Mandaline took a deep breath to stem the flood of tears that wanted to flow.
Grover looked at her. “You all right, sweetie?”
“Everyone’s been so nice. I just…” She took another breath and wiped at her eyes.
He gave her a hug. “It’ll be all right. You all still doing your thing tonight?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just a small group. The regulars. Wait, how did you know?”
“Sachi told us about it. No offense, but I’m passing.” He smiled. “Not my thing, but y’all have fun.”
“Is Libbie coming tonight?”
He shrugged. “She’s not having a good day today. I think everything’s finally catching up with her. I wouldn’t count on her coming tonight. She’ll be there for the tree planting, though.”
“Lot of pain?”
“Yeah. And she’s too stubborn to go see Doc Smith.” He patted the truck bed. “So, go ahead and pick one. I’ll run the others back so it’s done.”
She shrugged. “How do I choose?”
“You could put them on the ground and see which one Pers pees on,” Sachi suggested from the back door.
Grover laughed. “I like her. She’s feisty.”
Mandaline finally picked one. Grover unloaded it and set it inside the back door while he left to return the others to the nursery.
Sachi nodded. “It’s a good tree. You did good, Charlie Brown.”
“Now we need to rob Pers of his Christmas decorations and we’re all set.”
Sachi laughed. “That’s one of the reasons I think you and I get along so well. We’re both nuts in the good way.”
Mandaline felt more than a little overwhelmed by the crowd that had gathered around the small area the county staked out for them to plant Julie’s tree. She had expected maybe a few dozen people, if that. There had to be several hundred people there already, with twenty minutes until the scheduled start time. Many of the people she knew either by name or face from coming into the store, but even more were strangers to her.
When a van from a Tampa TV station pulled up as well, Mandaline felt her heart pound. She started to lean in toward Grover, but he’d already spotted them.
“I’m on it, sugar.” He headed toward the news crew. He’d already helped her fend off a rather pesky tabloid reporter again that morning, one who’d appeared at Julie’s wake before Grover ordered him off the premises.
Sachi’s blue eyes remained unreadable behind her dark sunglasses. She slowly shook her head and tsked at Mandaline. “If you’d just let me bring my gun—”
“No guns.”
Sachi’s disappointed sigh was audible even over the mumble of the people gathering around. “You’re no fun.” But a corner of her mouth tried to twitch up in a smile.
Mandaline smiled despite herself.
As the start time drew closer, she felt something pulling at her, a different energy. She looked around, finally turning.
About thirty yards away, standing in the shade of an oak tree and leaning against the trunk, was Brad. When he saw her looking at him, he raised a hand in greeting but made no move toward her.
She didn’t see Ellis.
She raised a hand back, then pointed at the ground in front of her in invitation for him to join her there.
He smiled, but held a hand up again with obvious meaning. No thanks. I’m good.
She turned back to face the gathering. Maybe he hates me now. Maybe he thinks I’m a lush. Shame flooded her. What the hell did I say to him last night? What did I do?
She remembered dreams, and Julie. Walking or chasing her? A closet? She couldn’t remember for sure.
Then again, after what Ellis had said after dinner, the way he’d acted, if Brad couldn’t forgive her for a little imbibing, he could go fuck himself, too.
He’s here, though. You couldn’t have embarrassed yourself too badly.
She tried to ignore her memory of the accidental blow job in his attic.
Sachi leaned in. “You going to stand there all day ignoring him, or jump his ass?” she muttered low enough no one else could hear.
“Not now, Sachi.” She glanced at her friend. “And aren’t you worried about the cameras? Why won’t you put on a hat or scarf or something?”
She shrugged and straightened. “Got my shades on. This is for Julie. I’m not about to miss it.”
Grover returned, not rejoining her and Libbie and the rest of the shop’s staff who were gathered by the tree, but he stood just off to the side. He flashed her an inconspicuous okay sign.
At noon, she picked up the shovel and took a deep breath to quell her nerves. “Thank you, everyone, for coming today. In her final instructions, Julie said she didn’t want any kind of memorial or anything. This is more for us, her friends, the people who knew and loved her. Thank you to the county for allowing us to do this, and for providing the plaque that will mark her memorial tree. And a special thank-you to Sherrie over at Blake’s Nursery for donating the tree and supplies. We weren’t expecting that, but it just goes to show how far Julie’s positive energy spread throughout the community.
“Like Julie in life, this tree will be able to touch people in ways we’ll never know, her spirit able to live on through us as we keep her alive in our hearts. Those of you who knew her know she was about giving back, helping others. This tree will provide shade and enjoyment for people now and in the future. It’ll be a home to birds and squirrels, and hopefully acorns will grow new trees to keep the cycle going.
“That’s all she wanted, was for everyone to go forward and give. Not even big things. A kind word, a smile, can make someone’s day. You don’t have to be rich or well-connected to spread positive energy, love and light, and peace.”
She took a deep breath and broke ground with the shovel, passing it next to Libbie, who passed it to Sachi, and then on to another employee, until all the staff had a chance to help dig the hole. Grover stepped in then and took the shovel from her to finish the hole and make it the right size. Mandaline dropped to her knees and, with Grover’s help, set the four-foot sapling’s root ball into the hole. She dropped in a small piece of rose quartz, one of several that had been on Julie’s altar, and tucked it under the roots so it would forever be part of the tree as long as it stood.
She imagined Julie would have approved.
Ten minutes later, the tree was planted, mulched, and securely staked. She’d ignored the TV crew filming from a discreet distance as she and the rest of the staff accepted words of condolence from people who filed by. She occasionally glanced over to where Brad didn’t move from the shade of his tree. When they finally thought they could leave the gathering and return to the shop, she looked again and was disappointed to see him no longer standing there.
She tried to ignore the way her heart felt flat over that.
They reopened the store, inundated by a crowd of people who walked over from the tree planting. It left Mandaline absolutely no time for thinking about Brad or Ellis or anything else other than taking care of customers. By the time they finally caught up, it was after two o’clock and Mandaline excused herself to go upstairs to use the bathroom and grab Pers to walk him.
She opened the stairwell door, startled by the sight of Brad sitting at the top, with Pers in his lap. She pulled the stairwell door closed behind her a little harder than she meant to and hurried up the stairs. “What are you doing here? I never saw you come in.”
He gave her that bashful smile, the one that could easily part her from her panties if she gave in to it. “You were busy. Sachi grabbed me and shoved me in here and told me to wait for you.”