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

by Elsie Davis

  “Not likely.” Vomit Man didn’t have the same problem.

  It felt as though her heart had dropped into her stomach. Every shred of hope vanished. She turned and walked out the way she’d come, glad to be away from the crowd and her new boss. At least he was for the next few minutes.

  Holly was usually a good baby. The tummy ache and rude awakening that caused her to fuss and cry out weren’t the norms, but Vomit Man wouldn’t care about any of that. Grace glanced at the exit door, tempted to just keep walking. What was the use of sticking around to hear him tell her she was fired? Talk about pouring salt on a wound.

  She glanced down at the baby and held her close. “We’ve come this far, might as well hear what he has to say. I’ve never turned tail and run from anything, and I don’t intend to start now, no matter how tempting. Plus, it will give me the chance to thank him for paying for breakfast. What do you say, Holly?” The baby gurgled, a smile puffing up her chubby cheeks.

  The decision was made, now all that was left was to wait for the guillotine to fall.

  * * *

  Ryan found it difficult to concentrate through the rest of the meeting after coming face-to-face with the woman from this morning. A walking disaster if there ever was one. He brought this part of the orientation to a conclusion.

  “Everyone take a fifteen-minute break and meet me back here for a tour of the plant. I’ll take questions after the tour.” The new group of employees started to disperse, the noise level in the room rising as people began getting to know one another.

  As for him, he had more important things to do than idol chat. He needed to get rid of the woman in his office. But there was one major problem with what he wanted to do and what needed to be done. With the grand opening of World Sport Inc. in a week, he’d never find anyone with her qualifications on such short notice based on Jordan’s glowing praise of the woman. Smart. Determined. Creative. Experienced.

  Of course, Jordan also mentioned she was attractive, not that it had any bearing on her qualifications for the job. But at no point had he mentioned a baby. There was no way his partner knew this woman intended to bring her daughter to work. Jordan may have gotten it right on all the other points, but it didn’t make Grace Baxter the right candidate.

  He walked in his office and drew up short, the scene in front of him like something out of a reality TV show. Grace sat on her knees playing with the baby, toys spread out on a blanket in the corner. Grace’s sweet laughter filled the room before she realized he was standing behind her. A woman in her position had nothing to laugh about, and yet the baby had no trouble making her do just that.

  Grace immediately schooled her expression into one of professionalism, coming to her feet in a hurry. Her hair had come free of the bun, and blonde tendrils curled loosely around her shoulders. Her outfit had seen better days, the wrinkles and stains marking her as a mother.

  But then he wasn’t exactly the epitome of professionalism himself, having lost his jacket and tie to the same now-laughing baby this morning. “Let’s cut the bull and get this over with, shall we?” He moved to sit behind his desk.

  “I understand, Mr. Walker. I do. But please, give me a chance to explain.” She approached, hands on her hips, facing off with him with a level of confidence he hadn’t expected for a woman in her situation.

  “I’m not sure there’s any explanation that could change this situation. This is a workplace, and although I’m sure there’s nothing in the employee manual that states you can’t bring a baby to work, I’m sure it’s implied. This is a large warehouse with machines and vehicles moving inventory, not a child’s play place. This is a new business, and the launch is very important to me. I need a dedicated team that can do the jobs they were hired for. And nowhere in your job description did it include childcare.”

  Ryan leaned back in his seat, running his hands through his hair in frustration. The only thing stopping him from firing her on the spot was the knowledge that replacing her might be difficult on short notice. The decision could prove more costly if he applied the risk-reward assessment he liked to use to substantiate his decisions. If he fired her, they would have zero ads ready for the launch, and the start-up would be doomed to failure. If he kept her, they might get some ads, which would be better than nothing at this point.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. But my sister was supposed to watch the baby. She’s nineteen, got a better offer, and ditched me. She’s who I was waiting for at the bakery this morning. Which, by the way, I’m very sorry about Holly, umm, you know, umm, throwing up on you.” Grace winced. “Holly drank her milk fast this morning. Maybe with all the excitement, it gave her an upset tummy. I think that’s why she was crying because she was fine after she, umm, threw up. She’s a good baby, I promise. Look,” Grace said, pointing at the little girl. “She can sit in the corner and play. It’s just for today.”

  Ryan was all too familiar with being ditched by a sister. Grace’s words reminded him of his own sister and her betrayal. It softened his heart just enough that he was relieved he hadn’t come in guns blazing and fired her on the spot as he would have preferred to do. And it is only for today. It would be foolish to lose an employee that came this highly qualified over a one-day situation. He wasn’t a total ogre. “So this isn’t something you plan to do every day?” he asked for clarification. Maybe there was a silver lining in this disaster.

  So far, he’d seen nothing but the scatterbrained mother skills, but he trusted his partner’s judgment. Not to mention, he needed Grace as his assistant. He might be good at business dealings, but he wasn’t good at designing marketing ad campaigns or setting up an online presence. A marketing genius was precisely what they needed to get this new sporting goods company off the ground, putting them in direct competition with the largest online retailer in the country. Other than a few small locations scattered across the country at various ski resorts, they’d have no brick-and-mortar presence.

  “Just for today—I think. I don’t make promises I can’t keep. My intentions weren’t to bring Holly to work now or in the future. I will do everything in my power to find a sitter, so this doesn’t happen again.”

  Ryan let out a deep breath. Grace looked up at him, her beautiful blue eyes imploring him to give her a chance. He gazed down at Holly, who smiled at him, the simple action melting his resistance just enough for him to decide.

  “Fine. One day. Your office is across the hall from mine. I left you a packet that explains your passcodes and usernames. You can use the day to get familiar with our programs. I’ll be around after I lead the other employees through the tour of the warehouse. If you have any questions, jot them down, and we can go over them later. And keep the baby out of the warehouse.” He was out of his mind, but it’s not like he had a choice. World Sport Inc. needed Grace Baxter. Letting her know how much, on the other hand, would be a mistake.

  “You won’t regret this, I promise,” Grace said, her smile revealing perfectly formed dimples.

  “I hope you’re right. But understand, this is a conditional continuation of your employment.”

  “Yes, sir.” Grace bent down to retrieve the toys and stuff them in the diaper bag.

  “Ryan.” He nodded. “If we’re going to be working together, we should be on a first-name basis.” It was a courtesy he extended all employees, not just pretty women and children.

  “Thank you, Ryan. Holly and I appreciate this,” Grace said, picking up the baby and heading for the door.

  His new assistant just bought herself twenty-four hours and Ryan could only hope he didn’t regret it. He glanced at his watch and stood. It was time for the warehouse tour and time for Grace to prove she could do her job with a baby in tow.

  “Let me know if you need anything.” He followed her out, hoping nothing would happen to make him regret his decision.

  Chapter Four

  Grace entered her new office and set Holly down. She laid the blanket and toys back on the carpeted floor and placed the ba
by right in the middle with hopes she’d play for a while and then sleep. Luckily, Karen kept emergency food in the diaper bag, so Grace was good for meals and milk for the rest of the day. The shredded donut she fed Holly this morning wasn’t exactly a nutritious start.

  She gazed around the room, picking up and moving anything that could prove problematic for a baby. “You be a good girl and play. You need to be on your best behavior, so the mean old boss won’t fire me.” Grace chuckled, knowing Holly didn’t understand a word of what she was saying. The baby reached for a toy and held it up for Grace’s inspection. Toys were much more important than words. The little girl smiled and banged it on the floor, and the toy came alive with music.

  Grabbing for the toy, she glanced at the door, hoping no one heard. She searched for the button to shut it off, sliding the black knob to the right. The office immediately returned to its golden silence. “Maybe you can play with it in quiet mode,” she encouraged Holly as she handed her back the toy.

  Satisfied, Grace sat down at her desk and powered up the computer. Using the information Ryan left her, she managed to log in with no issue. She clicked on the World Sport Inc. icon and several files popped up. One by one, Grace opened them, trying to do a general review. The two she was most concerned with were the Excel spreadsheet used for keeping up with the sales numbers, and of course, her specialty, the ad design software.

  Every few minutes, Grace glanced over at Holly, grateful the little girl was playing happily and quietly. She watched her for a few minutes, fascinated by the little things that held the baby’s interest. Something as simple as a star or a triangle of a different color could prompt a child to investigate. Grace smiled and forced her attention back to the spreadsheets.

  She reviewed the ads the partners had drafted for the grand opening next week. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t exactly creative. It did, however, give her an idea of what they were looking for. Grace clicked on the first ad and started to play with some of the tools available, trying out various ideas. The more she clicked and added, the more she thought about what she could do to enhance the ad and make it pop.

  Lost deep in thought, Grace was startled by a banging noise. She glanced up to discover Holly pounding on the wall with her blocks. Grace got up and brought the baby back to the blanket. “Play with your toys right here, honey.”

  Grace went back to her desk and tried to refocus. This time, however, she attempted to keep a better eye on Holly. The baby had decided the blanket wasn’t the end of her play-place world. She felt like a Jack-in-the-Box trying to keep up with the active crawler in exploration mode.

  Twenty minutes later, a crashing noise caught her attention, Grace jumping to her feet. The baby had crawled under a chair in the corner of the office, knocking the plastic holder filled with brochures onto the ground from the table next to it. Leaflets had gone every which way creating a sea of brochures. Holly lost no time and began using her hands and feet to scramble them like eggs. The baby seemed completely satisfied for the moment, and Grace opted to return to her seat. The brochures could be replaced, and the baby was having fun. Which also meant, Grace could keep working.

  She focused on the finishing touches for the first ad, pleased with the results. At least when Mr. Walker—Ryan, that is—returned, Grace would have something to show for her time. Proof she could manage both the baby, her job, and her life.

  Something that so far, was a side she hadn’t shown him. Images of the morning disaster danced through her head, causing her to cringe all over again. Maybe it would be better if she told Ryan the truth, that Holly wasn’t hers, and that the whole baby duty was temporary. It might alleviate his concerns about her ability to do the job going forward. But then there was a concern he might land on the other side of the spreadsheet.

  The side that wouldn’t appreciate her taking on a situation of this magnitude the day before she started a new job. He might consider that irresponsible, which would put her in a worse light. It was one thing for him to think Holly was hers and she had no choice, quite another to realize this was a mess she’d created by choice.

  It wasn’t a chance she could take. She needed this job, and all she had to do was get through today, and then Ryan wouldn’t be able to find fault with anything she did. Provided, of course, she found childcare.

  Holly started to fuss, her whimpering soft and somehow sweet. It was the sound of a baby that needed a little attention. Grace hit save on the ad she was working on and moved to pick up Holly from her island of brochures. Her outfit felt wet, a quick reminder Grace hadn’t changed the baby all morning. Rookie mistake.

  She grabbed the diaper bag and laid the baby down on the blanket to change her, grateful there were extra changes of clothes packed. Something else she needed to remember when she packed to go places—spare clothes. Two or three outfits preferably.

  “There you go, sweetheart. Don’t cry. You’re all dry now,” Grace said, picking her up and giving her a kiss on the forehead. Holly continued to fuss, and Grace glanced nervously at the door, hoping Ryan wouldn’t make an appearance. She looked up at the clock on the wall, disappointed to realize it was only eleven o’clock. Talk about a slow day.

  Grace wondered if the baby needed to eat again. Karen hadn’t given her a feeding schedule before she’d rushed off to be with the band. Totally irresponsible, reminding Grace all too much of her sister. She couldn’t imagine Faith taking care of a baby at this stage of her life, and yet that’s exactly what she’d asked her sister to do. Except she was Faith to babysit, not become a full-time mom. Her cousin hadn’t been ready to be a mom, either, but she’d been blessed with a baby. It was a shame Karen didn’t focus on the joy of having Holly in her life.

  Grace hugged the baby close, hoping to settle her down. When that didn’t work, she laid her on the blanket and then began searching the diaper bag for a bottle and the can of powdered milk. After reading the back of the cannister to refresh her memory from this morning, she carefully measured out the powder. Grace picked up Holly, putting her on one hip, while she grabbed up the bottle, and went in search of water.

  The fountain she’d spotted earlier in the hallway would do the trick. Luckily, it seemed Holly was passed the warm-milk stage. It might have been next to impossible to accommodate that on such short notice. The baby instantly stopped crying when she spotted Grace filling the bottle, her chubby little hands reaching for it before it was full.

  Grace laughed and handed her the bottle. “Just don’t drink it as fast as you did this morning, or we’re both in trouble again. We can’t afford a repeat.” Back in her office, Grace scrunched the soft, fuzzy blanket on one side into a pillow. She laid Holly back against it, the baby content to hold her own bottle as she drank.

  Did one-year-olds need to be burped? Grace hadn’t burped her this morning, and maybe, that’s what sent everything into a tailspin.

  Grace returned to her desk, keeping a closer watch on Holly’s progress, waiting to see if she slowed down or got to the halfway point. It wasn’t long before the baby started pulling the bottle out of her mouth, and then sticking it back in, only suckling a few times before she repeated the pattern. Was that the sign?

  After closing the screen on her computer, Grace went and sat next to Holly on the blanket. She picked up the baby, held her to her chest, and patted her back gently. Almost instantly, Holly let out a long burp. “Goodness, gracious.” Grace smiled. She continued to pat Holly’s back a few more times, but when nothing happened, she laid her down and gave her the bottle. “Does that feel better, honey?”

  The baby made babbling noises right before she stuck the bottle in her mouth. Comfortable Holly would remain occupied for a few minutes, Grace returned to her desk and pulled up the ad she’d been working on.

  Glancing up every now and then to make sure Holly was okay, she noticed the baby’s eyes drooping. It wasn’t long before Holly was fast asleep. The bottle had rolled out of her mouth and lay off to the side. There was no way Gr
ace was waking the baby to burp her. This was her first moment of downtime, and she intended to get a lot accomplished.

  The door opened, Ryan filling the doorway as he stepped inside. “I’m just checking—”

  Grace quickly put a finger to her lips to indicate for him to keep his voice down as she pointed at the baby.

  “Gotcha,” he said in a lower voice, mindful of her warning. “I just wanted to see how you are making out.”

  “Everything’s fine. I’ve almost finished redesigning the first ad. I think you’ll really like it.” She smiled at Ryan, hoping to ease the tension between them from earlier this morning. As far as first impressions went, hers had been dismally lacking.

  “Let’s hope your ad designs are more creative than the baby’s” His gaze slid to the brochures on the floor.

  Grace wasn’t sure if he was amused or angry, his stoic expression unreadable. “I’m sorry. Holly was having so much fun, I let her play so I could keep working. I can pay for the brochures if you need me to.”

  “That won’t be necessary. It’s just unexpected, much the same way as having a baby in the office in the first place. I’ll be across the hall if you need anything.”

  “Thank you. And thank you for not firing me on the spot. You won’t regret it,” she said as he turned to leave.

  “Let’s hope not.” Ryan left, closing the door firmly behind him. It was comforting to know the baby was sleeping while Ryan was in his office. There would be little chance of her disturbing him.

  Grace hit send on the first ad, emailing it to Ryan for approval. She was anxious to work on the second ad but opted instead to get familiar with the daily sales register reports that would be sent over from the accounting office. Once World Sport Inc. opened their doors for business, she’d be responsible for compiling all the weekly, monthly, and annual sales reports—that is, if she lasted that long.