belt.
Amber rang up each piece the woman handed her. She noted her supervisor looking at her sharply. Ugh! As though she could make this woman move any faster. Finally, the woman paid and began moving away.
Her little boy, however, saw an opportunity. In full sight of Amber, he stared at her defiantly as he scooped up another fist of candy.
“I'm sorry but you can't have that unless you pay for it first,” Amber said in what she hoped was a firm but kid-friendly voice.
The little boy smiled and started to follow his mother.
“Hey, Miss!”
Amber tried to get the mother's attention. She noticed that her supervisor had spun around to stare in her direction. She didn't look happy.
Amber leaned over and tried to stop the little boy but he simple angled away from her.
Great! What was she supposed to do now? Tackle the little shoplifter?
Then suddenly, the boy found he couldn't move. A man had stepped deftly around him to block the kid's escape.
Amber's eyes widened as she recognized Hunter. Where had he even come from so suddenly?
“Hey, little guy!”
Hunter squatted down so he was eye level.
“You forgot to pay the nice lady here.”
The little boy looked at Hunter sullenly.
“My mom already paid,” he said, his little voice indignant.
Amber's supervisor watched curiously.
“Ah, but that was for the food in her cart. If you want more stuff, we need to go and ask your mother.”
Hunter spoke pleasantly. He even smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes. Still, he did smile.
Amber looked anxiously at the mother. She was busy trying to quieten the infant. The baby's face was scarlet. Amber was certain the kid could pass for a role in an exorcist movie. As the infant screamed, its tiny back arched unnaturally as it writhed in the car seat. That surely could not be normal, she thought. Other customers maneuvered their carts in wide berth around the woman. Some people looked sympathetic but a few looked as alarmed as Amber felt.
“ No! This candy is mine.”
The little boy stared at Hunter as though daring him to say otherwise.
“No,” Hunter said, his voice even. “Everyone around you, including me and the nice cashier, saw you take candy after your mother paid. So the candy is not yours.”
The little boy threw the candy on the ground.
“I think you dropped that,” Hunter said, his voice still even.
His earlier smile was now gone. His eyes were dangerously bright.
“Why don't you pick up the candy and put it back where it belongs.”
Amber nervously checked out her supervisor's face. She seemed to be holding in a smile.
“I've got plenty of time.”
Hunter's voice was icy. He sat back on his heels, his piercing eyes never looking away from the boy's face.
The boy cast one hopeful glance at his mother. Finally, he carefully gathered up the pieces and put them back in their appropriate spots. He looked to Hunter for approval.
“ Excellent! That's how a little man acts.”
Hunter smiled and got to his feet.
“Give me a high five!”
The little boy complied with a small grin.
“Now, let's tell the pretty lady that next time we won't try to take candy without paying for it.”
The little boy looked stricken but Hunter waited with an encouraging smile.
“I won't take candy anymore,” the little boy whispered, his head low.
“ Good job,” Hunter said, rewarding the boy with another smile.
“ Give me another high five and then go and help your mom.”
The little boy slapped Hunter's hand and then galloped towards his mom. He tugged on her leg and then tickled the baby's foot. The infant immediately stopped screaming.
Grabbing the little boy's arm roughly, the mother hurried out of the store, practically dragging her son along.
The remaining customers in Amber's line broke into applause.
Hunter blushed and bowed low.
“ So you're also a child whisperer as well,” Amber said coyly.
She quickly rang up Hunter's small basket of food.”
“Among other things,” Hunter
Amber rang up each piece the woman handed her. She noted her supervisor looking at her sharply. Ugh! As though she could make this woman move any faster. Finally, the woman paid and began moving away.
Her little boy, however, saw an opportunity. In full sight of Amber, he stared at her defiantly as he scooped up another fist of candy.
“I'm sorry but you can't have that unless you pay for it first,” Amber said in what she hoped was a firm but kid-friendly voice.
The little boy smiled and started to follow his mother.
“Hey, Miss!”
Amber tried to get the mother's attention. She noticed that her supervisor had spun around to stare in her direction. She didn't look happy.
Amber leaned over and tried to stop the little boy but he simple angled away from her.
Great! What was she supposed to do now? Tackle the little shoplifter?
Then suddenly, the boy found he couldn't move. A man had stepped deftly around him to block the kid's escape.
Amber's eyes widened as she recognized Hunter. Where had he even come from so suddenly?
“Hey, little guy!”
Hunter squatted down so he was eye level.
“You forgot to pay the nice lady here.”
The little boy looked at Hunter sullenly.
“My mom already paid,” he said, his little voice indignant.
Amber's supervisor watched curiously.
“Ah, but that was for the food in her cart. If you want more stuff, we need to go and ask your mother.”
Hunter spoke pleasantly. He even smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes. Still, he did smile.
Amber looked anxiously at the mother. She was busy trying to quieten the infant. The baby's face was scarlet. Amber was certain the kid could pass for a role in an exorcist movie. As the infant screamed, its tiny back arched unnaturally as it writhed in the car seat. That surely could not be normal, she thought. Other customers maneuvered their carts in wide berth around the woman. Some people looked sympathetic but a few looked as alarmed as Amber felt.
“ No! This candy is mine.”
The little boy stared at Hunter as though daring him to say otherwise.
“No,” Hunter said, his voice even. “Everyone around you, including me and the nice cashier, saw you take candy after your mother paid. So the candy is not yours.”
The little boy threw the candy on the ground.
“I think you dropped that,” Hunter said, his voice still even.
His earlier smile was now gone. His eyes were dangerously bright.
“Why don't you pick up the candy and put it back where it belongs.”
Amber nervously checked out her supervisor's face. She seemed to be holding in a smile.
“I've got plenty of time.”
Hunter's voice was icy. He sat back on his heels, his piercing eyes never looking away from the boy's face.
The boy cast one hopeful glance at his mother. Finally, he carefully gathered up the pieces and put them back in their appropriate spots. He looked to Hunter for approval.
“ Excellent! That's how a little man acts.”
Hunter smiled and got to his feet.
“Give me a high five!”
The little boy complied with a small grin.
“Now, let's tell the pretty lady that next time we won't try to take candy without paying for it.”
The little boy looked stricken but Hunter waited with an encouraging smile.
“I won't take candy anymore,” the little boy whispered, his head low.
“ Good job,” Hunter said, rewarding the boy with another smile.
“ Give me another high five and then go and help your mom.”
The little boy slapped Hunter's hand and then galloped towards his mom. He tugged on her leg and then tickled the baby's foot. The infant immediately stopped screaming.
Grabbing the little boy's arm roughly, the mother hurried out of the store, practically dragging her son along.
The remaining customers in Amber's line broke into applause.
Hunter blushed and bowed low.
“ So you're also a child whisperer as well,” Amber said coyly.
She quickly rang up Hunter's small basket of food.”
“Among other things,” Hunter
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