Leah grinned and whispered, “I’ll bet he and Duke could get themselves added to that group and do a little recon for y’all. At least expose the people who are doing this and justifying it online.”
Veronica smiled and nodded…and then frowned as she looked at the receipt. “Just out of curiosity, Presley Ann, what’s your clerk number?”
Presley Ann chuckled as she looked at Leah, and Leah recited the number from memory. “Why?”
Veronica made an indignant sound and said, “Presley Ann just spent the last forty five minutes helping me find Christmas gifts for my brothers and Hank and Travis.” She handed Leah that receipt and pointed at the clerk number on it. “That’s not right.”
Leah growled and said, “I guess she’d justify stealing the sale from Presley Ann, too, since she rang it up. Presley Ann, why don’t you go see Evelyn and get her to run through the basic machine operations with you. I’m sorry I didn’t do it earlier. Veronica, do you have a minute? We need to void the sale and redo it, at your insistence, of course,” she added with a wink.
“You bet.”
“Presley Ann?” Leah said, as Presley Ann turned to walk to the back, still feeling embarrassed over the lapse.
“Yeah?”
Leah pointed at the register. “This is no big deal. I know it’ll all come back to you. This, on the other hand,” she said, holding up the receipt, “is a big deal. When you’re done at noon, come by my office. I’ll buy lunch for us if you’ll run and pick it up when you go get Whit. I miss my nephew.”
“Sorry, my maternity leave was pretty industrious,” Presley Ann said with a smile. She waved at Veronica before walking to the back, greeting customers who were busy Christmas shopping. She needed to get her act together. She was surprised she’d never heard of the piracy Veronica had been talking about and was grateful she hadn’t gotten herself pulled into something that she now knew was clearly illegal. Coming from Willie, she should’ve known. Willie had always been the type to cut corners and cheat.
She chuckled to herself when she heard Leah’s quiet, yet terse voice call out. “Willie, could you please come over here for a minute?”
Her feet were killing her as she walked down the tiled hall and knocked on the bookkeeping office door. She stopped at the counter after Evelyn buzzed her in and asked what was the matter. “I need a cash register refresher course, new feet, and a keeper.”
Evelyn laughed sympathetically with her and said, “Give it time and it’ll all come back to you. And I’m telling you, dear, it’s plantar fasciitis you’re suffering with, and Emma can help you with that.”
As noon drew near, her breasts began to ache, and she missed Whit terribly. She wondered how his first morning with his sitter had gone and hoped he was okay. After checking in with Leah, who had suggested lunch from Rudy’s and insisted on giving her money to pay for both their lunches, she stopped by Margie’s house to pick Whit up.
Margie’s daughter Maria met her at the door with a hesitant smile and Presley Ann’s heart dropped.
“How did he do?”
“It was a rough first day. He missed you, but I think he’ll adjust with time.”
Maria’s words resonated with Presley Ann on the way to Rudy’s. She knew it was true. Whit would grow accustomed to Maria’s home and her routine during the day. That didn’t ease the ache in her heart, though, as she listened to the occasional breathy stutter from Whit in his car seat. Maria had told her that he’d cried all morning long. He looked exhausted, and guilt ate at her heart. Her world had righted itself as she’d enclosed him in her arms, and he’d settled right down. A knot formed in her throat as she relived the moment. Thinking he’d have to go back again the following morning inspired a breathy sob from her as well.
Part of her wanted to stop at the fire station to say hello and bring lunch to the guys, but she worried that would make her look needy. The truth was that to see Kendry and Jared was exactly what she needed. She took a deep breath and stifled the emotions. Quality, lasting changes would come to her life only if she was the one making the changes. She couldn’t depend on others to make things better, even if Kendry and Jared were unlikely to see it that way.
“I’m done relying on others to fix things.”
Nothing would change unless she made it change. She nodded in affirmation to herself as she pulled into Rudy’s shallow parking lot off of Crockett St. Her work table had arrived and was set up in her apartment, bolts of cloth nearby, and half a dozen slings and the same number of diaper covers and burp cloths already cut out and ready to be sewn.
If she wanted to keep Whit home with her, she knew what she had to do, and who she needed to rely on. Herself.
She cringed as she stepped out of her car, the pain in her heels was so bad. Evelyn had suggested buying shoes with better insoles until she could see Emma about the pain. Presley Ann hadn’t mentioned that she couldn’t afford new shoes or a visit to the doctor. And she wasn’t asking her dad. She had child care to pay for now and supplies to buy for her business. That had to come first. Her tired old flats would need to suffice for a while longer, even if they were looser now that she’d had the baby.
Whit grinned at her, showing his pink gums, and cooed as she opened his door. “Let’s go get some lunch for Mommy and Auntie Leah.” He heaved a soft baby sigh as she lifted him and held him to her securely while she nestled his little bum into the sling and then enclosed his shoulders and back in the side sections of the sling. He fit there so nicely, and she paused for just a second and hugged him. He looked up at her with his baby blue eyes and gave one more little stuttering breath from his crying jag.
“It’ll get easier, sugar bear. Right now Mommy needs Maria’s help.”
Her throat constricted with two emotions. Gratitude toward Maria and her mother because she knew Whit was safe with them, and agony as she wondered which “firsts” they’d be the ones to see, rather than her. His first laugh? The first time he rolled over? Sat up?
She shook her head, banishing the thought, and stroked his silky crown. “I’m going to work hard for us, and maybe I can be the one with you for all of those.”
Remembering some of the figures in the budget Leah had helped her set up for her personal and business expenses, Presley Ann slung her handbag over her shoulder and said, “We better hurry. That money isn’t going to earn itself. I need to get started at home.”
After closing the car door she walked between her car and the big, muddy ranch truck next to her in the cramped parking lot, taking care to not brush her clothing against the fenders over the broad back wheels. Whit sneezed suddenly and looked up at her in surprise with a messy nose.
“Oh, goodness, don’t rub it,” she said, catching his little hands before he smeared snot all over his face and giggled as she dug in her purse for a Kleenex or something to wipe him up with. She’d left his diaper bag in the car.
She found a tissue and cleaned up his nose as she walked around the back of the big truck. She was about to slide the folded up tissue in her purse when she suddenly stepped out of her shoe. The loose gravel was rough and cold under her feet and she whimpered when she struck her already painful heel against a rock.
“Oh boy.” She hopped around on one foot as she tried to wipe the bottom of her foot off while balancing Whit in his sling with her other hand. The baby made huffing sounds as he bounced, and she giggled at how she must look to passersby.
She bent to pick up the shoe and was just slipping her foot back into it when suddenly her purse slid off her shoulder and hit the ground, spilling some of the contents in the process.
“Well, crap on a cracker,” she muttered to herself. Whit looked up at her with big eyes and she giggled, bracing his head and back as she crouched down behind the truck to retrieve her wallet, lipstick, and pepper spray. Hank had given all the ladies that had attended his self-defense class one, and she carried it with her everywhere she went.
A conversation and the nearby thump of a door closi
ng carried to her as she reached for her pen, which had rolled a couple of feet away. Whit took in the interesting turn of events as he gripped the front of her blouse in his little fists. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”
An eighteen-wheeler rumbled by on the street just a few feet away, making a loud racket, and the next thing she heard was a man’s urgent loud voice.
“Oh no…no, no, no, no, no!”
Footsteps pounded toward her as someone hollered, “Aw fuck!”
It all happened in the space of the blink of an eye, as she turned toward the sounds and saw the trailer hitch of the truck she’d been crouched behind headed directly at her. A high-pitched female scream pierced the air, and she added her own scream to the noise as terror froze her muscles.
Suddenly, like angels descending, two men appeared, swooped her and Whit up in their arms and carried her bodily out of the path of the truck. She couldn’t stop screaming, even as Whit joined her with frightened wails of his own, as her heart pounded practically out of her chest.
I nearly got us killed! How stupid could I be!
The driver of the truck slammed on its brakes, making the tires drag on the rough gravel with a loud crunching sound. Whit shrieked as he held tight to her blouse, and an ugly wave of guilt washed through her, every morbid thought crowding in her head, imagining the sound of those tires on gravel was the sound of bones shattering.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh Whit, I nearly got you killed! Oh my God!” She paused to draw breath and held on to her baby tightly, feeling even guiltier as he quickly calmed.
You shouldn’t trust me so easily, baby! I can’t even be trusted with basic parking lot safety!
If it wasn’t for the strong arms holding her up she would’ve collapsed.
Suddenly a stranger was peering into her face, anxiety written on his face as he spoke in a quiet but earnest voice. “Durn it, ma’am. I’m so sorry. I honest to Pete didn’t even see you there. Are you all right? Oh, Lord. And your baby? Is your baby all right?” The man looked them over, obviously fearing that he’d struck them as he pulled his ball cap from his head and wrung it in his hands.
The man looked ready to cry, and for some reason, that calmed her. Nothing had happened. She was still standing, albeit a little wobbly. The truck hadn’t hit her or Whit. Drawing a shaky breath, and feeling incredibly grateful for the observant men who had literally saved hers and Whit’s lives, she nodded and said, “Yes. Yes. I’m okay. Whit’s okay, thanks to these two men.” My guardian angels. She wanted to hug them both so hard.
The driver of the truck looked beyond grateful as he shook both men’s hands. “Man, I only saw you guys in the rearview, moving like frickin’ superheroes. Thank the good Lord for you both.”
“Amen to that. Good job, guys,” said a wonderfully familiar voice as Hank joined them, his gaze sharp as he looked her over, as if assessing if further action was needed. His mere presence was enough to calm her and even Whit responded to his deep voice as he hiccupped and kept his eyes on him.
The two men who had saved her grew flushed in the face, and she wondered if the praise was the cause. They shouldn’t be embarrassed. They were heroes. They could’ve been seriously injured but they’d put their own safety aside to save her and Whit.
One of the men looked down at his hands and said, “Hell, Hank, we were just in the right place at the right time. Anyone would’ve done the same. We’re not heroes.” His cheeks grew even more flushed as he glanced at her and caught her smiling at him.
Oh, yes, you are heroes.
The driver was speaking to Hank. “Honest to God, Sheriff Stinson, I never saw the lady, I swear.”
Peering around them and at the traffic passing by on Crockett Street, Hank raised a hand as if to allay his worries. “This parking lot is a hazard, it’s so shallow.”
Suddenly, Veronica was right in front of her, wrapping her arms around her. “Oh my gosh, Presley Ann,” she whispered. “We saw what was happening from inside. I saw you get out of the car with Whit and then I heard screaming. I was afraid to come out here at first.” Veronica squeezed them both to her. “I’m so glad you and the baby aren’t hurt.”
What would’ve happened if Whit had been hurt? What if I had been killed? What would happen to Whit? Morbid scenarios flashed through her mind, raising her anxiety to new heights but she took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Whit needed her clearheaded right now.
Hank’s hand was heavy and comforting as he laid it on her shoulder. She was still shaking so much she felt like she could’ve crumbled if not for his grounding presence. “Are you all right, Presley Ann?’
“Yes, I’m fine, Hank.” Thanks to those two guardian angels, and the woman standing with them. It had obviously been her scream that had alerted Presley Ann to impending disaster. She looked back up at the men, then at Veronica, and realization dawned. The two men must be Veronica’s brothers, Jesse and Barry.
The driver spoke quietly to Hank and then turned to her. She could still see the worry in his eyes as he focused on her and Whit and said, “If you’re sure you’re all right, ma’am? Again, I’m very sorry I didn’t see you.”
“I’m fine. This wasn’t your fault at all. I should’ve been paying closer attention to my surroundings.” Crawling around for your stuff in a parking lot, behind a big truck, completely unaware of what’s going on around you because you don’t want to lose your girlie pen. How dumb are you?
The driver nodded, and they moved to the sidewalk outside the restaurant as he backed his rig up, gave a final wave to them, and pulled out onto Crockett Street.
“Presley Ann, these are my brothers, Jesse and Barry Benedict, and this is Charlotta Carmichael, their girlfriend.”
Charlotta grinned and said, “Small world, isn’t it?”
Before Presley Ann could reply, Jesse said, “You’re sure you’re all right, ma’am? I hope we didn’t tackle you too hard.” His gaze moved to Whit, and he smiled widely as Whit grinned at him. “He’s a handsome little fellow. What’s his name?”
“You didn’t hurt me, Jesse. My son’s name is Whit. Short for Whitman Merritt Woodworth.”
With a grin, Jesse replied, “That’s quite a handle. Whit suits him, Mrs. Woodworth. He looks like a little angel.”
“It’s Miss, not Mrs. And thank you. Thank you both for tackling me,” she said as she looked up at Jesse and Barry. I’ve never been so grateful for rough handling.
Just then Hank spoke up. “Presley Ann, I think I should call Kendry and Jared, and get them over here to take care of you.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she knew he could feel the way she still trembled all over. She couldn’t seem to help it. It amazed her when she looked down and realized Whit had drifted off to sleep. He must’ve been overwhelmed. The deep voices and their conversation must’ve lulled him off.
“No, thank you, Hank. I’m fine, really.” She thought at least one of them was on duty. If that happened, their coworkers might have plenty to say about how needy she was. How she always needed saving. She’d have to be gushing blood or have broken bones—a true emergency—before she’d let them call Kendry and Jared.
“Are you sure, Presley Ann?” Veronica’s other husband, Travis McDaniel, asked. She felt bad that she hadn’t realized he was standing there, probably the whole time.
Dingbat.
Travis said, “I know I’d want to be with Veronica if something like this happened to her, even if she was unharmed.”
Yeah, but your married, er—bonded. It’s different.
“I’m sure, Travis. Thank you.” Regardless of whether or not she felt like she deserved the concern or attention, it felt really nice to be cared about like that.
The beautiful blonde, Charlotta, patted her back and then paused. “You’re shaking like a leaf. That’s adrenaline for you, letting you down not-so-nicely after a big scare. But you and Whit are both okay.” The woman seemed to know what she was talking about and Presley Ann wondered if she was a doctor. Jus
t then, Charlotta made a startled sound and said, “Wow, he is the most handsome little man I’ve ever seen.”
Presley Ann looked down at him and smiled, stroking the back of his silky head as a rush of tears came to her eyes. I could’ve lost you.
Charlotta pressed a Kleenex into her hand, and she felt her cheeks warm up as she blotted her eyes and then wiped her running nose. “Thank you. It’s been one thing after another lately, but maybe my luck is turning at last. Maybe I’m doing something right, after all, because I can’t think of why else I’d be so blessed to have my baby saved like that, just in the nick of time.”
Maybe those scales are starting to even up a little.
Without comment, but with doubt in his eyes, Hank said, “Come into Rudy’s and sit with us for a while, Presley Ann. At least until the shaking stops.” He didn’t look like he planned to take no for an answer, and she had a suspicion if she refused, which she wouldn’t, he’d call Kendry and Jared despite her request he not do that.
“I’m here to get lunch for Leah and myself—I just planned to sit by the front door and wait for the food there.”
“Well now you can sit with us, and wait for it to be brought to our table,” Hank said. She never knew Hank to be so darned pushy. Veronica obviously found it slightly amusing, if one could go by the twinkle in her eyes.
Gazing down at Whit, she thought of how this afternoon could’ve gone so wrong. She looked up at Charlotta, who was tall for a woman, and said, “I hope you don’t mind.” She went up on tiptoe, clutched Jesse and Barry’s bulky biceps, and kissed both of the men on the cheek. “Thanks again. You’re my heroes.”
Jesse and Barry shook their heads as if they wanted to deny the words and glanced at each other, both red-cheeked, all over again. Praise didn’t seem to sit well with them. She could relate a little.
Their girlfriend chuckled, and in a teasing tone, she said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two blush quite so much.”
Absentminded Angel [Divine Creek Ranch 20] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14
