try to bake a pot and a batch of cookies in the same oven!”
Halona laughed, her dark eyes twinkling, and hugged Bailey. “It’s so good to have you here. You make me laugh in a tough year when laughter is hard to find.” She gave Bailey one more squeeze and went to the front of the store.
“I was thinking,” Bailey said to Beth. “Maybe we should compare the pictures Kate sent us with the actual pot. We might spot something we missed before.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s log back on.”
Bailey opened the laptop and pulled up Kate’s e-mail. Soon the pictures appeared on the screen.
“Let’s take it to the shelf where the pot is.” Elizabeth picked up the computer.
“Okay. I’ll turn out the light.” Bailey flipped the switch by the door.
The two slipped into the hallway where the shelf containing the pot stood. Beth held the computer beside the pot. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I think the lighting is terrible in this hallway,” Bailey said. “And the light from the computer is making the colors on the actual pot look weird.”
“Go turn the light back on in the studio and leave the door open to see if that helps,” Elizabeth suggested.
Bailey flipped on the light, pushing the door open as far as possible. “Is that any better?”
“A little,” Beth answered. “I wish the shelf was on the other wall. The light shines more on that side.” Elizabeth was distracted by the noisy cries of the baby in the store and the sound of its mother trying to comfort him. “Sounds like it’s someone’s naptime,” she told Bailey.
Bailey nodded absently. “I think we should hold the pot in the light,” Bailey said. “It’ll only be for a minute.”
“Bailey!” Elizabeth warned. “Don’t you dare even think about picking up that pot.”
“Come on, Beth.” Bailey faced her friend, hands on her hips. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”
“I am not a worrywart,” Beth said. “I just know right from wrong, and we were told not to touch it.”
Bailey reached out and touched the pot with one finger. “See? Nothing happened. You’re blowing this thing way out of proportion.”
Elizabeth’s face was getting red. “Here. You hold the computer. It’ll keep your hands busy.”
“You’re doing a fine job with it.” Bailey wouldn’t take the laptop from Beth but moved toward the shelf. “I’m just going to take the pot in the light for a second.” She put her hand out to grab the pot.
“Bailey! No!” Elizabeth whisper-yelled while moving in Bailey’s direction to stop her. Instead, she bumped the computer. Bailey’s hand slipped and knocked into the pot, sending it crashing to the floor.
The girls looked at each other, eyes wide with fear.
“Now look what you made me do!” Bailey frantically picked up pieces of pottery from the floor, thankful it had broken into five neat parts rather than shattering into a million pieces.
“Me!” Fury filled Elizabeth’s eyes. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just done what you were supposed to!”
“We can glue it back together and no one will ever know,” Bailey said desperately.
The bell on the door rang again. More customers.
“Bailey? Elizabeth? Could you come give me a hand?” Halona called.
“S–sure, Halona,” Bailey replied. “W–we’ll be right there.” She looked around wildly, wondering what to do with the broken pottery pieces she held. “Come on!” Bailey hurried back into the studio and stuffed the fragments into a lower cabinet against the wall.
Elizabeth set the laptop on the table and closed it. Taking a deep breath, she followed Bailey to the front of the store.
“Here, will you wrap these like you did earlier?” Halona handed a shallow bowl to Bailey and a narrow vase to Elizabeth. “Are you girls okay? You look a little pale.”
Bailey giggled nervously and tried to smile. “Sure. We’re fine, aren’t we, Beth?”
Elizabeth lowered her head,
Halona laughed, her dark eyes twinkling, and hugged Bailey. “It’s so good to have you here. You make me laugh in a tough year when laughter is hard to find.” She gave Bailey one more squeeze and went to the front of the store.
“I was thinking,” Bailey said to Beth. “Maybe we should compare the pictures Kate sent us with the actual pot. We might spot something we missed before.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s log back on.”
Bailey opened the laptop and pulled up Kate’s e-mail. Soon the pictures appeared on the screen.
“Let’s take it to the shelf where the pot is.” Elizabeth picked up the computer.
“Okay. I’ll turn out the light.” Bailey flipped the switch by the door.
The two slipped into the hallway where the shelf containing the pot stood. Beth held the computer beside the pot. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I think the lighting is terrible in this hallway,” Bailey said. “And the light from the computer is making the colors on the actual pot look weird.”
“Go turn the light back on in the studio and leave the door open to see if that helps,” Elizabeth suggested.
Bailey flipped on the light, pushing the door open as far as possible. “Is that any better?”
“A little,” Beth answered. “I wish the shelf was on the other wall. The light shines more on that side.” Elizabeth was distracted by the noisy cries of the baby in the store and the sound of its mother trying to comfort him. “Sounds like it’s someone’s naptime,” she told Bailey.
Bailey nodded absently. “I think we should hold the pot in the light,” Bailey said. “It’ll only be for a minute.”
“Bailey!” Elizabeth warned. “Don’t you dare even think about picking up that pot.”
“Come on, Beth.” Bailey faced her friend, hands on her hips. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”
“I am not a worrywart,” Beth said. “I just know right from wrong, and we were told not to touch it.”
Bailey reached out and touched the pot with one finger. “See? Nothing happened. You’re blowing this thing way out of proportion.”
Elizabeth’s face was getting red. “Here. You hold the computer. It’ll keep your hands busy.”
“You’re doing a fine job with it.” Bailey wouldn’t take the laptop from Beth but moved toward the shelf. “I’m just going to take the pot in the light for a second.” She put her hand out to grab the pot.
“Bailey! No!” Elizabeth whisper-yelled while moving in Bailey’s direction to stop her. Instead, she bumped the computer. Bailey’s hand slipped and knocked into the pot, sending it crashing to the floor.
The girls looked at each other, eyes wide with fear.
“Now look what you made me do!” Bailey frantically picked up pieces of pottery from the floor, thankful it had broken into five neat parts rather than shattering into a million pieces.
“Me!” Fury filled Elizabeth’s eyes. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just done what you were supposed to!”
“We can glue it back together and no one will ever know,” Bailey said desperately.
The bell on the door rang again. More customers.
“Bailey? Elizabeth? Could you come give me a hand?” Halona called.
“S–sure, Halona,” Bailey replied. “W–we’ll be right there.” She looked around wildly, wondering what to do with the broken pottery pieces she held. “Come on!” Bailey hurried back into the studio and stuffed the fragments into a lower cabinet against the wall.
Elizabeth set the laptop on the table and closed it. Taking a deep breath, she followed Bailey to the front of the store.
“Here, will you wrap these like you did earlier?” Halona handed a shallow bowl to Bailey and a narrow vase to Elizabeth. “Are you girls okay? You look a little pale.”
Bailey giggled nervously and tried to smile. “Sure. We’re fine, aren’t we, Beth?”
Elizabeth lowered her head,
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