Special Delivery Read Free

the
main
solo next month in the Christmas concert?”
    â€œOnly about a thousand times,” muttered Flora.
    â€œWell, I think I can make this week even more exciting,” said Min.
    Three heads swiveled toward her.
    â€œHow?” asked Ruby.
    â€œAllie, what would you say to our joining you in New York for a few days? We could take the train down on Friday morning and stay with you until Sunday. There’s room at Debbie and David’s, isn’t there?”
    â€œSure,” said Allie, a smile creeping across her face. “Oh, that would be wonderful!”
    â€œWonderful?! It would be stupendous!” shrieked Ruby, who leaped out of the chair and began dancing around the living room again.
“‘New York! New York!’”
she sang. “
‘A fabulous town! The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down!’
Whatever that means. Oh, this is going to be so cool. Can we go to the Empire State Building? Can we see a show on Broadway? Can we —”
    â€œRuby,” said Min, “please calm down. We will do as much as we can, but remember that since I’m planning the trip at rather a late date, we might not be able to do everything you want.”
    â€œOkay, okay. I don’t care. As long as we get to go to the Great Big Old Apple.”
    Flora’s mind was on other things. “Min, we’ll have a baby to sew for! Our very own baby! I’m going to start smocking right away. Aunt Allie, is there any way you could find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl? Oh, it doesn’t matter. I can just start sewing.”
    â€œAnd I’ll start knitting,” said Min. “We got a wonderful new book of baby patterns in at the store. Oh, the store! I’ll have to ask Gigi if she can cover for me next weekend.” (Min and her friend Gigi, grandmother to Flora’s best friend, Olivia, ran a sewing and needlework store on Main Street called Needle and Thread.)
    â€œI’d better get going,” said Allie, rising to her feet. “I have to pack for the week.”
    â€œFor the love of Mike,” said Min. “A baby on the way.”
    â€œA trip to New York City,” said Ruby.
    â€œA new cousin,” said Flora.
    â€œAnd all before eight-thirty in the morning,” added Min, looking at her watch.

After Aunt Allie left, Ruby looked at her own watch. “It
is
only eight-thirty,” she said in surprise. “It feels much, much later.”
    â€œThat’s because you usually lie around in bed until ten on the weekends,” said Flora.
    Ruby put her hands on her hips. “So? Does that make me a criminal?”
    â€œNo,” said Flora.
    â€œWell, all right then.”
    Ruby stalked upstairs to her room. She shook her bank even though she knew it was empty. She opened her wallet. It held exactly three dollars and ten cents, less than it had held twenty-four hours earlier, since she’d been to the mall in between. She needed money for Christmas presents and she needed it fast. And now with an additional person to shop for — her new cousin — she needed even more money.
    If only Ruby were creative like her sister. Flora was going to make a gift for the baby, and that was usually less expensive than buying something. But Ruby had zero interest in sewing or knitting. Or scrapbooking or crafting of any sort. Maybe she could prepare a song to sing to the baby. Last year as a Christmas gift to her family she had performed one of Min’s favorite carols. But Ruby didn’t think a baby would be interested in Christmas carols. No, she definitely needed a way to earn some money.
    Ruby sat on her bed, ignoring the giant ball of clothing and shoes at the foot of it. She remembered something her father had once told her: In order to start a successful business, you have to know your clients, which means knowing your community.
    Ruby felt she knew Camden Falls fairly well. She had lived there for less than