Baby, Oh Baby!

Rachel’s heart thumped hard against her ribs. Oh, where was that safe hotel bar when you really needed it? People on the sidewalk parted and she saw a slight figure in a black ski cap and dark clothes running straight toward them.

Jordan tugged on their arms, urging them out of the way, which was just fine with Rachel. But if he had a knife or a gun….

Then the thief was directly in front of them and Rachel saw Jordan’s foot slide out. As he went down, something fell from his hand and clattered on the walkway at their feet. Jordan bent and grabbed it. Half a second later the guy was up, shooting them a furious look. Rachel braced herself for his attack. But when a siren sounded, he took off around the corner.

“Jordan,” Ashley said, her voice breathless, “When you decide to find trouble, you don’t waste any time.”

“Everyone okay?” Rachel asked. She looked at one then the other of her friends.

“Yeah,” Ashley said. “Shouldn’t we do something? Call the police? Chase him?”

“He’s long gone.” Jordan was turning the tarnished brass she’d picked up from side to side. “The only thing we can do is return this. It looks like a lamp, straight out of Aladdin.”

Rachel shook her head. “That’s your adventurous streak talking. It looks like a glorified gravy boat to me. But obviously that woman wants it back.”

Together, they walked toward the waiting woman. She looked like a Gypsy, dressed all in black with a matching bandanna tied pirate style over her dark brown hair.

Jordan held out the recovered object. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” The woman turned the thing over, examining it. “If this had fallen into the hands of someone who abused it…” She shook her head and let out a breath. “I am very grateful.”

“It was nothing,” Ashley said. “Jordan’s big feet are always getting in the way.” She grinned when the owner of the big feet in question glared at her.

The Gypsy shook her head. “You shall be rewarded for your courage. Won’t you please come inside?”

“I don’t know about this, you guys,” Rachel said, glancing down at the fog swirling around their feet. It was then she noticed the strange green light glowing inside the shop.

“It’s all smoke and mirrors. You need to loosen up and be open to new experiences. Carpe diem. When an opportunity presents itself, seize it with both hands and go along for the ride.” Jordan linked her arms through theirs again and tugged them into the shop.

“My name is Faith,” the woman said. She turned, holding the dull, dirty brass thing as if it was spun gold. “Each of you must rub the lamp and make a wish.”

“I told you it was a lamp,” Jordan said.

“Isn’t the going rate for a good deed three wishes?” Ashley asked.

Jordan made a tsking noise. “No wonder it’s taken you so long to get through college. Do the math. One wish apiece is three wishes.”

“And one is all you need if it’s the right one,” the strange woman said.

“Okay. But as the story goes, a genie will appear. What do we do then? One guy? Three women? Do we arm wrestle for a date with him?” Ashley asked.

“No genie,” Faith said. “That’s very yesterday. But I promise if you wish for your heart’s desire, you will be rewarded.”

Ashley met Rachel’s gaze. “With your track record, it wouldn’t be smart to wish for a man. On the off chance your wish comes true.”

“No man,” Rachel agreed. Every time she’d let herself care, she lost something.

“I don’t want a man, either,” Jordan commented.

“Good.” Ashley nodded emphatically.

“Let’s do a group rub,” Jordan suggested, taking it from the woman. “We’ll wish for the most outrageous things we can think of.”

Together they took the lamp and rested it on their palms.

“Feel that?” Rachel asked uneasily. Warmth seemed to emanate from metal she’d expected to be cold. “It feels like it’s vibrating.”

“You’re just shaking.” Ashley looked at the lamp. “I’ll go first. I wish for money and power.” She glanced up and searched their gazes. “What?”

“That’s two wishes,” Rachel pointed out.

“Power is sort of a subset of money.”

As Rachel rubbed her index finger along the curved side of the brass, she thought of the pregnant teenager temporarily sharing her apartment. An emptiness opened up inside her producing an almost painful ache. “I wish I had a baby.” She smiled sheepishly at her friends’ shocked expressions. “You wouldn’t let me wish for a man.”

“That’s the best outrageous you can do?” Jordan heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I can top you both. I want to be a princess and live in a palace.”

“Oo-kay.” Rachel laughed. “That’s pretty outrageous since you have a better chance of kissing an above average-looking toad than meeting a handsome prince.”

But she found herself caught up in the moment and filled with a sense of anticipation. She watched and waited. But nothing happened. Although she hadn’t expected anything, she was oddly deflated when that’s what she got. So much for three wishes.

“Excellent,” Faith said, as she lifted the lamp from their palms.

Rachel rubbed her forehead. “How do you figure?” The Gypsy tilted her head. “Remember, magic works in mysterious ways. Happy birthday to you all.”

Stunned, they stared at her for several moments. “How did you know it was our birthday?” Rachel finally asked.

The odd woman smiled mysteriously.

Then a clock chimed midnight.

Chapter One

June 1, 2004—Sweet Spring, Texas

Through tired, aching eyes, Rachel Manning stared down at the grumpy month-old baby girl, then opened the tabs on the disposable diaper. After capturing the tiny, flailing ankles in one hand, she pulled down the diaper and wrinkled her nose. “Paydirt. No pun intended, Emma. But you’re such a sweet, delicate flower, how can you be such a party pooper?”

Whoa. Rachel hadn’t thought about that phrase since the night of her birthday celebration in New Orleans when she’d made a wish. She looked down at the infant waving her tiny arms and shook her head. Couldn’t be. And even if she believed such a thing was possible, surely her fairy godmother or wish warranty customer service representative could read between the lines.

I want a baby meant finding a man, falling in love and getting married. A baby would follow after nine months of pregnancy. She wondered if there was a wish complaint department because she had a bone to pick with someone. Several important steps had been skipped.

She shook her head. She was giving way too much credence to that surreal scene. Could a person hallucinate from sleep deprivation? “No way do I believe in magic lamps. I still say it looked like a solid brass gravy boat.”

The baby’s mewling sounds cranked up and blended into one, single full-blown wail followed by more unhappy squeaking. “It’s okay, Em. Don’t you worry your pretty head. Didn’t I say I’d take care of you? After a certain amount of arm twisting and guilt-tripping,” she mumbled.

Rachel had met Holly Johnson at Sweet Spring Hospital where she worked. The pregnant teen went to the obstetrical clinic for her prenatal care. At eighteen, she was released from the state foster care program and Rachel had taken her in. This baby belonged to Holly and her boyfriend Dan Fletcher. Very reluctantly, Rachel had agreed to care for the child, giving the teenagers a chance to find out if the two of them could make a go of it or not. They needed time to make a very adult decision about whether or not to give up this baby.

And Rachel took full responsibility for putting the idea of taking some time away into their heads. But who knew they’d tweak it like this? She’d only agreed to care for the baby after the kids told her Dan’s older brother and guardian supported the idea.