Love & Hope: Mother's Day (Holidays In Hallbrook Book 5)

by Elsie Davis

  Amanda returned to the counter with everything Grace had ordered and set them down on the tray to ring up the order.

  “Oh, sorry. But can you make that to go? I don’t want to be late. I have no idea what’s keeping Faith, but I’m going to wring her neck if she doesn’t get here in the next few minutes.”

  “Will do. The baby’s glazed donut is on me, so your total is $12.58,” Amanda said.

  “Thank you. That’s very sweet.” Grace shoved the diaper bag behind her. She concentrated on digging through her handbag to find the wallet buried deep within its depths. Holly fussed, reaching for the donuts as Amanda started to bag them. Grace bounced her on her hip as she struggled to find her wallet and kept coming up empty-handed.

  She didn’t remember throwing the wallet in the diaper bag. Still, she had to look, not sure if her frazzled nerves getting ready this morning had made her do something out of character. She swung the bag around front, letting it land on the counter next to her handbag. There wasn’t much room to operate, and her search turned up with nothing. She tossed the diaper bag back to the ground and shifted Holly to the other side, her frustrated cries ringing in Grace’s ears.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to the man behind her, shrugging as if it would explain everything. She dug to the bottom of her handbag again, finally locating her wallet and breathing a sigh of relief. Except her credit card wasn’t where she usually put it, and she was out of cash. It wouldn’t have been that bad if she hadn’t thrown a bazillion last-minute things in the bag before she left this morning. Amanda returned with the two coffees, having put a lid on them and placed them in a cardboard carry tray.

  “I’m sorry. My credit card as to be down in this bottomless pit somewhere. I’m getting there.” Holly fussed louder, her cries becoming more concerning. Grace bounced her more, trying to soothe her as she continued her search.

  “You’re fine.” Amanda was trying to be sweet, but Grace noticed her gaze flicker to the man standing in line behind her. Where was Faith when she needed her? This was ridiculous. How did anybody find anything with one hand?

  “Allow me,” the man behind her spoke, offering his credit card.

  “That’s very kind of you, but it’s not necessary. I’ve got this. I swear, I’ve got this. Just give me a second.”

  The man’s expression revealed his irritation, but he dropped his hand.

  Holly let out a piercing scream. “Shhhh, Holly. Please.” Grace shifted the baby to the other side and used her other hand to dig through her handbag, trying to feel the loose card by touch. Tampon. Kleenex. Earrings. Hairbrush. Receipt. Lipstick. Come on, where are you? She’d fallen into the trap like a lot of women, carrying their lives with them in the precious depths of what should’ve been termed a suitcase rather than a handbag.

  “Can I get half a dozen jelly-filled donuts, half a dozen glazed donuts, half a dozen chocolate-covered donuts, and half a dozen scones, please? And a cup of coffee. To go. Perhaps you could work on that while she locates her money. I’m in a hurry,” he added, the irritation in his voice sliding into overdrive.

  Amanda nodded.” Not a problem, sir.”

  Grace looked back at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with the baby. It’s hard to juggle her and everything else, especially when she’s screaming,” Grace offered by way of apology.

  “Do you need help? Is there something I can find for you?” The man offered, but his expression made it clear it was more of a rhetorical question and not an actual offer.

  There was no way she’d let him paw through her handbag. Not with her stash of feminine products floating around in there. That would be mortifying. But an extra set of hands with the baby would be a big help. Grace eyed the man up and down, trying to make a snap character assessment. She learned to trust her judgment years ago and he seemed like a good guy. Short on patience, maybe, but still a good guy.

  “Would you mind holding Holly?” She held the baby out as if it were a foregone conclusion he would help. Who didn’t like to hold babies? And he had offered his assistance, just not in the exact way she needed.

  “You’re serious?” The man’s shocked expression would be almost laughable if it weren’t for Holly’s crying. She didn’t know what was wrong with the baby.

  “Please. I need to find the baby’s paci and my credit card.”

  * * *

  Ryan didn’t have a clue what a paci was, but if it would stop the baby’s crying, he was all for it. The baby screamed as if in pain, and there was no way Ryan wanted to hold her. He looked for help, but the place was empty. Figures. Since when was a bakery practically deserted this early in the morning?

  He let out a deep breath. “Umm, okay.” He reached out for the little girl and held her away from him, unsure exactly what was expected. Ryan glanced behind the counter, praying his order would be ready soon and he could extradite himself from this daymare. At least in a nightmare you could wake up and it would be over, but this wouldn’t go away if he closed his eyes and reopened them.

  The pretty woman dug through the oversized bag she’d previously tossed on the floor.

  “I got it!” she exclaimed, a smile on her face as she looked up at him, holding up some plastic miracle gadget. For a brief second, he was lost in her joy, at least until the baby cried out again.

  Ryan lowered his arms a bit, preparing to hand the baby back to her, but he suddenly found himself doused with white projectile vomit. It smelled like foul milk of the worst kind. The daymare had just gotten worse.

  “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. The poor baby. I don’t know what’s wrong. She did drink her milk awfully fast this morning.” Grace took Holly from the man and hugged the little girl with zero regard of the mess she was making of her pink sweater. The baby settled down almost instantly when the woman put the plastic thing in her mouth and rested her head against the woman’s shoulder. It was a sweet picture. Mother and daughter.

  And a far cry from the torment of seconds ago. The woman grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and started to wipe at his jacket, reminding him of the mess.

  Ryan grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Please, don’t. Just take care of the baby. I’ve got this.” He tried to maintain control over his emotions, realizing getting angry would only make things worse. It wasn’t the woman’s fault.

  If anything, he felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Kids were chaotic, and that was one of the reasons he never planned to have any of his own. Kids and family were trouble with a capital T. He wiped at his suit, doing the best he could. It would have to be dry cleaned, or maybe thrown out. It could be added to the pile of ruined clothing he’d started this morning when he’d burned the first shirt he tried to iron, which was the whole reason he was running late in the first place.

  The woman was close to tears, and the last thing he wanted to deal with right now was someone having a mental breakdown. The baby was more than enough. The server behind the counter returned with his order.

  Ryan reached for it and tossed a fifty on the counter. “That should cover my tab and hers. Keep the change.” He nodded in the mother’s direction and headed for the door, not bothering to wait for an answer.

  It was a good thing his partner wasn’t in town, or he’d never hear the end of it. Late and smelling like vomit was not exactly the professional image he aimed for as an example to his employees. As far as mornings were concerned, this one took the cake. Or the donut, in this case. Good thing it couldn’t get any worse.

  Chapter Three

  “Nice Man,” Amanda said, shooting Grace a wink.

  “Among other things.” She shrugged, not sure what to make of him. She was grateful the baby seemed to be feeling better, even if it had been at the man’s expense. He’d gone before she could thank him, but then who could blame the guy? All in all, he’d taken getting thrown up on by a stranger’s baby well. She glanced at her phone to check the time just as it rang.

  Faith.

  Twenty minutes late,
her sister better have a darn good excuse. The morning was already a disaster, and Grace was going to be late for her first day on the job if she didn’t leave in the next five minutes. “Where are you?” she demanded, skipping any civil greetings.

  “Lighten up, sis. I was out late last night, and I slept in.” Faith yawned loudly.

  “But I needed you here. You promised.” Grace shifted the baby to her other hip, holding her close and trying to keep her calm. The last thing she needed right now was for the baby to pick up on her agitation and start fussing again, or worse, throw up on her this time.

  “I know, and I’m sorry. But you did hit me up at the last minute, and you didn’t give me much chance to think of what it would mean. The thing is, now that I’ve thought about it, I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

  “What are you talking about? You can’t change your mind now. Don’t do this to me, Faith.” Grace closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Everything in her life was spinning out of control, but she only had herself to blame. She should have never trusted her sister, and she should have never said yes to Karen in the first place. It had just been too good of an opportunity to pass up. But now, less than twenty-four hours later, it was turning out to be nothing short of a disastrous decision.

  “I’m not ready for a full-time job. Especially not as a babysitter.” Faith still wasn’t ready to grow up and accept the fact she was an adult, which meant living in the real world with a job and paying bills. And if her mother continued to baby her, she’d never mature, that much was obvious.

  Grace had no one else she could turn to at the last minute and wasn’t above begging. “You were okay with it last night. Please, Faith.”

  “Well, the thing is, that was before the gang talked about taking a road trip. My plans have changed.”

  “I was counting on you. What am I supposed to do now?” Her sister was totally bailing on her. They’d never been close, the age difference between them always a problem, amongst other things.

  “I said I was sorry. You are the one who got yourself into this. I’m sure you’ll figure a way out. You always do.” Grace could hear the resentment in her sister’s voice. Sure, she’d done well in high school and then in college, but it was because she applied herself. It’s not like it came easy. It wasn’t her fault Faith had no such aspirations and fell short of the standards Grace had set.

  Her mother harped on her sister’s shortcomings, often comparing the two sisters as a method of motivation. In the end, it always backfired. And then her mother would jump through hoops to make things right with Faith. She almost felt sorry for her sister. Almost. Right now, Grace was mad at her.

  “You realize, of course, you may have just cost me my new job. Thanks a lot.” Grace hung up on her sister. Maybe it had been unfair to spring the job offer on Faith, but no one had forced her sister to accept. And it was Faith’s promise to watch Holly during the day that had prompted Grace’s acceptance to keep the baby for a few weeks.

  Grace tried to think of who she could call. Olivia, her best friend, worked during the day and had her hands full with her own twins. On such short notice, there wasn’t anyone she could think of who would be available that she could trust or keep up with a crawling baby. And if Grace called out of work on her first day, she’d get fired. If she showed up at the office with Holly, she’d probably lose her job regardless of the circumstances. But the word probably was enough to get her in the car and driving toward Lancaster.

  The country landscape that typically brought her peace as she drove to the city failed to capture her attention. There was no way this would end well, but she had to try. “It’s just you and me, kiddo,” she said, glancing in the rearview mirror and talking to Holly, who’d fallen asleep in her car seat. “Let’s just hope the new boss is an understanding guy. The last thing I want to do is give up my independence and move back home because I can’t make ends meet.”

  Grace followed the GPS directions and pulled into the parking lot of the enormous warehouse where her office was located. Lots of cars filled the first several rows of spaces, leaving her to park farther away than she liked considering the load she had to carry.

  She stepped out of the car and glanced down at her outfit, disgusted with what she saw. So much for professionalism. Wrinkled and stained, the image she’d gone for, all but shot. Grace gently took Holly out of her seat, trying not to wake her considering the baby had just fallen asleep. Grabbing the blanket, the baby bag, and her handbag in the other hand, she made her way to the entrance. Overloaded, she was relieved when a young man opened the door for her, but she could do without his are-you-from-outer-space look.

  “Thanks,” she said, more to the man’s back as he took off down the hall, as if in a hurry. Grace had no idea where to go, and she was already late. “Excuse me,” she called after him.

  The man paused, one hand on the door he was about to go through and turned back toward her.

  “Do you know where the welcome meeting is being held?” Grace shifted the diaper bag and handbag straps up to her shoulder, trying to balance some of the weight.

  “You mean the one that started fifteen minutes ago? It’s this way.” The guy jerked his thumb toward the door he was standing in front of. “This is the warehouse. Good luck.”

  Good luck not being fired for being late on your first day, or good luck not being fired for bringing your kid to work? It didn’t matter which one, because either way, she needed all the luck she could get.

  Grace shifted the sleeping baby in her arms and pushed through the swinging door. A large group of people stood not far from the entrance, all gathered around to listen to whoever was talking in front of them. Moving slowly, she eased toward the back of the group, hoping to join in without a disturbance.

  “May I help you?” a man asked the question, his voice somewhat familiar.

  Grace cringed, terrified he was talking to her. She tried to duck behind the woman in front of her, hoping to get lost in the crowd, and keeping Holly hidden. For now.

  “May I help you,” he asked again. “I’m talking to the person at the back of the room who just walked in this meeting late. What’s your name? I don’t tolerate tardiness, and on the first day no less, it shows a lack of respect for your employer.” The man’s crisp, business-like tone made her feel like she was in the principal’s office in high school.

  “I’m sorry. My name is Grace Baxter, and I start work here today.” This was a bad idea. She should’ve never come. “I ran into trouble. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  “See that it doesn’t.” The bright light made it hard for her to make out the man. His voice, however, was very clear. The guy wasn’t happy with her first-day performance, and he didn’t even know the worst yet—she’d brought a baby to work. She was as good as fired if he reported her to the bosses.

  The man continued to address the group, explaining company policy and rules and expectations. Grace only heard half of it. His voice was driving her crazy as she tried to remember where she’d heard it before. She inched her way around the outside edge of the group, trying to move closer to get a good look at him.

  He was tall, had brown wavy hair, and an athletic build. The man was dressed in a long-sleeved dress shirt and dark dress pants. He turned toward her, and instant recognition slammed into Grace.

  Vomit Man. Grace sucked in a deep breath. Her odds of not getting fired had just dropped to none. Just when she thought the morning couldn’t get any worse, it had. She started to edge her way to the back of the room, determined to save face.

  A horn blasted from somewhere on the side of the room, startling Grace and Holly. The baby cried out; her eyes wide open with fear as she looked around.

  “Stop!” Vomit Man hollered; his booming voice unmistakable now.

  Grace froze. The crowd parted as he made his way through the crowd. She knew the minute he recognized her. The deep lines on his forehead were a quick tell it wasn’t going to be a happy reunion.
>
  “You! What are you doing here? Did you come back for round two or something?” His sarcastic comment was uncalled for and put Grace more on the defensive than was merited given the circumstances.

  “No. I’m here to do my job.” She could feel a warm flush on her cheeks and throat as blood rushed to the areas, her usual confidence shaken.

  “Your job? You must be in the wrong place.” He flicked a glance down at Holly, dismissing her comment completely.

  “Or not. Jordan Tate hired me,” she said, holding her chin high, unwilling to be browbeaten for a situation out of her control.

  “What did you say your name is?” His gaze drilled her with its intensity, the lines on his forehead deepening if it were possible.

  “Grace Baxter. Mr. Walker’s new assistant.” She spoke up, unwilling to back down under his inspection. She was very good at her job. Hopefully, she’d get a chance to prove it. And the baby was only a minor temporary setback. Being cowardly wouldn’t get her that chance, and she had nothing to lose.

  “My assistant?” He glanced down at the clipboard he held and shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

  My assistant. The words took a second to register. Vomit Man was her new boss. Oh, yeah, the day had just become the worst day of her life.

  “There must be a mistake. We don’t allow children at work. We have no daycare facility. Jordan may have hired you, but I’m not sure this is a good match. I need to finish up this meeting, and then you and I need to talk. Please, wait in my office. When you leave here, go back down the hall, and it’s the first office on your right.” He wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter, whether he used the word please or not. The man was used to people obeying his orders.

  “Yes, Mr. Walker. I’m sorry if you think there’s been a misunderstanding. Hopefully, we can work this out,” she aimed for civility, keeping tight control over every word she uttered.