“I don’t owe you extra?”
The cashier smiled and her eyes twinkled. “Nope. Looks like we still owe you, ma’am. Whoever gave you that gift card wanted you to have a Merry Christmas, huh?”
Presley Ann glanced behind her, hoping she wasn’t holding anyone else up with her stupid questions. “Seriously? There’s still money on this card? You’re sure.”
The cashier nodded and pointed at the amount. “Four hundred and eighteen dollars and thirteen cents, to be precise.”
Presley Ann glanced at her watch and did a mental fist pump. “Thank you so much.”
“Merry Christmas, ma’am,” the cashier said as she tidied her station and smiled as the next customer walked up.
Whit was already at his sitter’s and Presley Ann had two more hours before she was due at Stigall’s. After putting away her purchases in her trunk, she hurried back into the store, still in shock. When she came out an hour later, she was wearing a new pair of work shoes and toting Christmas gifts for Jared and Kendry, rawhide bones for Thor and Loki, as well as a new outfit for Whit for Christmas morning. The rest of the money would stay on the card for emergency use.
When she arrived at Stigall’s, the first thing she did was go in the bookkeeping office and give Evelyn a heartfelt hug.
“Whatever was that for?” Evelyn said with a grin, smirking as she straightened her reading glasses.
“You know what that’s for.” She explained her trip to the store that day and Evelyn flushed with pleasure at hearing what a great surprise it was.
“Well, you didn’t want a baby shower, and Charlene and I love you and wanted to help.”
“It definitely helped,” Presley Ann replied as she showed Evelyn her new, very comfortable and well-fitting work shoes.
“Here you are,” Willie said in a snotty tone as she poked her head in the doorway. “Chris Potter is looking for his pants, and I think you’d better get out here.”
Evelyn stepped down off of her stool and came around the counter. “Wilhelmina, Presley Ann isn’t due to check in for another twenty minutes. What is it that you need?” It wasn’t often that Evelyn showed aggravation but her voice vibrated with it as she removed her reading glasses and lifted her eyebrows at Willie. It didn’t matter that Willie was nearly two feet taller and one hundred pounds heavier than the tiny woman. She was still a force to be reckoned with.
Willie waved a pair of dark gray slacks on a hanger with an alterations tag pinned to them. “Presley Ann messed up an order, and the customer is here to pick it up and needs them for tomorrow. And the store is packed with people, and I don’t have enough help—”
Evelyn raised a hand. “The store is very well-staffed, Willie. It’s time for your fifteen minute break, isn’t it? By all means, go have your soda and chips and update your Facebook status. I’ll go visit with Mr. Potter and find out for myself what happened with his order.” She took the pair of pants from her.
“I can tell you what happened. She screwed up,” Willie said, pointing at Presley Ann.
Presley Ann’s heart sank as she wracked her brain trying to think of what Willie was talking about. Then she remembered. “Oh, no.” She’d hung the pants, which Chris had purchased and needed hemmed, on a rack, intending to turn them in to the alterations department but had forgotten to follow through. The pants had evidently sat on the rack until that afternoon.
Willie pursed her lips and crossed her arms, a vindictive gleam in her eyes. “And he was pissed, too.”
“Having gotten to know Mr. Potter myself, I sincerely doubt that.” Evelyn turned to Presley Ann. “You should eat a quick lunch and let me deal with Mr. Potter.”
Presley Ann put her purse and lunch on Evelyn’s desk and shook her head as she took the hanger from Evelyn. “No, I messed up. I’ll go talk to him and then eat a few bites before I clock in.”
Willie lifted her hands in exasperation. “I don’t see what you can do, but this is your screw up to fix, not mine. He said he had to have them for tomorrow and you know it’s too late to turn them in to the alterations lady now.”
Evelyn let out an exasperated sigh as she stared at Willie, her hands on her hips, but she nodded at Presley Ann as she hurried out of the office.
Presley Ann found Chris at the customer service desk, where he was chatting amiably with one of the other sales associates. He smiled when he saw her and gave her a gentle one-armed hug. The man was seriously tall and muscular, but she’d met few men who were more gentle, and kids seemed to love him.
“Hey, Presley Ann. You enjoying your new place?”