Jillian Hart - Precious Blessings

G o on, do it. The barely audible whisper skimmed over the tall aisle of displayed greeting cards on the other side of the store.

Ordinarily, there was too much noise in the Corner Christian Book Store to hear a low, private conversation. But with the heavy February snowfall tumbling just outside the Spring Is Coming front window display and the fact that most of the customers had hurried through their shopping and left for home when the snow began falling in earnest, the whispering was almost too loud in the quiet, nearly empty store.

Katherine McKaslin didnt stop her work straightening and restocking the greeting-card display, but she did look around. The last time shed heard those words whispered in the store, someone had been shoplifting.

Two teenage girls stage right, between the crystals case and the humorous greeting cards. They giggled softly, their heads bobbing together to tell secrets. All Katherine could see of them over the chin-high displays were the tops of their heads. One had a tuft-like hairdo of orange spikes, and her friend had blond hair streaked with blueberry strands.

Ah, teenage rebellion. It was a stage shed missed entirely, which was probably why she was thirty-two and still single. Shed always been stuck in the same rut. There was comfort in the familiar.

Whenever she got an impulse to color her hairnot orange or blueand maybe add a few highlights to her plain blond locks or wear shoes with more than a sensible one-inch heel, it was short-lived. What would her family think? How would she explain it?

Theyd probably say, thats not like you, Katherine, whats gotten into you? And so here she was, thirty-two and working in her parents store, wearing sensible low-heeled shoes and a black blazer, blouse and skirt that suited a conservative businesswoman. Ever since shed been a teenager, shed been afraid of making mistakes.

Ill be back, Spence, her brother, called as he shrugged into his nicest coat. Send prayers and positive thoughts.

Already done.

With a chime of the overhead bell, the door swished shut behind Spence and she was alone on the floor. She swung her gaze back to her work, pressing down serious worries over the stores worsening financial situation. Her stomach tightened with dread, but before she could send a prayer on Spences behalf, a blur of movement caught her eye.

There, in the corner security mirror, she had a perfect view of the blue-haired girl slipping something inside her oversized purple book bag.

Oh, no. You arent shoplifting, right? Katherine waited, pulse thumping, hoping against hope the teen was reaching for her cell phone. Or maybe the girl was checking where shed left her keys. Customers did that all the time.

But even as she searched for other possibilities, Katherine knew gut-level that it was serious. One look in the mirror showed the empty spaces in the crystals case right in front of the door. The door that should have been locked. Sure enough, the blue-haired teenager had just made a colossal mistake.

Go on, kid, put the figurines back. That would be the best outcome for everyone involved, she thought as she crossed the floor calmly to the counter. Give the girls the chance to do the right thing.

It had happened before in situations like this and it could happen again. She stared hard at the top of the girls heads and wasnt surprised when the blue-haired girl looked up. Katherine couldnt tell the girls exact expression beneath the layers of mascara, thick black eyeliner and shadow, but she thought she saw a flash of fear before a brittle hardness settled into a cold-eyed stare.

Okay, maybe not the nicest girl on the planet, but she didnt look like the worst, either. And that brief flash of genuine emotion was telling. The girl wasnt well practiced at stealing. Maybe she wasnt a hardened criminal just yet.

Put them back, please. Maybe the please had been a little too polite. That was another one of her problems. Return the figurines or Ill call the police.

Those hard eyes widened in horror. In a split second both girls dashed around the display case, and raced toward the door.

Big mistake. This was not what she wanted. Katherine took off after them, heart heavy, as the detectors went off. The girls flew out onto the sidewalk. Another few seconds and theyd be lost in the thickly falling snow.

Kelly slung open the break room door. Whats wrong?

Shoplifters. Call the cops.

Trusting her best employee to make the call, Katherine hurried out into the storm. The blast of the cold January snowstorm struck her like a brick wall. She swiped the wind-driven snow from her face. Which way had they gone?

North, into the storm and in the direction of the high school, judging by the fresh sets of boot prints. The veil of snow thickened, and they were gone from her sight. Right along with about two hundred and fifty dollars in merchandise she suspected.

Great. Katherine dropped to a walk, lost in the swirling snow. It wasnt the financial loss to the store that bothered her. Those girls were on a troubled path. The police were on their way, and it was out of her hands now. Too bad, because she knew how devastating the consequences of a single act could be.

Watch over them, Lord, she prayed. Those girls would need all the help they could get.

Theyre on their way, Kellys voice called through the storm. Katherine? Are you out here?

Yes, thanks, Kelly. Go back inside where its warm. Too bad her toasty and sensible goose down coat was hanging neatly in the break room closet. She could really use it about now. Her teeth chattered; she was already an icicle. There was no sense chasing after the girls in this cold, not when she had no chance of catching them, since she was probably the slowest runner in the world.

Best to head back inside and wait for the

A flash of blue shot through the thick veil of snowfall. The police? Were they already here? Talk about a quick response. Lights strobed dully, but the vehicle had stopped somewhere in the middle of the parking lot. Had they caught sight of the girls?