Chapter 15
Charity hustled through the door leading into the center. She couldn’t believe of all days, today was the day she was late. But she and Oliver had talked on the phone long into the wee hours of the morning.
In fact, they’d talked every night since their pizza date. He had been given other assignments to work on and hadn’t been back to the center, but today was the day everything would start happening.
Rushing into her office, she called out to Paula. “Coffee! Stat!”
A few minutes later, Paula came rushing in with a large mug of coffee. Grabbing it, Charity couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the words emblazoned on the mug. Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
Lifting a brow, she said, “Listen, when it comes to coffee, everything is an emergency!”
“Well, I would’ve had some ready, but you usually have it at home before you come.”
“Sorry! I didn’t get much sleep and was running late, and the security electricians are coming today.”
Paula’s brow furrowed. “Are you worried about it? Is that why you couldn’t sleep?”
She blushed but remained silent as she took another sip of coffee. Thank God Paula knew how to make her coffee sweet and creamy.
“Oh, I get it. You’ve been staying up too late with Mr. Badass Security Guy, right?”
“Yes, but not the way you think. It’s only texting or phone calls.” Seeing Paula’s smile droop, she continued, “But hopefully, he’ll be here tomorrow, and we’ll have another date this weekend.”
“I hope date equates to rocking sex.”
She laughed. “Well, I don’t have a particular number of dates before I put out?—”
“Girl, when was the last time you put out?”
Charity huffed. “Who has time for sex when they’re trying to run this place?”
“I would always make time for sex. But we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you. So maybe this weekend?”
“I prefer to be spontaneous. So I’m not going to plan.”
Paula lifted her brow. “So you’re not going to shave, moisturize, pluck, put on that sexy underwear, and do everything else to be ready just in case?”
“A girl can be ready without planning.”
Before Paula had a chance to respond, Helen popped her head into the office. “There you are, Paula. The security people are in the lobby.”
“Oh, damn,” Paula said, turning to hurry out of the office. “Our boss distracted me with talks of sex!”
Helen looked over at Charity, who sputtered into her coffee. “I was not.” Realizing she sounded like she was twelve, she set her cup down on her desk and rushed out into the lobby after Paula.
She spied Tricia waiting in the lobby, with six men standing just behind her. Hurrying over, she exclaimed, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to greet you. Would anyone like some coffee?”
“No, that’s fine,” Tricia said. “My guys know to tank up before they come!”
She met each electrician and noted Paula had given them all visitor badges. Elliot met them in the lobby. “He’s part of our security team and will need to be familiar with all the equipment.”
“Once we start working, we’ll quickly take care of things,” Tricia said. “We should be finished with installations late Wednesday or early Thursday, and then we can do our testing Thursday and Friday. If all goes well, we’ll be out of your hair by the end of the week.”
“We’re just so thrilled that you’re here and can do this for us,” Charity enthused.
For the next several hours, she darted around the building, taking care of her normal duties as well as popping out and walking the halls, checking to see what was being done. She was so impressed with Trish’s team as they efficiently placed cameras and alarms in all the agreed-upon areas.
She wondered when they would get to her apartment, but a text from Oliver had assured her that he’d be there the next day when they would be in her personal space. She hated that she wasn’t going to see him today, but as frazzled as she was, she thought the distraction of him would be too much.
Checking at the end of the day, she was amazed at how each work area was now clean and all the tools and equipment were put away. By the time the kids alighted from the school bus, it was as though no one had been there.
The next day, she set her alarm for thirty minutes earlier and managed to have her coffee in her apartment even though she was bleary-eyed. She took several long breaths between sips and smiled at her mug. Badass Boss Bitch and Princess… deal with it.
Hurrying down the steps, she once again rushed through the center and into her office. She barely had time to look at the files on her desk and open up her laptop when Paula popped her head through the doorway.
“I looked outside, but it appears that everyone is sitting in their trucks and vans. Even Ms. Poole.”
“Thank you, Paula. She told me yesterday that they would wait until the kids had loaded onto the buses.” Glancing at our clock, she said, “I’ll head outside now for the kids.”
To keep the reception area from becoming too crowded in the mornings, especially if someone was looking for an intake, the kids used the door leading from the multipurpose room out to the sidewalk where the buses picked them up. There were many eyes on it for security—the McGabes, the Tobiassons, Elliot, and any other staff available. Charity always made it the habit of being there for the goodbye. The best way for a child to have a good day at school was to start with breakfast and then someone who cared about them enough to wish for their day to go well.
As soon as they got to school, things might go downhill, but she was determined to make sure each child in her care had a chance to have a great day with a guaranteed good start.
She hurried to the multipurpose room where the kids were lining up. The teenagers heading to the high school were the first to be picked up, followed by the middle schoolers.
Stepping outside, she smiled widely as she said goodbye to each teen, making sure they had their homework, backpacks, and school supplies. The kids were eligible for the free lunch program, and she wanted to ensure they had a water bottle and snacks if they wanted them.
“Have a good day, Tim,” she said as she shook the hand of the first teenager in line. “Jon!” she called out as she practiced the complicated handshake he’d taught her.
“You’ve almost got it, Ms. Whitlock,” he said, laughing.
“I’m just not very coordinated,” she complained with a smile.
Carol and Sue were two teenage girls who had become best friends at the home. Both threw their arms around her and said, “Bye, Miss Whitlock.”
Her heart was warm at the way the two girls had bonded, encouraging each other. She knew from their counseling sessions that neither girl had come from a nurturing environment, and they’d never had another female they could count on.
More high schoolers came out, heading for the alternative education school. These were the ones who decided that they didn’t have enough time or interest to work for a high school degree and wanted to earn their GED. The city’s alternative school had teachers just for those who wanted to pursue this avenue. Shaking the hands of each one, she also wished them a good day.
Another van pulled up that would take some of the older teenagers to the job training vocational school that the city offered. With a wave, she watched them drive off.
As the high school bus pulled away from the curb, she jumped up and down, throwing her hands over her head in a wild wave. Some of the kids on the bus laughed, and some rolled their eyes, shaking their heads. She knew it was just a laugh but hoped the smile they rode away with would last them throughout the day.
Helen escorted the middle school kids out, and Charity allowed herself to be a little bit more silly with them. Sometimes, she attempted a rap song using their names but was horrible at it. They didn’t seem to mind as they laughed, giggled, or chuckled, but once again, each left with a smile on their face and a hearty goodbye.
“Goodbye, Robina. Have a good day, Latifah. Tamaria, good luck with your English test. Timothy, you know you can ace the math. Pat, you got this!” Once again, with the precision of a practiced routine, she leaped into the air as the middle school bus pulled away from the curb. Her hands waved wildly in the air, a joyful display that never failed to elicit laughter from the kids onboard.
Turning around, she spied her smiling staff enter the building, with Helen glancing over her shoulder toward her, a grin on her face.
“Look behind you,” Helen whispered loudly, as though sharing a secret everyone else knew.
She spun around and gasped. As she blinked in stunned silence, a group of people standing on the sidewalk stared back at her, unable to hide their laughter. Tricia and Poole stood with several other men she didn’t know, but based on what she was learning, she had no doubt they were also Keepers. Trish’s electricians were behind this group. And right in front was Oliver, his stance exuding confidence. Legs spread, arms crossed over his chest, and crinkles emitted from his eyes as his smile widened.
She’d never minded any passerby seeing her whacky morning routine, but as her face heated, she was sure it was flaming red. She marched toward them, adopting the most professional expression possible under the circumstances. With eyebrows raised, she calmly greeted, “Good morning.”
The attempts at restraint were abandoned as the group erupted with laughter. Owning the situation, she performed an impromptu curtsy before burying her face in her hands as her shoulders shook with embarrassed laughter.
Strong arms enveloped her, and she peeked through her fingers to see a pair of boots right in front of her. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was, but the excitement she’d felt when she had awakened intensified. Lifting her head, she sucked in a quick breath at the handsome face so close to her. So familiar yet still surprising. “Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey to you,” he said, his smile wide. “I liked the morning performance.”
“I want to give the kids a chance to start their day off in a good, if albeit goofy, way.”
“I could go to work with a smile every day if I’d had you cheering me on.”
Her teeth nibbled her bottom lip as she considered his words. They had only kissed, but the idea of being with him at the start of each day, preferably after having a great night together, raced through her mind. “Yeah…” she breathed.
“I have some people I want you to meet.”
Poole, Tricia, and the electricians followed Paula into the center. That left three men and one woman. There was a twinkle in his eyes, but assuming she was meeting his coworkers, she could handle herself.
Oliver said, “I’d like you all to meet Charity Whitlock, Director of Bright Futures Home and cheerleader extraordinaire for the going-to-school ritual.”
The others grinned widely, and before she could elbow Oliver in the gut, he continued.
“And here are a few Keepers. This is Jeb Torres and Adam Calvin.”
She shook their hands, welcoming them to the center before they left to follow Tricia and Poole inside.
“And these two are more Keepers. This is my brother, Leo, and this brilliant beauty is his better half, Natalie.”
As soon as he mentioned the word brother, her eyes widened. Shit! This is a big deal. She turned to them and managed to straighten her wobbly smile as she forced out the words of welcome. “Hi! It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Leo said, his eyes twinkling.
“You have no idea how nice it is to meet you,” Natalie added. “By the way, I’m not here to work today. I’m here to see who snagged Oliver’s attention ’cause I’ve been just waiting for him to get caught by someone.”
“Natalie…” Oliver’s low voice carried a warning tone despite his obvious affection.
Putting his arm around his wife, Leo pulled her into his side. “Babe, chill.”
Natalie sent a narrowed-eyed glare up to Leo. “Hell, I put up with teasing for years. Little ole baby brother can stand me poking fun at him.” She turned back and graced Charity with a smile. “Honest to God, he’s great. But I’m here to check you out and fill your head with stories about him that would curl your toes.”
Charity blinked at the fireball in front of her, not knowing if she was friend or foe. Or a combination of both.
Oliver wrapped his arm around Charity but kept his gaze on Natalie. “I’m warning you?—”
“Oh hell, like I’m scared of you!” She turned to Charity. “Come show me around.”
“Charity has work to do—” Oliver continued to argue.
Charity looked up at him and lifted a brow. “I’m perfectly capable of showing Natalie around my center and having what I’m sure will be an informative chat.” Looking at his sister-in-law, she smiled. “Ready whenever you are.”
Natalie laughed. “Charity, you’ve got brains and beauty, and other than Oliver, you have good taste. But I have no doubt you can cure whatever ails him.”
She snorted and knew she and Natalie were going to get along well.
“Are you finished now?” Oliver asked, his hands planted on his hips.
Natalie patted her slightly protruding tummy. “Baby Parker and I are going to keep Charity company without you and Leo.” She stepped forward and looped her arm through Charity’s. “Come on, let’s get acquainted.”
Walking into the lobby, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes wide. Leo was laughing, and Oliver simply lifted his hands in defeat. “You’ll be fine.
“I know you’ve got work to do, but don’t mind me as I shadow you today. You can tell me everything about this place and keep an eye on the electricians.”
“Okay,” Charity agreed easily, leading the way into her office. This day was going to require more coffee.
“I told Carson that I was coming today. I was honest about just coming to see who was already taking up residence in Oliver’s mind. He laughed and told me not to worry about it. And then Rachel told me that since I was working the Welcome-to-the-Keepers committee, I was still here officially.”
Charity was still trying to unpack all that Natalie had said when she plopped down in her chair. She looked around, but it seemed Paula had already absconded with her mug.
Charity jumped up before Natalie had a chance to sit. “I need coffee.”
“Um… okay.”
“I have herbal tea in my apartment.”
Natalie grinned. “Then let’s go.”
She hesitated, knowing she had a full day of work to finish, but since she needed to be in her apartment sometime with the electricians and she really wouldn’t get any work accomplished with Natalie shadowing her, she nodded. “Follow me.”
Once they were in her apartment, she ushered Natalie to her kitchen, put on the kettle, and popped a pod into her coffee maker. She moved to get the creamer out when Natalie made herself at home and reached for a mug from the dishwashing rack.
She held one up. “Is that your cup?”
Charity looked over to see her holding the Badass Boss Bitch and Princess… deal with it mug. Nodding, she laughed.
“Did someone from your staff give you that?”
She shook her head. “Nope, I got that for myself.”
A smile curved Natalie’s lips. “Why did you get that one?”
She stopped and looked at the cup for a long moment before lifting her gaze to Natalie. “Because it’s true. Knowing who we are and who we want to become is half the battle. So once we decide what we want, we need to remind ourselves often. So that mug is my reminder.”
Natalie pinned her intense gaze on Charity. “Well… I already know what I need to know. You and I are going to get along great, and you’ll be able to keep Oliver in line when he’s an ass.” She held up a finger and added, “Not that he’s much of an ass… but he is a man, so there’s only so long they can go before a bit of assery comes out!”
She blinked and then burst out laughing, taking what was an obvious compliment to heart.