Midnight Hero - By Diana Duncan Page 0,8
New Year? Not a chance. Heaviness weighed on Bailey’s chest like a sodden blanket. How long did a broken heart take to mend? She suspected healing would take a very long time.
Letty Jacobson scurried into the store, bundled in a red parka with black fur trim. Eiffel Tower earrings and a zebra bag completed the colorful ensemble. Claiming she needed some stud muffins to keep her warm if the power went out, Bailey’s favorite senior citizen quickly selected a stack of romance novels. The O’Rourke family’s lifelong neighbor, Letty possessed an abundance of grandmotherly interest and a serious case of matchmaking fever.
When Bailey slotted Letty’s debit card, the lights flickered and the cash register didn’t respond. Neither did the debit authorization center, and Letty had to make out a check. The weather must have worsened enough to affect the power and slow the phone lines.
While Letty wrote, the lively octogenarian waxed lyrical about a new generation of O’Rourke scamps, and how she couldn’t wait to hold Bailey and Con’s future babies.
Keeping her face averted, Bailey bagged the books and battled for composure. Get a grip. You can cry at home. Once she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. By the time she turned and passed the purchase over the counter, her expression was under control.
Letty patted Bailey’s arm. “Honey, whatever has happened between you and your young man, talk it out. Don’t let the sun set on your troubles.”
The woman bustled out toward the bank, and Bailey slumped against the counter. How had Letty guessed the reason she was so upset? Sometimes, the older woman’s perception was downright scary. Much more of this and she’d be on the floor. She needed to go home, curl up in her favorite raspberry-plaid fleece blanket and sip a comforting cup of tea.
The lights flickered again, and the mall’s PA system crackled. “Attention River View Mall customers. Due to a computer malfunction, our registers are not working. The mall is closing. All outer doors and freight doors have been automatically locked for your safety. Please proceed to the three main exits on the ground floor, where a security guard will escort you out. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and hope you will shop with us again.”
Safety, right. The doors automatically locked down during emergencies to prevent widespread five-finger discounts. Theft by both customers and certain employees was a constant problem. But the computer glitch explained the cash register’s constipation.
Bailey checked her marcasite watch. Nearly one o’clock. They weren’t due to close for five hours. The several ice storms Riverside experienced each winter usually started farther east and moved in fast. Mild storms caused slippery inconveniences that melted overnight. Severe storms entombed everything in a thick layer of ice for days and brought trees and power lines crashing down. Widespread destruction. She shivered and wondered what kind of storm was headed their way.
She strode to the back of the store to begin the pre-closing routine. She unplugged the Christmas tree, using the arm of the navy chair beside it to rise. When Con wasn’t playing chess with Syrone, he’d often settle into the chair and read a magazine while Bailey closed up. At least he’d start out reading. Then she’d glance up and find him courting her with his eyes. Sending silent messages her heart didn’t have any trouble interpreting. He didn’t have to touch her. Her skin would heat, her cheeks flush, her body tingle. By the time they arrived home, she’d be longing for his kisses. Aching for his caresses.
She bit the inside of her cheek. Memories of Con were everywhere. Healing was impossible here. She would have to accept the other position offered by a store across town. Leave her beloved regular customers, familiar routine and mall-employee friends. Start over. Where reminders of the man she’d given up wouldn’t haunt her every waking moment.
The PA system crackled again. “Attention employees. The mall is now closed. Because of the electrical instability, security gates for individual stores may not operate. Follow emergency procedure code yellow. Your key cards will not open any doors, including freight doors. When you complete cleanup and cash tallies, proceed to the main mall exit B on the ground floor, where a uniformed security guard will escort you out.”
Emergency procedure code yellow? Bailey hurried to the storeroom to locate a handbook. It instructed her to tally her register and deposit the contents at the mall’s bank. Included was a notation that no funds would be disbursed until the