Page 51 of A Merry Little Christmas

The budgie had set itself free from its pet carrier and was flying around the store was darting from display to display.

Nell ran to the door to make sure that the bird couldn’t escape if someone opened it. ‘Harley, please can you turn the music off so we can hear ourselves think.’

‘Like that makes any sense,’ Harley grinned, clearly enjoying the drama. ‘But OK.’

‘I’m so sorry!’ cried the girl who owned the bird. She took a handful of bird seed out of her pocket and threw it onto the floor.

‘Marvellous,’ muttered Merry. ‘And no doubt it’ll poo everywhere as well.’

‘Birds like me,’ Astrid boasted. ‘I think I can get it to land on me, get ready to catch it.’ She held out her arm and began whistling. The budgie landed momentarily on Astrid’s head. She yelped and batted at her hair. ‘Get off me.’

The kids from the choir joined in, leaping into the air, climbing on the shelf units and grasping at thin air as the bird evaded them.

‘Here, birdy birdy,’ cooed Irena, holding out the last of her sausage roll.

Merry sighed. ‘I don’t believe this. Will someone please catch it.’

‘Yes!’ Woody shrieked from his crouched position behind the counter. ‘Seriously, guys, I’m freaking out here. If that bird touches me, I won’t be responsible for my actions.’

The music went off and Harley returned with a broom.

The owner started to cry. ‘Please don’t hurt it, it was my granny’s and she’s just died.’

She had big green eyes peeping out from under her woolly hat and deep dimples in her cheeks.

Max puffed his chest out. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll catch the damn thing. What’s it called?’

‘Chump,’ sniffed the girl.

Everyone started calling to it. ‘Chump? Chump? Come down, Chump! Here, Chump!’

‘This is turning into a farce,’ Nell muttered. ‘Please tell me I’m dreaming.’

‘Can anyone see it?’ Max asked, searching the room.

‘There!’ Merry pointed up to a display by the window. ‘I think it disappeared behind a candle on the top shelf.’ Before anyone could stop her, she’d grabbed the stepladder and had climbed up to the top step. ‘I can see it. Come here, Chump!’

‘Hells bells, Merry Robinson,’ Nell gasped. What was she thinking? ‘Get down immediately.’

‘I will,’ Merry panted. ‘Just as soon as Chump is safely in the palm of my hand.’

‘I don’t think a pregnant woman should be the one coming to the rescue of your budgie,’ Irena wagged a finger at the bird owner.

‘Quite,’ said Fred, positioning himself at the base of the stepladder. ‘Merry, come down immediately. That’s a direct order.’

‘For the millionth time,’ said Merry through gritted teeth, straining to push candles on the top shelf to one side, ‘I’m a fit, active woman, not a bloody invalid.’

‘Your phone is ringing inside your bag, Merry!’ Woody shouted. He was still behind the counter.

‘Answer it please,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I’m nearly there … Come on, bird.’

The top of Woody’s head popped over the counter. ‘It’s Cole.’

Nell marched over to the stepladder and tapped Merry’s leg. She was furious with her friend. To take a risk like this over a budgie. ‘No, get down now!’ she yelled at her. ‘There’s a shop full of people here, all of whom are more suitable candidates than you to be catching a wayward budgie.’

‘Bear with, Cole,’ said Woody cheerily. ‘Merry’s just up a ladder at the moment, trying to catch a bird.’

‘Nooo!’ Merry yelled. ‘Don’t tell him that!’