Free Laura Ray (Ray Series) by Kelley Brown Page B

help him.” Mary stated, “Sometimes, prayer can do things that we can’t.”
    “Well, I agree there. I still have hope that with everybody trying to look out for Bobby’s interest something good will come of it,” Laura answered.
    “I wish I could bring him home with me and keep him for my own,” Mary insisted.
    “I understand where you’re coming from. Nobody wants to see a child hurting. I think the perfect thing to happen for him would be his father get his act together and show the proper love that he should,” Laura said.
    Laura and Lori Mae were called into the office conference room. The boss, Anna her supervisor, and the accountant met them already seated at the table. “We keep hearing complaints about one person getting larger bundles to sew than another. A ticket from each of your bundles go on your sheet every day, so we know which bundles you work and how many, as you know the size is also listed on each bundle’s ticket.
    We ran a study for two months to get a broad range of the sizes of each of your bundles. Both of you are meeting quota so that you complete almost exactly the same amount of bundles every month. Here’s what we found. Laura completed twelve more extra-large bundles than Lori Mae during this period of time and five less smalls than Lori Mae.”
    The boss spoke up at this time, “We don’t want to hear any more complaints about who gets which bundle. You are both being treated fairly.”
    Laura felt in the clear, she had never complained at any time anyway. She would rather sew a few more extra-large bundles than to have to be embarrassed by them knowing she was the one complaining.
    Before the end of the week Laura asked Anna her supervisor if she could assign her to another job. She wanted to move to another location to get away from the vindictive Lori Mae.
    Yes, Art, she thought, I have done something to make me happy. I’m moving away from Lori Mae.
    Saturday morning Laura donned one of her old blue jean skirts and had to wear a belt to keep it up. She began boxing up John’s clothes for the Salvation Army. She lovingly folded each piece before dropping it in the box, just in case John saw her, she joked.
    Art called , “I managed to buy the tickets for the Nutcracker , but they are for next Saturday night. I’m a little disappointed to have to wait, but we’ll have a good time then.”
    Laura almost felt ashamed that she was relieved. Not that I dread the date or anything, but somehow it felts strange. It’s been almost twenty-five years since I went on a date.
    Bolstering her courage she said before she could change her mind, “Art, I’ll cook Sunday dinner again, if you want to come over.”
    “Absolutely, I’ll be there.”
    She asked Danny to help her load the boxes into the trunk. She took them to the Salvation Army building to drop them off, then went to the grocery store to buy something special for Sunday dinner. She finally decided on a beef roast. It is easy to cook and so good with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.
    She had just placed the roast in her basket when she looked up and of all people. There stood Lori Mae looking at her with her silly grin. “Hi,” Lori Mae says.
    Laura held back her shudder and refused her first impulse to race to the other side of the grocery store. She looked at Lori Mae standing there grinning at her with her stringy hair still hanging in her eyes as if Laura were her best friend. Not feeling quite so accommodating, Laura blurted out, “Oh, you can talk now?”
    “Well, you know how it is,” Lori Mae squirmed and giggled, “I don’t have to train you now.”
    Laura leaned over and placed her elbow on her basket perplexed at this wiry little woman, “Well, nice to see you, I guess. I’ve got other groceries to buy.” She didn’t care how nice Lori Mae made out to be, she would never be Laura’s friend.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Ten
    She popped the roast into the refrigerator and placed the other items where they