As I climbed out of the car, a young woman came out of the camper. I was guessing that was Nancy’s friend Kimberly. I’d expected someone much older, to be honest about it. This girl couldn’t have been over eighteen. Far too young to be on her own with a young child and, from the looks of it, another one soon to make its way into the world.
The woman saw me coming and put herself between me and Nancy.
“It’s not her fault.”
Huh. She was protecting her. In my eyes, that said a lot about the woman’s integrity, and maybe more than a little about their past together. Nancy had needed all the protection she could get when her worthless father had been alive. But now things were different.
“I’m not Jefferson, you know. I’m not going to hurt the child.” I looked past her to Nancy. “But I am more than a little perturbed that she came here without at least telling me. I was worried when the bus didn’t drop her off at home.”
“Again, it’s not her fault. Well, she should have called you, but little Mason, my boy there, convinced her that I needed help.” She turned to Nancy and smiled. “Nothing could have stopped her from coming to me if she thought I needed help.”
“Did you?”
She hesitated. “Maybe a little. I’m running low on food, and my food stamps don’t renew for another week. I’m not so worried about me, but...”
I followed her eyes to the young boy. She really didn’t need to finish that sentence.
“I’m guessing the boy’s father isn’t around to help you out?”
She gave a short laugh. “That would be a really good guess.” She motioned back toward the camper behind her. “His idea of help was dumping us off here. But at least I don’t have to pay rent. Good thing too. I’m having a hard enough time just keeping the lights on. People don’t want to hire someone who’s water might break at any minute. Plus, my next-door babysitter went and got a better life, thank God.”
I nodded. “You have a point there.” I gave Nancy a pointed stare. “You know you could have come home and told us what was going on. Then we could have made a trip to the store before rushing over here.”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Mason didn’t exactly know what was wrong.” Then her little chin came up a bit. “But I did help. A little, anyway. There was some food in the pantry in our trailer. And I wanted to drop off the key so she could... well, use the trailer whenever she needed to.”
Kimberly reached over and gave the girl a quick squeeze. “Yup, I think we can make it now.”
There was more to the whole needing help thing. Something else was bothering her. Something I could tell she didn’t want to discuss around the kids. I respected her even more by the minute.
I looked up at Kimberly. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to offer me a glass of water? I’m pretty parched.”
She looked relieved, giving me a sad smile. “Sure, follow me.” Then she looked down at the little boy. “Hey, Mason, have you shown Nancy your little garden yet?”
Once the kids had headed back behind the camper, she led me inside. I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was tiny and there wasn’t much in the way of furniture, but it was clean. The young mother was doing the best she could. That said a lot about a person.
“Did you really want that water?”
“Not really, but I guessed that there was something you needed that you didn’t want to talk about with the kids present.”
Tears came to her eyes, and she sank onto one of the cushions of the small love seat. “Oh, Opal, I don’t know what to do. I’m going to go into labor any time now, and not a single soul has stepped forward to say they’ll watch Mason.” She wiped her eyes. “I know it was wrong of me to count on someone so very young, but I was really hoping Nancy would be here to help me. Now... well, I’m just not sure I can do this on my own.”
I might not need that glass of water, but at this point, she did. I made my way into the small kitchenette and poured a glass, then took it to her. “Drink and breath. We don’t want junior coming out any sooner than absolutely necessary, now do we?”
She shook her head and drank a few sips. It seemed to calm her down a little, even if the tears didn’t exactly stop altogether.
“As for going it alone, you won’t be.” I glanced around but didn’t see a phone. “Do you have a cell phone?”
“Not anymore. Between a phone and paying school fees... well, who really needs a phone, anyway? Who do I have to call?”
For starters, maybe an ambulance when that water finally broke, but I didn’t really want to point that part out. I was sure that by now she’d already thought of that. No sense rubbing it in.
“How long would it take for you to pack a bag for you and Mason? Enough to last you a few days?”
Her chin came up. “I may need help, but I’m not asking for charity.”
I grunted. “And I ain’t offering it, either. But there’s a whole apartment at the farmhouse that isn’t being used right now, and it’s silly for you not to stay there. At least until after the baby comes and you get released from doctor’s care. It won’t cost us a dime more to have you there, and if you feel inclined to help out, I could use some help at the shop. This time of year is always super busy there.”
She was still hesitating.
“Look. I know within reason that you were there for Nancy when I couldn’t be. I appreciate that more than I can tell you. So let me show you instead. Consider this Karma for doing right by her.”
Kimberly swallowed, then finally nodded. “I’ll pack up our food and some clothes.”
“Leave the food, unless it will spoil. We have plenty of food at the farmhouse. Just bring what you need... and maybe a few of the boy’s favorite toys too.”
She stood to start packing.
“Would it be okay with you if I went ahead and told the kids? I could tell that Nancy seemed pretty worried about you.” I gave her a wry smile. “She had to be to come here without letting me know.”
“I really am sorry about that.” She paused and returned my smile. “Or then again, maybe I’m not. You’ve given me hope, Opal Ravenswind. I wasn’t too sure about you, you know. The town is pretty much divided as to whether your family comes down on the side of good or evil. I’d say you’ve put that question to rest in my mind, at least.”
There wasn’t much to say to that, so I walked out. And almost ran smack into Nancy who didn’t move quite fast enough away from her listening spot at the front door. She threw her little arms around me, crying.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
I looked over to Mason who was totally distracted watching something crawl along the ground. Most likely a woolly worm this time of year. Kids loved them. And yes, I was trying to distract myself too.
I was far too close to tears myself.
Chapter 3
IT’S TRUE THAT THE Goddess works in mysterious ways.
I’d thought that she had led us to Kimberly because she needed our help. Over the next few days, I had to rethink that. She wasn’t the only one that had needed help.
I had too. I just hadn’t known it. I’ll admit that I’m a little hardcore when it comes to asking for help. That didn’t stop Kimberly, though. I didn’t have to ask with her. She just did.
Personally, I was kind of hoping Amie and Ruby were taking notes from her.
For starters, when I went to order the pastries for our All Hallows’ Eve Haunted Trail and Bonfire, the Flour Pot told me they couldn’t take my order. They were booked solid. That’s what you get when you plan something at the last minute around a major holiday. Live and learn.
If it had been up to me, it would have been store-bought cookies and bottled water. But no, Kimberly took control over the refreshments table. Of a day, she helped in the shop, and then of a night instead of putting her feet up as most pregnant women as far along as she was would do, she baked. And baked. And baked.
In the space of two days, there were dozens of cupcakes and cookies. Enough to feed
almost the entire town of Wind’s Crossing. I was really hoping we didn’t have tons of leftovers. I’d gain twenty pounds if we did.
But Kimberly said I was underestimating the turnout we’d get. I hoped she was right. In the very beginning, we’d decided to charge for the trail and bonfire. After all, things like this cost money to put on and candy isn’t all that cheap. Each kid in attendance would come out with a bucket of candy—literally. And we even provided the buckets.
The adults would have some quality time with their kids and now, thanks to Kimberly, load up on goodies themselves around the bonfire. It was shaping up to be a fun time for all.
And I really had to hand it to Sapphire for her idea about how to handle the candy supply. I mean, how do you buy ahead if you have no idea how many kids are going to show up? Her solution was simple and nothing less than brilliant. Each child’s admission was the price of one ticket. Each adult’s admission (over the age of twelve) was a bag of candy to replenish the stock.
Like I said. Brilliant.
Surprisingly, I found myself looking forward to it. At the very least, it was a distraction for what we had planned afterward. The public event started at six in the evening and ended at nine. Our reasoning was that it was a school night, and the kids needed to be home and in bed by nine-thirty at the latest. We didn’t want teachers with grumpy kids hating us the next morning.
What we hadn’t told Kimberly was that we’d had a family meeting and the money we collected would be going to her. I was hoping that we collected enough to get her some nicer used furniture and stock Nancy’s old trailer with food to last for a few months. Once she was able to leave the farmhouse, of course. We weren’t going to push her out the minute she had her baby, but it also wasn’t a permanent solution.
Her working at the shop, however, might be.
That had held yet another pleasant surprise for me. The customers loved her. And with her running the front part of the shop with the antiques and more normal of our items, it freed up Ruby and me to work in the magic lab we had set up in the back.
Both of us were licensed level five witches in spellcraft and potions. That meant we could legally sell our work. And for a good price too. We just hadn’t really had the time to devote to stocking up our witchy wares. Now we did. If things continued as they’d started, employing Kimberly would be a very profitable situation. She was more than earning her salary. In fact, if things kept going, there would be a nice little raise involved. Or maybe a profit share kind of thing. We’d work it out somehow.
“Hey, Mom, can I ask you a favor?”
We were currently working on a rather tricky potion. It had me more than a little distracted. Which was when Ruby tended to ask me things that I might not say yes to at a more normal time. The girl was no dummy.
“You can ask.”
She paused. “I was kind of thinking of using the bonfire as a way to really remember Grand, you know? I remember she used to dress us all up as television-style witches to give out the candy. Amie and I still have our costumes, and we’re going to wear them tonight. But I was thinking if I wore Grand’s broach, it would be kind of like a part of her was there, you know?”
Ah, so that was what this was about. Yet another guess as to why I was holding the seance. I didn’t even bother to hide my smile.
“If you want to wear Grand’s broach, you’re going to need a shovel.”
Ruby blanched. “She was buried with it?”
I nodded. “Seemed fitting. She always wore it in life. Didn’t really feel right making her go through death without it.”
She swallowed. “I guess you’re right.”
I could see the wheels spinning and waited. But nothing followed.
We finished up the potion and got it all bottled up. Then the rush started, and we were kept more than busy handling the back end of the shop until close. Seemed like I wasn’t the only one that waited until the last minute sometimes. Witches from near and far came through our back door in droves seeking the harder to find ingredients for their spellwork. Tonight would be a busy night for all, it seemed.
At four-fifteen, we had to literally close the door in a few faces and lock up. Normally, I’d stay until the last customer was served. Not tonight. I’d miss the bonfire if I did. And I wasn’t about to do that. Money was one thing. Family and friends were another.
We had one stop to make on our way home. The market for drinks. I’d arranged for the owner to chill several cases of sodas and water for us. The hope was that we could set them up once we got home and that the cool night air would help keep them cold enough. We just didn’t have the refrigerator space at home.
As we passed the refrigerated section, I noticed the store had already brought in their eggnog. Non-alcoholic, of course. Shouldn’t even be called eggnog in my opinion. I’d tried it once, even added my own rum to it. Left me sorely disappointed.
To say that hustle was involved in the next hour and a half would be the understatement of the year. We all worked our hind ends off with last-minute preparations.
Luckily, Amie had most of the hard stuff already done when we got home. And Opie and Sheriff Taylor arrived just after us and pitched in too. Good thing, as people started showing up early.
We looked at each other and shrugged, then let them in. The haunted trail and bonfire was officially open for business.
Which, of course, was when Kimberly’s water broke.
Chapter 4
IT TOOK SOME DOING, but we finally convinced Nancy to stay behind. The crowning point in our argument was that a hospital room was no place for a five-year-old. And if Nancy went, Mason would demand to go too. Truth was that a hospital room wasn’t any place for an eleven-year-old, either, but at least that wasn’t an argument we had to have.
We got lucky in that Sheriff Taylor had brought his squad car to the party in hopes of stopping any mischief before it happened. It had been a good thought, but we’d have to take a chance on the mischief. We needed that siren. Plus, a squad car running lights can go a heck of a lot faster than regular cars. And with zero risk of being pulled over. Win-win, that.
He made it to the hospital in Oak Hill in record time. I was kind of figuring he took some risks he wouldn’t normally have taken for the pure and simple reason that he didn’t want to have to personally deliver the baby. Not that I blamed him. I’d have probably gone even faster.
A midwife I ain’t.
At the risk of sounding extremely self-centered, I had been planning on seeing her signed in and wheeled away, and then heading back to the farmhouse. After all, I’d only known the girl for a matter of days and a delivery room is a very private affair.
She, however, had other wishes.
“Will you stay with me?”
One look in her terrified eyes and I couldn’t very well say no, now could I? “I’m not family. They might not let me.”
The nurse overheard me. “If she wants you in there, you can be in there. It’s as simple as that.”
I looked over at the sheriff. “Looks like I’m staying then. You going on back?”
He shook his head. “I’ll hang around for a bit. Opie sent me a text saying that they recruited Tommy Hill and Mabel Morgan to help out with the haunted trail, so they should be covered there.”
I blew out a breath. That part had been worrying me. Then I turned to Kimberly. “Okay then, you’ve got yourself a coach. Let’s do this thing.”
She gave me a scared smile. “Do I have a choice?”
“Well, she got in there somehow, and she’s gotta get out somehow, so I guess the answer to that is nope. No choice.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.” Then her voice lowered. “Thank you for staying. I’m really scared to do this alone. Last time, I had Mom with me, and it helped.”
That stumped me. If her mom was still around then why had she been living like she had? “You want me to call her for you?”
She shook her head as the nurse started wheeling her down
the hall. “She kind of wrote me off when she found out who the father of this one was. Like it was my fault, and I seduced him or something.”
I’d kind of been wondering about that. I’d had Amie do a little research and digging trying to figure out who the father was. I’m of the belief that they have a right to know they’ve brought life into the world. And a responsibility to do right by it too. She hadn’t found anything out for certain, but the chances were really good that Kimberly’s stepfather had taken liberties he shouldn’t have.
It looked like that was more of a certainty now. The man would have a Karma spell to look forward to in the next few days. Heck, maybe the mother too. What kind of mother would disown her own daughter in that situation? The husband should have been the one to go. With a boot up his heiny too.
Kimberly seemed to be waiting for me to say something. “Well, I might not be blood relation, but I’m a friend. I’ll stay right there with you for as long as they let me, I promise.”
As it happened, things had changed greatly since Sapphire and I had given birth to Amie and Ruby. Back then, it was an ultra-private affair and sometimes they didn’t even allow the father in to see the birth. Now, apparently, that was no longer the case. I had been expecting her to be wheeled to a regular hospital room until time for the actual delivery. That didn’t happen.
The room we ended up in was a suite. A nice one. Hospital room and delivery room all rolled into one. She wouldn’t be moved into a regular room until the baby was here, and they were both doing well.
Too late to back out now. I was in this thing. I’d never been on the side of a delivery bed before. But I kept telling myself this was a good thing. I could totally consider it practice for when Ruby finally decided to grant me a grandchild. That would be one delivery room they would have a very hard time keeping me out of.
The sheriff stayed until we were settled in, at least for the most part. When he saw them start to wheel in all the necessary equipment, he went pale and made to skedaddle. Not that I blamed him for that. Kind of wished I could skedaddle myself.
Witch Reborn Box Set: Books 1-3: Includes Gemstone Coven Holiday Shorts 1 & 2 Page 2