Comfort And Joy - Fern Michaels

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Eagle swung into high gear. Announcers on the local airwaves invited shoppers to soar with the Eagle and avail themselves of the hospitality that was being offered by the Eagle family to all the families the store had served in the last hundred years.

      Flyers and giveaways were handed out at all the mall entrances and parking lot to entice people into the store. There were flyers for the day care unit, flyers for the knitting and cooking classes. Flyers for sale after sale on just about every item in the store.

      When the doors opened at ten o’clock, Josh, attired in a power suit and tie, stood next to his father to welcome and greet old and new customers alike.

      Standing on the sidelines, Eva and Angie sighed with relief as shoppers flooded the main floor. They watched for a while, amazed and delighted that all their hard work was paying off with cash register activity. “I think we did okay, Mom. Now, if the merchandise keeps flowing in, and no one screws up, we just might make it through the holiday season and, if we’re lucky, pay the bills and maybe show a tiny profit. If we’re lucky,” she repeated.

      “Honey, we agreed, no negative thoughts. I have to get back to the second floor. We have a good crew to help with the kids. I’ll see you later.”

      Angie meandered over to the cosmetics counter. She was pleased to see the free Vera Wang samples going like hotcakes and being followed up by sales. She looked around and realized the salesgirl had been right. Too much variety and people can’t decide, so they walk away. Her advice had been to go with three manufacturers, and it now looked like she was right.

      Josh had taken the salesgirl’s advice to heart and instructed the few new buyers he’d hired to do the same thing. It looked like the strategy was working throughout the store.

      Angie was so pleased with the way things were going, she gave herself a mental pat on the back as she walked the floor, hoping to hear comments or criticisms she could relay to Josh. She moved over closer to the door to better observe Josh and his father. How tired they both looked. But it seemed to her like a happy kind of tiredness.

      Angie crossed her fingers that things would continue through the end of the year. Her eyes were everywhere as she continued to meander around, then made her way back to the front door, where she leaned up to whisper in Josh’s ear. “Your father needs to get off his feet. Tell him to go up to the day care so he can sit down in one of the rockers. I can take his place if you like.”

      “I like. How’s it going?”

      “I think it’s going very well. The big fishbowl for the nine o’clock drawing is almost filled. When school lets out, the kids will be here in droves in the hopes of winning the iPod. The safari department appears to be doing a brisk business. Cruise wear is beyond brisk. It’s happening, Josh. How much longer are you going to do this meet and greet?”

      “Not a minute longer. I want to check the stockroom. What’s on your schedule?”

      “I’m going to float around, check on Mom and your dad, that kind of thing. If Bess needs me in gift wrap, I’ll help out. It’s really working, Josh,” she whispered.

      “Because of you,” Josh whispered in return. “When you’re done, why don’t you meet me in the stockroom?”

      Angie wiggled her eyebrows. “That’s one of the nicest invitations I’ve ever gotten. I’ll be there. Wait for me.”

      Angie thought her heart would leap right out of her chest when she heard him say, “Forever if I have to.”

      Angie flew to the second floor. She skidded to a stop at the small desk to take in the scene in front of her. Angus and Eva rocking chubby babies, who were gurgling and cooing as Eva sang a lullaby. Angus looked so contented and peaceful, she felt a lump rise in her throat. Toddlers crawled through a maze of colored plastic tunnels, giggling and laughing. Infants in swings, their eyes following the mobiles overhead. Juice and cookies were being laid out on the play tables, after which it would be nap time. When she left the area her only thought was that the day care was going to net a profit. She couldn’t wait to share her thoughts with Josh.

      To the right and around the corner of the day care unit, a senior citizen was teaching six young mothers how to knit, her students paying rapt attention. The cooking class was all done via video and a large corkboard. The lesson today was how to bake a turkey for Thanksgiving. All was well there, too.

      Now she could head for the stockroom. There was a bounce to her step that showed her excitement.

      Angie opened a door that said NO ADMITTANCE and, underneath, EMPLOYEES ONLY. From far back in the room she could hear voices. Josh and a strange male voice. She didn’t know why, but she tiptoed in the direction the voices were coming from. She peeked around a stack of sweater boxes. Bob McAllister, the general manager of Saks. What’s he doing here in the stockroom? she wondered. As much as she wanted to spy and hear what was going on, she couldn’t do it. “Josh!”

      “Over here, Angie. Meet Bob McAllister.”

      Angie held out her hand. “Hello. We’ve met before. What’s up?”

      Josh laughed. “I just convinced Bob to take my job at Harrods. For obvious reasons, he doesn’t want anyone to know until he can give his notice. That’s why we had this meeting here in the stockroom.”

      Angie’s head bobbed up and down. Josh wasn’t leaving. He was staying. Oh, thank you, God!

      “You guys did a hell of a job,” Bob told her. “When Josh first told me his plan, I told him he could never pull it off. I’m happy to see I was wrong. If it means anything, you have the bulk of customers in the mall. Good prices, too. Great idea with only three choices per item. I’ve been trying to sell that idea to my people, but they won’t buy into it. See you around, guys. Let’s have a drink before I leave, Josh.”

      “You got it.”

      And then they were alone. Josh reached for Angie and she stepped into his arms. “I love you, Angie Bradford. We’re a team. This store is in my blood the way it was in Dad’s blood. When I saw him writing out all those checks I knew he was investing in me, Josh Eagle, his son, not Eagle’s Department Store. He finally moved beyond the store. These last few weeks he’s turned into a real father.”

      “You should sneak up to the day care to see him rocking the babies. He looks so peaceful, so happy. Mom, too. I suspect they’ll both make wonderful grandparents. We did good, Josh.”

      “We had a lot of help along the way. Eagle’s is never going to be a Saks or a Neiman Marcus, and that’s okay. We never aspired to be anything other than what we are—a family store where families come to buy merchandise because they trust us. Those families who shop at Eagle’s grew up with us. We got off the track there for a little while, but we’re back in business now. But, I can’t do it without you, Angie. I’m not too proud to admit it, either. I want to marry you,” he blurted.

      Whoa. For the first time in her life, Angie was speechless. Because she couldn’t make her tongue work, she simply nodded, her eyes glistening with happiness.

      “If I kiss you, it’s all over. You know that, right?”

      Angie found her tongue. “Right.”

      “So…Want to help me open these boxes?”

      “Sure.”

      The young couple worked in happy sync as salesperson after salesperson bounded into the store room to ask for more merchandise.

      And before they knew it, the first announcement came over the loudspeaker that the drawing was about to be held for the winner of the iPod. They both ran out to the main floor just as Angus reached into the fishbowl to draw the winning number. “Annette Profit!” he said, holding up the winning entry. Annette Profit of Chez J’s La Perfect Salon stepped up smartly and accepted the iPod. Angus hugged her and thanked her for shopping at Eagle’s.

      Five minutes later, when the last of the crowd disappeared, Josh locked the doors. The Eagles and the Bradfords walked

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