Ana stumbled on her speech and addressed the new arrivals. “Can we help you?”
Deena pointed behind her. “I brought a gift for each of the residents.”
“That’s very generous.” Ana stepped away from the microphone to address the situation personally rather than in front of the crowd.
Phoebe was close enough to overhear everything.
“I appreciate your efforts, but I have to ask, what did you bring?” Ana squinted her eyes, her gaze focused on the tiny words on the boxes.
“Tablets. I called the nursing home beforehand to make sure it was okay.” To Phoebe’s surprise, Deena sounded almost uncertain. “They said that would be great, and there are lots of apps that can help with the cognitive abilities of their residents.”
Ana’s head tilted in surprise. “That’s very thoughtful.”
“I know I should have asked first, but I’m used to taking action.”
“It’s fine. More than fine.” Ana smiled and assured Deena her gifts were generous and thoughtful. “We could never have afforded this as a group. Thank you.”
“Where should I have the men put them?”
“Table eighteen. We’ll shift the last table down one.” Ana glanced at the flock of reporters. “What are they doing here?”
Deena pointed the men carrying the boxes toward the appropriate table. “My publicist thought this would be a good opportunity for my fans to see me in a positive light.”
Ana squirmed, seemingly on the verge of commenting, but nothing came out.
Awkward silence filled the room. If their thoughts were anything like Phoebe’s they were uncomfortable with their project receiving any press. The goal wasn’t to receive accolades, but to show love to the residents of the nursing home.
Elijah stepped forward. Though not a single, he and Trixie showed up to help as church representatives to show their support for the project and the singles class. “I’m afraid we can’t allow any press in here.”
Confusion masked Deena’s flawless features. “Why not?”
“Our members have worked hard to make this project a success. We appreciate your extreme generosity, but it wouldn’t be fair to have their work overshadowed.”
Not the angle Phoebe had expected from Elijah, but she understood he had to address it in a manner that would make sense to Deena. She lived in a world where acts of kindness were marketing tools and self-promotion. It came with the territory of being a celebrity, but that didn’t translate well to all sectors, especially within the church where humility was a virtue.
“Oh.” Deena’s teeth grazed her bottom lip. “I have a compromise.”
“What do you suggest?” Elijah glanced at the men and women just outside the double doors.
“Let them come in and do a story. Otherwise, they’ll wait outside and hound us.” Deena spoke with a firm tone of authority. “But I’ll give them strict instructions my name isn’t to be mentioned.”
“What purpose would that serve?” Elijah asked warily.
“It will highlight the needs of the elderly and inspire others to consider those living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in their own communities.”
Mac reached for Deena’s hand. “She has a good idea. If a news segment or magazine article on our projects leads others to do the same, it’s a winning situation for all.”
Elijah seemed to consider the idea carefully. He pulled Trixie and Ana aside to deliberate before giving an answer. Two minutes later he returned. “We’ll agree to that on the condition that our church name is kept quiet. We don’t want to give an illusion of bragging or boasting about our project.”
“Let me talk to them and spell out the conditions.” Deena and Mac exited the doors, still visible through the glass planes. When they reentered, she gave them a thumbs up.
Assembly began, with a great deal more excitement than ten minutes ago. Phoebe walked through the line with Darla, half surprised her friend didn’t abandon her for a chance to talk with Deena. She grabbed a red bag with a silver tree imprint from the ladies’ pile and moved to table two and dropped shampoo in the bag.
Darla followed her closely, carrying a red bag with a reindeer imprint. “Don’t get mad at me, but Deena doesn’t seem the monster you want her to be.”
She huffed. “I never said she was a monster, only that I don’t trust her.”
“Still, she didn’t have to get anything for the blessings bags, let alone something extravagant.”
