Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 48

“I like this work. I know it ain’t David’s thing—he hates manual labor and sweating—but I like it. I’d like to keep working for you if you’ll have me.”
My shoulders cramped. I didn’t have any other work for him at the moment, but I wondered if I had anything else he could do. Bruce Wayne had finally found a place he fit, and I didn’t want to be the one to take it from him. “You’ve done a great job. If we have more work when this project is done, you’ll be the first person I hire. But I don’t have anything at the moment.”
He nodded, his mouth drooping with disappointment.
“I’ll be happy to give you a reference too, so that you can get another job until I have more work for you.” I turned to him. “I’m sorry. I wish I had something now.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he insisted. “You’re the only one who thinks I can make something of myself. You and Reverend Jonah.”
“Do you like Reverend Jonah?”
“I ain’t sure yet. He’s been nice to David and me, but I don’t like how he’s sniffing around you.”
I could tell it pained him to tell me that. I’d seen how Jonah treated him, but Bruce Wayne was also protective of me. “I’m glad he’s been kind to you two.”
He was quiet the rest of the way to the nursery, and he insisted on loading the truck by himself when I went in to check on how things were going. Violet was craning her neck to get a glimpse of Bruce Wayne.
“Is that him?”
“Don’t talk about him like that. He’s not an ax murderer, Violet.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That you know of.”
“Stop it. I like him. He just needs someone to believe in him and give him a chance.”
“And that person is you?”
“It’s not just me who thinks that. Reverend Jonah has been nice to him too.” I figured that would have some effect on Violet, and I wasn’t wrong.
“Well… Still, be careful.”
I rolled my eyes, then glanced around the shop. “Where are the kids?”
“Mike picked them up while you were gone.”
“Oh.” I was sad I hadn’t seen him. Violet might be the one most likely going through the divorce, but I’d lost him too.
Neely Kate came inside, wild eyed. “Is that him? Bruce Wayne Decker?”
I nodded.
“How come you didn’t jump down her throat when she asked?” Violet protested.
“Maybe because she looks at him as a celebrity instead of a criminal.”
Violet’s mouth puckered before a customer walked up to the counter to check out, and then her face burst into happiness. It was scary how fast she could transform herself.
“So he’s working out, huh?” Neely Kate asked, watching Bruce Wayne load the truck.
“He’s a hard worker, and he’s really trying to do a good job. He asked me if he could keep working for me, because he really likes it. I wish I had something for him to do.”
“Have you read that book about gettin’ what you want?” She craned her neck as Bruce Wayne walked to the side of the building to grab another bag. “You’re supposed to just put it out there in the universe.” She stretched out her open hand. “And the universe gives it to you.”
I squinted in disbelief. “Let me get this straight. I just tell the universe what I want, and it’s supposed to give it to me? What if everyone asks for a million dollars? How would that work?”
She shook her head in irritation. “Why do you have to always be so literal? I’m sure it has something to do with karma. Have a little faith.”
“Faith? I’m supposed to throw my secret desires out there into the universe and some genie will answer my requests?”
Laughing, Neely Kate smacked my arm. “I didn’t say it has to be a secret. In fact, I think you’re supposed to tell people.” She gave me a wicked grin. “Now tell the universe what you want.”
I didn’t see the point, but I also didn’t see how it could hurt. “I want to have enough work to give Bruce Wayne a job.” I turned toward her. “So what do I do?”
She shrugged. “You just did it.”
“You’re kiddin’ me. That’s it?”
“Yep.”
I already knew it would never work. The job with the New Living Hope Revival Church had been a fluke. We weren’t a full-service nursery. For one thing, we didn’t have the stock for it. We hoped to expand our inventory next spring, but at the moment, we were just feeling our way around owning a nursery. There was no way Bruce Wayne could wait that long for a job.
When he finished loading the truck with as many bags as the truck bed would hold, we went back to the church, Muffy coming along again. David didn’t seem very happy about unloading the mulch, but he didn’t complain about it either. He’d finished planting the last of the flowers, so he had nothing else to do, not to mention that once they finished this job, they’d be officially done.
It didn’t take them long to spread out the mulch, and Muffy had fun running around and sniffing the musty-smelling wood chips. When they finished, I wrote each of them a check. David stuffed his into his jean shorts pocket, but Bruce Wayne held his in his hands, staring at it. “I’ve never loved working for a paycheck as much as I did for this one.”
David shook his head, tossing gardening tools into the back of my truck. “You are crazy.”