She pushed the negative away, vowing this venture would go well. It would be perfect. Flawless. Website hits were way up and people were commenting on the radio ads. Customers had even requested special holiday items.
The front door chimed, reminding her of her mission. She grabbed the box and hurried to the front. The customer she’d left at the register waited patiently, chatting with her friend. She finished the transaction and turned to her next customer. Mrs. Jepson, her face wreathed in a smile, her enormously pregnant daughter in tow.
“Mrs. Jepson, lovely to see you and you too, Carly. When are you due?” She didn’t mention the special baby’s first Christmas ornament that had arrived earlier.
“Yesterday.” She clutched her back and groaned. “This little angel can’t come soon enough. She’s making me crazy. Everything hurts and I’m as big as a house.” She smiled broadly though the complaints, obviously excited for the new arrival.
“Remember when we were kids and wanted six babies? Preferably sextuplets?” Hailey asked. It was hard to believe they’d been that naïve.
“Don’t remind me. I’m having one, and only one if this doesn’t happen soon.” She groaned again and massaged herself, one hand on her bulging belly, the other on her back.
“Are you okay?” Hailey rushed to her side. “Let me get you a chair.”
“Oh,” her voice rose three octaves as she dropped into the seat, panting. “This isn’t good.”
“What’s not good,” Mrs. Jepson asked, her smile gone, concern on her face.
“I think the baby’s coming.” Carly bent double and grunted. “I’m in labor.”
“We better get you to the doctor,” Hailey declared. She had no idea how to deliver a baby. People went to school for years to learn how. She didn’t want this baby to arrive in her store, without help.
“Help me up.”
Hailey and Mrs. Jepson each took a side, easing Carly to her feet. The door chimed. Hailey glanced up as Mrs. Phillips entered. She didn’t need this need right now.
Jesse’s mother took the scene in at a glance and hurried to the side, her heels clattering noisily, her enormous purse thumping against her thigh with each step.
Carly collapsed back into the chair with a scream. “I can’t.”
Mrs. Jepson stared at Hailey; her eyes wide with fear. “What do we do?”
Hailey didn’t know how to respond. She’d never had a baby or seen on born. Thoughts rushing as she sucked in a breath. No time to panic, this baby was coming. They needed a doctor. An ambulance. Something.
“Sit tight. I’ll call an ambulance.” She dialed 911 and blurted out their situation. She was barely finished when she heard sirens. She shifted two rolling racks aside as the paramedics stormed in, all bulging muscles and calm smiles.
Hailey eased Mrs. Jepson away and held her twisting hands. “Relax. It’ll be okay. The paramedics are here. They’ve delivered dozens of babies.” She hoped. “You can follow them to the hospital.”
“Carly drove us to the store. Her car’s a standard and I don’t know how to drive it,” the prospective grandmother wailed.
“No problem. When it’s time to leave, I’ll call you a taxi or Carly’s husband can pick you up on his way. I’ll make sure you get there, even if I have to drive you myself.” She turned Mrs. Jepson away to distract her from the action around her daughter.
She scanned the store. The few customers who were browsing had dropped all pretense of shopping and stood a respectful distance back, watching the drama unfold.
Carly groaned and asked for her mother. Hailey led her over, keeping her hand on Mrs. Jepson’s elbow as she seemed unstable. She turned to grab the discarded chair for Mrs. Jepson. Hailey glanced at Mrs. Phillips as she passed by and then doubled back to look at her again.
Had Jesse’s mom just slipped something inside her purse?
No way.
Admittedly, the woman had issues, but who shoplifted in the middle of a crisis? Okay maybe a crisis was the perfect time to steal, and crisis was probably a bit of an overstatement. Mrs. Phillips stood in front of a display of hand-pieced wooden jewelry boxes. Her purse bulged suspiciously.
She hurried Mrs. Jepson into the chair, keeping one eye on Mrs. Phillips. She had to do something. Confront her, privately, before she left the store. A public confrontation would be a disaster. Hailey’s mom had caught Mrs. Phillips stealing a cheap trinket the day of their fight. She’d confronted her friend, stunned she was drunk and stealing. In her haste to flee, she’d tripped and badly sprained her arm. Crying out, she’d accused Hailey’s mother of pushing her down.
Life hadn’t been the same since.
The bell rang and Carly’s husband raced in. Someone must have called him. Hailey hurried to greet him and placed herself between Mrs. Phillips and the door. Unless she slipped out the back door, she was trapped.
Feigning nonchalance, Hailey chatted to everyone until, at last, the paramedics wheeled Carly out. Her husband and Mrs. Jepson followed. Excitement over, the last of the audience trailed after them.
