Susannah's Garden

Susannah glanced at the tray, still waiting on a small table near the door. As far as she could tell, Vivian hadn’t touched her dinner.

“Mom.”

“Oh, Susannah…” She twisted around in her chair. “I thought it was the girl.”

“You haven’t eaten.”

Her mother rose awkwardly to her feet, keeping one hand on the back of the chair for balance. “I wasn’t hungry.”

“Why not?” Susannah eyed the minestrone soup and fruit plate and found them artfully displayed. The meals at Altamira were good, and nothing like the institutional food one would expect.

“I’m just not,” Vivian grumbled. “Your father told me I should move here, but I don’t like it.”

“Sit down and I’ll bring your dinner,” Susannah suggested.

She set up a television tray once Vivian had returned to her chair. As soon as she was settled, Susannah brought her the fruit plate. “I’ll warm up the soup in the microwave,” she said.

To Susannah’s delight, her mother ate every bit of her meal. Soon afterward the assistant arrived and removed the tray. For the next hour, Susannah and her mother sat side by side and watched two game shows in silence.

“Mom,” Susannah said when Jeopardy ended, “I didn’t know you wanted to be a nurse.”

Her mother’s gaze slid to hers. “Who told you that?”

“I, ah…I came across something you’d written. While I was packing up the rest of your closet,” she explained quickly, gliding over the fact that the “something” had been her mother’s diary.

“I did consider it at one time,” Vivian admitted, reluctance in her voice.

“Why didn’t you?” Susannah felt disappointed for her mother but tried not to let it show.

Vivian considered the question. “Your father didn’t think it was a good idea, and he was right. A few years after that, George was appointed to the bench and our lives changed. He had a civic responsibility and I did, too.”

“You would’ve been a wonderful nurse,” Susannah said, careful to hide her emotions.

Vivian gazed at her thoughtfully. “Perhaps I would. Your father and I talked about it more than once, especially before he accepted the appointment. He realized his new role in the community would be almost as demanding on me,” she continued. “He asked me to stay home while you children were young. I agreed. That wasn’t the time for me to pursue a career, and then later, well…later I made the decision to stand with him, to be his helpmate. Being available to George and supporting his career was more important to me. It meant I was available to you children, too.”

“Do you have any regrets?”

Vivian smiled. “Not even one. Everyone makes choices in life, Susannah. Your father earned a good living, and we were fortunate that I didn’t need to work. I saw it as a blessing—and I still do. I volunteered at the blood bank, you know, and I was able to work in my garden.”

Susannah wasn’t so sure blessing was the appropriate word.

“Your father and I were partners. You were always so eager to paint him as a villain and, my dear, he was never that. George was a good man, a loving husband, a wonderful father.”

Susannah swallowed her arguments. The family was fortunate that Vivian could be home for them all. If she’d ever felt cheated about not going into nursing, it had never showed. But Susannah felt cheated for her, and the opportunity she’d lost.

CHAPTER 11

The afternoon was cool and breezy as Carolyn arrived back at the mill, parking in her assigned spot. She’d attended a very successful meeting in Spokane with a buyer from a major hardware chain, and all that remained now was finishing up the relevant paperwork.

Her long single braid stretched halfway down her back, swaying as she walked. She wore an unaccustomed suit, a plain navy one with a straight skirt and classically styled jacket. With her white shirt and flat black pumps, Carolyn’s “go to meeting” outfit was complete. She couldn’t wait to peel off the panty hose. Since she never had any idea what to do with her hair, she’d left it in its usual braid. She could only imagine what her fashionable mother would think if she could see her now. When it came to the feminine arts, Carolyn had failed miserably. The second she got to her office, she changed into jeans, boots and a cotton shirt.

Gloria, her personal assistant, had obviously left early for some reason. That was fine, since she put in whatever hours the job—and Carolyn—required.

As soon as Carolyn finished with the paperwork, she planned to head home herself, since she had company coming for dinner. Inviting Susannah, Sandy, Lisa and Yvette to the house was a giant leap into the public sphere for her. Carolyn had never socialized much; because of her position as Colville’s main employer, it was risky. Her father had often cautioned her about getting too close to any one family. Still, none of those women was associated with the mill in any way.

With her responsibility to the business always in mind, she’d kept mostly to herself since her return, forgoing friendships. At times she was lonely, but a sense of duty had been bred into her. She didn’t resent her position; she took it seriously. This mill contributed significantly to the local economy, which meant the decisions she made affected the town as a whole.

Paperwork done, Carolyn walked into the yard, where the lumber was stacked ten feet high. Sprinklers continually kept the wood wet and cool. A fire could do massive damage, and every measure was taken to protect the raw lumber. The year before, she’d purchased a new lumber stacker for the cut wood, one that minimized operating costs. With new machinery in place, including the stacker, her goal was to produce approximately 50,000 cubic meters of quality lumber annually. No small goal, but she’d set her sights on that figure and had everything she needed to make it a reality.

When he saw her, Carolyn’s plant manager, Jim Reynolds, hurried toward her with a clipboard in his hand. She relied on Jim, who was directly below her in the chain of command. He was much more than her manager; he was her right-hand man, with a drive and ambition that matched her own. Thanks to his years of working at the mill, the men respected his judgment—and respected him. Carolyn didn’t make a move without consulting Jim first.

Ten years younger than Carolyn, he was tall, muscular and tanned from all the time he’d spent outside. He was happily married and had three kids, two of whom were about to enter college. Jim was a dedicated, honorable man. Carolyn was grateful that he worked for her and paid him a salary that was commensurate with his value to the business.

“How’d the meeting go?” Jim asked as he approached.

“We have a deal.”

“Hey!” Jim nodded approvingly, giving her a thumbs-up. “Congratulations.”

Jim knew as well as she did that this new plywood order would carry them through the summer. It was the first time Carolyn had cracked this hardware chain. She started to relate the details when he interrupted.

“We nearly lost Grady Simpson this afternoon.”

“What happened?” Carolyn was instantly concerned. Grady had worked at the mill when her father was still alive. He was close to retirement age and had always been a solid employee.

“Heart attack.”

“Is he going to be all right?”

“Looks like it.”

Relief flowed through Carolyn.

“But he would’ve been a goner if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of that guy who does the landscaping.”

Carolyn knew he worked for Kettle Falls Landscaping, the company she hired for the upkeep of the gardens here and her yard at home. She’d used them for the past three years and they’d done an adequate job. She’d never had any complaints, but the new gardener, who’d started about four months ago, was exceptional. He was conscientious, hardworking and punctual; equally important, he understood plants. No one had done a better job on her yard than Dave Langevin. He’d impressed her enough for Carolyn to ask his name.

“You’d better begin at the beginning,” she said.

“Grady was on the stacker when he keeled over. God only knows what might’ve happened if that guy hadn’t been mowing the lawn.” The office had a small yard with some shrubs and basic flower beds, which required routine maintenance. “Before anyone else realized what was going on, this guy—Dave’s his name—got to Grady.”

“I know Dave Langevin,” Carolyn said casually.

Jim finished the story, succinctly describing what had happened. “He administered CPR until the paramedics arrived. The EMT said Grady would’ve been dead without Dave’s help.”

Carolyn hadn’t seen the landscaping truck in the parking lot. “Has he left? I’d like to thank him.”

“I thought you might, but he said he had some other work that needed to be done today. As soon as he saw that Grady was in good hands, he went back to mowing the lawn and took off shortly afterward.”

Carolyn would seek him out later and thank him. “It sounds like you had an exciting afternoon.”

“We did,” Jim concurred wryly. “But I can live without that kind of excitement.”

Carolyn agreed. “I’ll have Gloria check on Grady so you can let everyone know how he’s doing.” Gloria, her assistant, was about as organized as they come. Her father had drilled into Carolyn the importance of surrounding herself with competent employees, and it was probably the most valuable lesson he’d taught her.

Jim revealed a hint of a smile. “Gloria’s already on it.”

Carolyn should’ve guessed as much.

“Grady might need heart surgery later,” Jim said, “but for now the danger has passed.”

“I’m grateful for that,” she said as she headed toward her car.

“Gloria’s arranged for flowers to be sent and she’s taken care of the insurance stuff.” He gestured toward the office. “She left early to meet Grady’s family at the hospital.”

“Good. I wondered where she’d gone.”

“You can always count on Gloria,” he said warmly. Reverting to a more businesslike tone, he added, “I’ll have an accident report on your desk first thing in the morning.”

“Thanks.” Carolyn turned back, deciding to spend another half hour at the office. Her dinner preparations were under control and her house was clean. “If you see Dave before I do, would you tell him I’d like to talk to him?”

Jim smiled and promised he would.

Carolyn had been walking on air after closing the deal, but this near-disaster had brought her back to earth fast enough. Strolling beside Jim, she’d almost reached the office when he commented, “I’ve seen Dave around and I like his work ethic.”

“I do, too.” She didn’t mention that her yard at the house hadn’t looked this good in years.

“I offered him a job.”

That had been Carolyn’s intention. She was grateful for his quick action in saving Grady’s life; his decisiveness and commitment made him the kind of employee she wanted at the mill. Whatever she invested in training him would be worth it.