. After all, I saw it last year.”

“Each year is different.”

“I know, but right now I’m more concerned about the notion that Travis wants to marry my only daughter.” Mom snarled. “I say no!”

“I say no too,” Evan added.

Mom high-fived him. “Protect my daughter, Evan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

What?

Rosie’s jaw dropped. “Mom! I’m fine on my own.”

Mom only grinned. Her eyes widened when they all heard loud shouts in the distance.

“Rosemarie Hamilton!”

It was Travis’s voice, coming closer.

“So Rosie stands for Rosemarie.” Evan’s eyes on her were soft. He smiled a little, as though he’d just peeled back more information about her.

“Go! Go!” Mom shooed them away.

Before Rosie could say another word, Evan grabbed her hand. “Let’s go!”