34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Four
Laredo
I lower the last box of provisions into the pantry warehouse storage unit and step outside to enjoy the sunshine. Sweat drips off my forehead, and I’m surprised how something so simple feels so fulfilling. The warehouse staff members have been educating me on the impact the food will have on the community.
I had no clue that most of the donations go to families with working parents. They use the donations to close the gap they have after paying rent, childcare costs, and medical bills. The volunteer explained that there is an entire class of people like this throughout the country, the working poor.
Without the pantry, many of them would have to decide to skip medicine, delay necessary procedures, or pull their kids from day care.
I make another mental note of gratitude to my sister, Hailey. The unseen sacrifices she made to take care of me and Adam after our parents died. She was barely twenty years old, not much older than Betty’s sister, Margo. She quit college to raise us.
We were clueless kids. We knew she was working hard but had no idea what that meant. Did she ever go to a food pantry?
“That’s the last of them off the truck,” I say, slipping the box onto the shelf. He checks something off on his clipboard, waves, and heads toward the office.
I think of all the times in my life I was totally unaware of something right in front of my face. Things I take for granted.
As my mind wanders to Betty, I make a solemn pledge to avoid repeating the same errors. Leaning against the side of the storage unit, I reach into my pocket to retrieve my phone and check on her.
Missing you. Do you want to get together tonight?
I press Send and am surprised when the three dots appear. She’s typing.
Betty : How about now?
Relief spreads across my chest. She’s okay. And she wants to see me.
No better time. (smiley face)
The dots appear, and I hold my breath.
Betty : Good. Look to your left.
My head whips to the side, and I spot those delicious legs approaching. The sun is high in the sky behind me, and she flips down her shades, hiding her enticing eyes. She gives me a glad to see you smile that matches mine.
With each step, I feel the anticipation building until finally, I lean down, longing for her lips to meet mine. Instead, she embraces me fiercely, as if I’m her lifeline in a world of chaos. She buries her face in my chest, holding on to me with an even tighter grip.
I stroke her back and give her time to compose herself. A full minute passes before she speaks. “I’m sorry.” She lifts her chin and quickly wipes an errant tear from her cheek. “It wasn’t until you held me just now that I let myself process everything.”
I grasp her by her elbows, our gaze locking, and I hope she can read my need to hear everything. “It’s bad,” she starts, and I brace. “But it could have been so much worse.”
She would never normally miss a pantry food drive event. I knew something was off today. And I wasn’t there for her. “Are you okay?”
She nods quickly, but the look in her eyes tells me otherwise. “Some guy robbed Miss Irene. Transferred nearly everything from her bank account and from the food bank’s account. She’ll be ruined if the sheriff can’t recover the money.”
Betty has a huge soft spot for Miss Irene. And if the food bank is impacted, this is going to affect her too. Ricco’s voice echoes in my head— her baby. “Did they catch him?”
Betty digs her nails into my forearms. “We tracked him down to the Pancake House near the boardwalk.”
“We?”
“Me, Olivia, and the deputy sheriff.” This is why she didn’t respond to my emails. Her Scooby gang was saving the world. “I texted Margo to warn her to stay far away from him if she spotted him. She was having breakfast with her friend in that same restaurant.”
I try to connect the pieces. Betty’s comment that it could have been worse. “Is she…”
“Margo’s safe. We got there just in time. Olivia actually took the bad guy down, and Mark took him in.”
“Mark?”
“Deputy sheriff. Mark McBain.” She leans in for another hug, and this time, I’m the one who squeezes tight. “Let’s just say you don’t want to get on the wrong side of our sheriff and deputy sheriff. That punk was carted away with a bloody face, complaining of broken ribs.”
I exhale and press a kiss to the top of her head. She’s here, and she’s safe.
I run a finger through her hair, pushing a tendril around her ear so I can whisper, “Next time you decide to chase after a criminal, will you please call me first? I’ve been in a few bar dustups and could prove useful.”
My line does its job. It puts a smile on her face. She playfully rises up on her toes and plants a swift kiss on my lips. “I think I’m retired. That was enough action for the rest of my days. I just want to lay in your arms for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes go wide when she realizes what she’s implied. Her lips part like a fish out of water, and I press my lips to them before she can speak. “Let’s see if you still feel that way a month from now.” My joke erases the awkward tension in the air. “And the month after and the month after. And so on and so on.” I let her know in my own way that I’m on board with the plan. Having her in my arms makes my world better. I was an idiot to not realize it the first time.
“Really?”
My hand frames her beautiful face. “Every single word. I’m here.”
Her intense gaze looks through me as if seeking confirmation. “I believe you.” She nibbles on her lower lip, and I can sense she wants to say more.
“Don’t freak out,” she starts, and my pulse races like a man about to freak out. “Will you join Margo and me at my parents’ place for dinner tomorrow night?”
I freeze. I’m not a meet-the-parents type of guy. Out of all the girls I’ve been with, I’ve only met two sets of parents, and both times, it turned into a disaster.
“I’d love to go anywhere with you, Betty,” I start, knowing it took a lot for her to even enunciate these words. It’s a big step for her. For both of us. “Are you sure you want to do it right now? We’re still…” I don’t finish the thought. Whatever it is I’m about to say will be an excuse. My entire life, I’ve avoided things with lame excuses. “I’d love to have dinner with your parents.” I exhale and repeat my mantra. For her, I will. Be better. Be different.
Her shoulder remains clinched. I’m sure accepting only shifts her concern from me to her mother. Her mother is clearly not a fan of mine. I can sense she wants to say more but decides against it. Her gaze lifts over my shoulder. “How was Ricco?”
With the mention of Ricco, I wrap my arm around her waist and direct her inside to the storage unit. “He’s great. The food drive, as you can see, was a huge success.” I wave my arm at the shelves stocked with canned goods.
Betty paces ahead of me, scanning from side to side as if calculating something. “This is a good start,” she says before turning to face me. “If the pantry funds are gone for good, we could run food drives every day the rest of the year and still not have enough to make it through the winter. I don’t know what to do.”
I wrap her in a reverse bear hug, pulling her tight and pressing my lips to her neck. She cares so much about this town and the people in it. “It’s not your weight to carry alone. I’m here. Lean on me.”
She lifts her hand to rest on my forearm. “Okay. What are we going to do?” I can tell she is half-joking, but I won’t let her carry this burden alone. I’ve seen over the last few days how important the pantry is for this community.
I’m staying and am looking forward to being accepted into the community.
I press another kiss into her neck. I’m out of my depth. The only thing I know about fundraising are the parties. I’ve never been involved in the behind-the-scenes, long hours of hard work, building something from scratch part. I whisper a response that she deserves. “I don’t know yet, but it’s going to be something special.”