CHAPTER12
Aidan stood in the doorway of Pastor John’s office at The Welcome Center. He glanced around the room at the framed photos of the small-town community and tokens from his life before he came here. Like a lot of people living in Sapphire Bay, John’s life included many years in the military.
From what Aidan had learned, John had created programs that helped people with PTSD in ways that traditional therapeutic programs couldn’t. And that had earned him a special place in the hearts of many people.
With a light tap, he knocked on John’s office door.
“Ah, Aidan, come in,” Pastor John said with a warm smile. “Shelley mentioned you were coming here to discuss The Christmas Wish Program. Unfortunately, she’s had to leave the office for a while, so you’re stuck with me.”
“That works equally as well,” Aidan replied with a smile. He took a seat, appreciating the comfortable familiarity of being here. “I wanted to make sure you have enough funds for this year’s Christmas wishes.”
“That’s thoughtful of you. We’ve had double the number of wishes coming into Santa’s Secret Helpers this year. Life’s tough for most people. Even providing food for families is getting more difficult. For the first time since the program started, we’ve had to prioritize who receives funding.”
That didn’t surprise Aidan. “I spoke to Mabel Terry when she was preparing some meals in The Welcome Center. It’s bad enough trying to have a comfortable life when you have a job, but she said a lot of the people who come here have nothing.” He took two envelopes out of his pocket and handed them to John. “The top envelope contains a donation from me. I’d like it to go toward the running costs at The Welcome Center. The second envelope contains a donation from BioTech. We’d like the money to go toward The Christmas Wish Program.”
John opened the envelope containing Aidan’s check and frowned. “This is a lot of money. Are you sure you want to donate so much?”
Aidan leaned forward, his hands clasped together. “I’ve spoken to a lot of people since I’ve been here. Each person told me a story about someone who’d come to Sapphire Bay looking for a new start. Just having The Welcome Center’s doors open, with hot meals, and rooms where people can safely stay, makes a huge difference. To provide that level of care is expensive, even with half the town helping. I wanted to make the next few months a little easier for everyone.”
“I won’t say no,” John said, “because this donation will make a huge difference. But as for the other donation, are you sure BioTech wants to give The Christmas Wish Program some money now? The gala isn’t that far away.”
Aidan sat back in his chair. “This is on top of what they’ll donate after the gala. As you said, people are finding it tough. There’ll be a lot of unexpected expenses people can’t afford, especially as we head toward Christmas. BioTech doesn’t know who needs help, but you do.”
John opened the second envelope and let out a low whistle. “This will help a lot of people. Thank you, Aidan.”
“It’s the least BioTech could do. If you need a hand to deliver any of the Christmas wishes, let me know. I’m happy to help.”
“I’ll do that.” John looked once more at the checks as if not believing they were real. Aidan couldn’t blame him. BioTech’s check for $20,000 wasn’t as much as some donations the company made, but it would have a significant impact on what Santa’s Secret Helpers could provide.
John placed the checks back in the envelopes. “Shelley will take these to the bank as soon as she returns. How are the plans for the gala going?”
“Everything’s on schedule. Jackie and Daniella have come up with some great ideas for the event and the items people are pledging for the auction are incredible. I’ll send you an updated project plan when I get back to my office.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing it,” Pastor John said, his eyes twinkling. “Have you heard from David lately?”
“It’s funny you should ask. He sent me a photo of Andrea and the boys outside the entrance to Dollywood. They’re having a great time in Tennessee.”
“That’s wonderful,” John said, sounding genuinely pleased for the newlyweds. “I had a good feeling about David as soon as I met him.”
“He’s a great person.” As they talked about some of the other programs the church was running, the sound of singing drifted into the office. Aidan glanced toward the door.
“It sounds like the choir’s practicing for the gala,” Pastor John explained, standing up. “Would you like to watch them for a while?”
Aidan thought about the reports sitting on his desk, but they could wait. “Sure,” he agreed, following John out of the office and into the dining area.
The choir members stood in neat rows, their red T-shirts and reindeer ears adding a festive touch to the rehearsal. Aidan spotted Mr. Jessop standing proudly in the back row, his booming voice carrying over the others. A little girl rang some bells in time with the music. If he remembered correctly, her name was Nora, and Emma Devlin’s twins, Molly and Dylan, were standing beside her.
“By the way,” John whispered to Aidan. “If you’re looking for someone to promote the Christmas gala, Emma owns a successful marketing company right here in Sapphire Bay.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Aidan said, making a mental note to reach out to her later.
As they continued listening to the choir, John asked, “How’s Jackie’s knitting store coming along?”
“Slowly but surely,” Aidan replied, thinking of Jackie’s warm smile and determination. “She’s working hard, but she’s struggling to find furniture for the store. She wants something with character that doesn’t cost a fortune.”
Pastor John’s eyebrows rose. “I might be able to help her. There’s some old furniture stored at the steamboat museum. If she needs some pieces, she might want to look in there. If Jackie sees something she likes, let me know and she can have it.”
“Are you sure?” Aidan asked.
