Page 4 of Harvey

He had been abandoned at the group home when he was three years old and passed over for adoption so many times that he had started to feel rejected all over again.

As soon as she had seen the untidy, ink-black-haired boy with tired-looking silver eyes, she had told her husband that he was the one. And she had loved him since she had eyes on him, which had never changed.

Watching as the light went off, indicating he had turned in for the night, she turned away and went to respond to her correspondences. First thing tomorrow, she will send a maid over there to do central cleaning and laundry.

*****

Kendra flitted around the space, righting the upturned pots and sweeping off the soil her customers had displaced during the day. She adored this time of reflection and silence. She had not even bothered to turn on the speaker, preferring to work silently.

Her two employees had left half an hour ago, and she securely locked the door and turned the closed sign around. She had also turned off the leading lights and secured the alarm. She lived and worked in a very peaceful and quiet neighborhood, but she was a young woman who had been warned not to take chances.

Her tiny apartment was upstairs, and whenever she finished her routine, she would go up, take a much-needed warm bath, and make a cup of tea.

But that was going to have to wait. She had paperwork to tend to, and as much as she was not looking forward to its tedium, she could not afford a full-time accountant, so the bookkeeping was left up to her.

Never mind that it was fall and the weather was getting cold and uncertain, with rain in the forecast, her services were still needed.

The next day, there was a massive order of chrysanthemums, geraniums, bluebells, and daffodils for the mayor’s luncheon and hybrid tea roses for Mrs. Anderson’s afternoon tea. She would get a head start on the orders by doing some of the packaging tonight.

Picking up the apron, she tied it around her narrow waist and set to work. She had just started on the mayor’s order when her phone rang. Biting an impatient sigh, she dusted off her hands and dug the phone out of her pocket, her eyes lighting up when she saw the name.

“Don’t tell me you are stuck on the sermon for Sunday.”

“I just wanted to hear your sweet voice to nudge me.”

“Silas Blackwood, your flattery will not sway me into giving that speech at the women’s ministry on Sunday. I already told you I will have a busy afternoon. Gracie’s wedding, and I must rush straight from services to take care of the order.”

“You could always get some of the ladies from the ministry to help out.”

“Oh, I intend to. But it will take me all afternoon to take care of that particular order. Blame yourself,” she admonished him with a smile as she plucked a dead leaf from the hydrangea plant. “It’s because of your steady persuasion and announcements in services that I have been getting so many orders.”

“So, in other words, I shot myself in the foot.” He teased.

“Something like that.” She sighed softly. “I will see what I can do.”

“That’s all I am asking. You have a way with these women. I think it’s your beauty combined with how soft-spoken you are.”

“Flattery again. Aren’t you supposed to know better?”

“Who said anything about flattery? I know you are probably making floral arrangements and must finish my sermon. I will see you on Sunday.”

“If not before. You are also required to be at the mayor’s luncheon.”

“Don’t remind me.” He groaned.

“He is hoping to ingratiate himself with the Blackwood family. Rumor has it he is aspiring to be governor to make his way slowly and steadily to the White House. Rumor also has it that your family is on a first-name basis with the President.”

“Much rumor going around.” He rejoined with a chuckle. “I will leave you to it then.”

Hanging up, she put her phone away with a smile. She liked Silas Blackwood. When she first met him, she thought he was another rich kid bored with all his resources and dabbling in ministry.

But over the years, he had proven genuine, a person one can relate to. His parents were surprisingly charming people as well, except that brother of his. It had not surprised her to learn that he had been adopted.

He was as different from the rest of the family as night was from day. She had seen him several times when he stopped by to see his brother and thought him rude and far too worldly. She asked Silas one day why he had never attended services, and he smiled gently, nonjudgmentally.

“Harve is a law unto himself. I pray for him daily, but he does not believe in God. When I asked him why, he simply told me that a so-called good God would never sit back and allow all these atrocities to happen in the world. I am afraid I had no answer for him then.”

Shaking her head, she returned to work, mindful of the time marching by.

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