I set the box on the table and headed back for a second while the woman stopped to sign her donation slip.
The remainder of the boxes were more of the same.
New clothes, with tags still attached.
All warm winter wear in a variety of sizes. “You really thought this through.” I tapped the closest box when she rejoined me.
“I wanted to help.” Grinning, she tugged her knitted cap down over her ears. “Timothy, my son, came home a week ago telling me about a friend in his class who came to school in short sleeves and pants halfway up his calves. No coat or gloves. I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone going cold this year.”
She gulped a quick breath. “I worried so much about his family the night the power went out. I tried to get Timothy to tell me where they lived, but he didn’t know. I’m so glad the power came back on so quickly.”
I gripped the box tight to keep from glancing toward Ash.
He’d been the one to fix the power.
Without asking.
I hated to think that I’d have told him to leave it off if he’d asked.
Thankfully, he’d not forced me to make that decision.
Sometimes, my asshole personality won over my common sense.
If I’d told him no, I would have changed my mind before anyone froze to death.
But that didn’t excuse my letting innocent people suffer.
“I think I know who you’re talking about.” I leaned in close enough to whisper and jutted my chin toward the bounce house where her son chatted with a boy his age. “Don’t worry, he’s on our list, and we’ll make sure he and the rest of his family have everything they need.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes when she looked up at me. “Thank you.”
“It’s what we do.” I stalked over to the table and deposited the box before making my way over to Colt.
He ladled up cups of hot chocolate and tossed handfuls of marshmallows on top.
“There you go. Enjoy.” Grinning ear to ear, he handed the cup to a little girl in pigtails and a pink knit cap with reindeer antlers poking out the top.
Noelle crossed the yard on her way to help Ash and waved at us.
Colt cleared his throat, and I realized I was staring after Noelle with a dopey expression on my face.
He held out a cup, then shoved it into my hand when I tried to say no. “Drink the damned hot chocolate and smile. This is the best turnout we’ve had in years.”
“Must be the lights.” I sipped the rich chocolate mixture that he’d managed to make the perfect temperature so it wouldn’t burn anyone and smirked at my baby brother. “Guess I had a pretty good idea.”
“You?” He backhanded my shoulder with his hand. “You’re impossible.”
“Mr. Rafe?” A willowy woman with a pile of dark curls around her face approached the table.
I stiffened a tiny bit and walked around to meet her. “Just Rafe. Is everything okay?”
She sniffled and rubbed the back of her bare hand across her nose. “Man. I swore I wasn’t going to do this.”
I waited for her to continue, taking another cup of hot chocolate from Colt and handing it to her.
She wrapped both hands around the warm mug and brought it to her nose, closing her eyes as she breathed it in. “Thank you.” After a sip, she met my gaze and seemed to make a decision. “You don’t know me.”
Oh, but I did.
