“I’m sorry,” David said. “I shouldn’t have held you up.”
“You don’t need to apologize. We’re volunteering at The Welcome Center tonight. The kitchen won’t fall apart if we’re a few minutes late.”
He’d heard about The Welcome Center on his first visit to Sapphire Bay. Peter had told him the large building beside the church provided emergency accommodation, hot meals, and lots of programs for the community.
It wasn’t until he’d spoken to Pastor John that he realized how many programs they ran.
“When did you start volunteering?”
Andrea’s eyes became guarded. “As soon as we moved to Sapphire Bay. Pastor John found a room for the boys and me in the accommodation wing. Helping with whatever needs doing is my way of giving back to the people who supported us.” She pulled the café’s front door closed. “Thanks for looking at funding options for the appliances. I appreciate your help.”
“That’s okay. I’ll let you know if I find anything useful.” He glanced at Andrea’s truck and smiled at the two boys watching him. “I hope it’s not too busy at The Welcome Center tonight.”
“It’s always busy, especially when John makes his world-famous meatloaf.” Andrea opened the driver’s door. “If you ever want something to do, you could come to the center. We’re always looking for volunteers.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Andrea grinned. “I’m sure you will. See you later.”
David had a feeling she didn’t believe him. “Do you need extra volunteers tonight?”
Slowly, Andrea turned around. “There’s always something you can do. Are you serious about helping?”
“I am.”
“In that case, you should speak to Pastor John or his wife, Shelley, when you arrive. They’ll know what needs to be done.” She climbed into her truck and rolled down the window. “The boys and I will be at The Welcome Center until seven o’clock.”
“I’ll see you there.”
With a bemused look on her face, Andrea started the truck and drove away.
David checked the time before heading to his own vehicle. He was happy to help Pastor John and his team of volunteers. He only hoped they didn’t need anyone to clean the bathrooms.
When David walked into The Welcome Center, Andrea could have sworn a neon pink sign flared to life above his head. Every pair of eyes seemed to swivel toward the tall, good-looking man walking toward Pastor John.
Instead of the white business shirt and gray trousers he’d been wearing when she’d seen him earlier, he’d changed into a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. He could have been anyone joining them for a night of friendly conversation and great food. But he wasn’t anyone. He was David O’Dowd, Clinical Director of BioTech Industries and so far out of her league it wasn’t funny.
“What’s David doing here?” Katie whispered from beside her.
“I told him the boys and I were coming here tonight. He asked whether we needed another volunteer.”
“That’s interesting.”
Andrea’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”
“He’s been to Sapphire Bay a few times and never offered to help. You must be a good influence.”
“Maybe he didn’t know about The Welcome Center?”
“He knew. Pastor John had dinner with us when Peter was staying at the inn. He was impressed by what we’re doing.”
Andrea shrugged. “He was probably too busy to help.”
“I think it’s more that he had the time but not the incentive.”
She didn’t know what Katie was talking about and she wasn’t able to ask. With another twenty people waiting in line for dinner, they had to work fast before the food became cold.
She smiled at the next person waiting for some boiled potatoes. “How are you today, Mrs. Arnold?”
