Cole’s hand gripped the keys. He’s the reason why these people stayed shut up in their homes. He must find a way to convince them of his mistake.
“Thanks. Do I wait for them to finish the evening and return them to their homes?” he asked.
“No. Joe and Jake volunteered to get them home,” the older man told him. “We only need to convince them to come.”
“You got it,” Cole said, enthusiastically. One way or another, he’d coax them back to the community center.
The teens placed the boxes of frozen meals in the first two rows and Cole started the engine. Mike pointed him to the first road off Serenity Mountain. He drove to the far end until Glenn showed him the first driveway.
“It’s the Hendricks. They won’t go, but we still have to deliver the food,” Glenn said, pulling out two containers from the boxes.
“Do you mind if I take it to them?” Cole asked.
“Nope, we’ll play on our phones until you get back,” Gary said, already pulling out his device.
Cole took the packages and approached the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited. A minute later, a frail older woman answered.
“Hi. I’m Cole. You might of heard about me and my blunder the other day at the community center. I want to apologizeand invite you to come along tonight. I hear they have a two-hundred-dollar jackpot for the grand finale.”
“Two hundred,” Mrs. Hendricks exclaimed. “They never have money as prizes. Whoever wins will have grocery money for at least two weeks.”
He winced. His impromptu bribe promised to bite him in the butt. “Actually, I offered the prize. I felt bad about what happened and Brody and I wanted to make it up to everyone.”
Mrs. Hendricks moved closer and pinched his cheeks. “What a sweet boy. I still can’t go. I’m not dressed. My sweater’s upstairs and we haven’t eaten dinner yet.”
“How about I fetch your sweater while you change your shoes? We can get you something to eat while you play bingo with your friends. Maybe if you called them and told them you’re going, they’ll want to tag along. You’ll want them there when you win the two-hundred-dollar grand prize,” he egged on.
“My sweaters on the rocking chair. I’ll tell Irving to put his shoes on. He loves playing Bingo. The money will come in handy. Our social security checks barely make it to the end of the month to cover the necessities by the time we pay for medication,” she said, taking off her slippers and reaching for her shoes.
“Where can I put these meals for you?” he asked, still holding the packaged containers.
“Go straight down the hall and put them in the fridge,” she said, entering the living room to fetch her husband.
Cole took his packages to the kitchen and opened the fridge. His mouth hung open in dismay. Most of the items consisted of condiments, a half-gallon of milk, and two small plates with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. He placed the meals inside and rushed to help the seniors. The teens, seeing Cole walk out with the Hendricks, jumped out, and assisted them to their seats.
Mrs. Hendricks took out her phone and called her neighbor. Like all small towns, by the time Cole pulled in, the entire population knew he planned to stop in. His heart soared as he pulled up to the fifth house and two older women waited on the porch.
“Hey, Glenn, can you contact the community center? Tell them we have a busload of hungry seniors coming. I’ll pay if they need to order food, but we need something to feed them when we arrive.”
“Will do,” Glenn said, calling the center.
By the time they arrived, most of the team stood by to help unload the older folks, while a couple of them assisted with removing jackets. The Serenity women offered refreshments as they sat. Cole helped Mrs. Hendricks down while Glenn helped her husband.
Leo nodded his approval as he walked by and jerked his chin toward Kassie. She smiled ear to ear as she greeted everyone, holding one of the twins. Doc stood behind her with the other while Victoria occupied Tori. Cole watched as the community came together, laughing and conversing with people who they hadn’t seen since the fire.
Entering the kitchen, he approached Barb and Edie. “I’m sorry, ladies. I’ve added to your workload. What can I do to help?”
“Oh, honey. We’ve got everything covered. How did you do it?” Barb asked, hugging him.
“I told them we have a cash prize for bingo,” he admitted. “How did you have all this ready this fast?”
“Ty and Scarlett pitched in. Bryanna and Saint pulled the teens together and they got busy. It’s how it works here. You’ve done an amazing thing, young man. Be proud of yourself,” Edie praised him.
Cole nodded his head and returned to the common area, helping with serving the meals, getting extra napkins, and pouring drinks. The time seemed to fly by as the town played bingo while enjoying dinner and treats with their friends. A dark-haired man carrying a baby approached him.
“Hello, Cole. I’m Doc. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet you when you arrived,” he said, shaking his hand.
“I’m sure you heard about me from your wife,” Cole said sheepishly.
