“Rose gave me plenty.” He tapped the spot over his heart.
“What about your children?”
“She gave them plenty too. Plus, they don’t really garden. It’d bring me joy to see her hat in the sunshine again.”
I smiled through my tears and placed it back on my head. My “okay” was almost silent, muted by the tension in my throat.
We sat in silence for a few moments, watching Kacey run around the garden with his cars.
“You wanna know the difference between you and Rose?”
“Tell me.”
“Rose knew how to forgive.”
I felt my head move backward a few inches as his words hit me from out of left field. What the heck was that supposed to mean?
“I pray you’ll still be my friend after I speak my mind, ‘cause I’d feel downright heavy-hearted if I didn’t say something.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. On the heels of such a wonderful moment, he was going to lecture me.
“Look at your garden.”
I did. Thankful for a chance to turn my face away.
“You’re doing a fine job keeping it up. You’re doing all the things most folks don’t like to do. Keeping an eye out for problems, pests, being patient, trouble-shooting. You’re protecting your harvest before harvest time even comes.” I chanced a glance back at Richard. He was nodding, looking at his own garden now.
“You know, we were two youngins when we got married. I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do with a woman. And I learned real slow. She was patient with me. Taught me. Loved me while I made messes. I took to gamblin’ when I was in my twenties and she stuck with me. Could’ve left. Probably should’ve. But Rose was committed to tending our marriage.”
I felt like I was going to be sick. I knew where he was goingwith this and mentally kicked myself for sharing too much of my story.
“Rose was a dyin’ breed. Folks these days want immediate reward and most things in life don’t work that way. Especially relationships.” He glanced into my eyes and I averted mine, feeling stupid wearing Rose’s hat now.
“Seems to me you’ve got a man over there who loves you to pieces and is willing to do whatever it takes to do things right this time. Correct me if I’m wrong…Jack was good to you in every other way.”
He paused, waiting for me to confirm. I wanted to lie to bolster my stance, but I couldn’t. I thought of all the ways Jack had loved me. No, he wasn’t perfect. He had flaws. He was bossy, outspoken, and sometimes put up walls. But hewaskind, committed, tender, and generous. I blinked, forced the words out. “You’re—you’re not wrong.”
“But you don’t want to give him that chance because you’re afraid to put your heart on the line while you work together. That don't seem right to me.”
He was seriously calling me out?
He continued, “I know things were tough, and I ain’t discounting tough. Lord knows grief’s a marriage killer. I get that. But now, you’re together. A second chance was dropped in your lap. And instead of grabbing it by the horns, you want to protect yourself.”
“I'd be stupid not to protect myself.” I took a deep breath, searching for calm. I shook my head, convincing myself his words stung because they were untrue.
He hummed. A hum of insight.
“Right?”
“Well, I don't reckon I agree.”
“Okay.” I tried to hide my irritation. I was confused enough as it was. “Then what would you do in my place?”
He nodded once. “The work. The tending.”
“Can you justtellme what you mean in plain terms?”
“Forgive him. Try again. Fight like hell.”
