“Well, consider me at your disposal. I’m happy to—oh, hello, Jordy, nice to see you again.”
Jordy pops up beside me, the beaming smile she had earlier for Mina back in place. “Hey, Spencer. You come to volunteer? We can use all the help we can get. Work hard, and I’m sure Hollie will figure out some sort of reward for you.”
“Jordyn Jenkins,” I hiss.
She bats her lashes at me, the picture of innocence. “Imeantsomething like tea and crumpets. Get your mind outta the gutter, Hols.”
As I sputter out a disbelieving laugh, Spencer presses his lips together, which does nothing to hide the mirth dancing in his eyes. “Tea and crumpets sound like an incentive I can get behind.” Jordy nods and dashes away, returning to Mina. To me, Spencer says, “Where do you want me?”
If he only knew what a dangerous question that was.
*****
“Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the center had a food bank,” Spencer says. We’ve been working for nearly half an hour; he ditched his plaid shirt about ten minutes in, and the sight of his rippling forearms has nearly been my undoing. “You mentioned boxes for the Holiday Sharing Program, but it’s much too early for that, so what are these boxes for?”
“These are for people who have no way to get to the center to pick things up from the food bank,” I explain. “They fill out forms for the type of items they need, and we do our best to make sure they get it. We fill the boxes three-quarters full of non-perishable goods, then before they’re delivered, perishable items like meat and dairy are added.”
“Incredible.” Spencer’s tone is absent as his gaze moves over the rows of shelves holding canned goods. “And the food is all donated?”
“Yes, some by the community and some by corporate sponsors.” I point to the shelves that hold loose, neatly organized cans. “Those are community donations. And those—” I indicate the bulk flats and crates—“are from the grocery stores and organizations who partner with the center and make mass donations.”
He bobs his head, still glancing around. “All this food, and yet I’m sure it’s never enough.”
“That’s the sad truth of it. Food bank use is at an all-time high, and it’s a struggle to meet the demands. We do our best, though.”
“I can see that.” Spencer’s steady gaze locks on me. He studies my face for a moment before a hint of a smile curves his lips. He has a smudge of dirt across his left cheek, and it takes everything in me not to wipe it away.
A flash of pink catches my attention, and I turn to see Mina approaching. She gives me a tired smile as she groans and playfully collapses against me. “I forgot what grueling work this is. I’m glad to see you recruited another volunteer. It makes me feel less guilty about needing to leave.”
I introduce Mina to Spencer, and they talk for a minute about the MacKinnon Group and how much help they’ve provided to the center over the last few months.
“Hollie, I almost forgot one of my main reasons for coming today,” Mina says. “I’ve been putting pressure on the city to allocate more funds to the center, and I’m hoping to get some movement on that soon. I love how dedicated you’ve always been, but after working five or six days a week, you shouldn’t need to volunteer too. When we get more funding, we’ll be able to hire more people to spread out the required labor around here. Volunteers will always be needed and appreciated, but times are tough, and people need to get paid. Andyoudeserve to get paid for all the extra hours you put in on a regular basis.”
Mina is standing beside Spencer now, which means I don’t miss his keen interest in her words. His gaze swings from her to me, awaiting my response.
“Extra funding would be a lifesaver,” I say. “Especially with the holidays coming up.”
“And your birthday, if I’m remembering correctly,” Mina says. “I know you’re going to say that’s unrelated to the center, but more funding plus more employees equals less work foryou. Maybe you could finally take that vacation you’ve been talking about for years.”
I laugh lightly. “That would be nice. At this point, I’d be happy just to have an entire weekend off.”
Despite her smile, Mina’s eyes fill with sympathy. “I have another meeting with the city tomorrow, so I’ll put the pressure on.”
“If anyone can convince them, you can.”
We hug goodbye, promising to see each other again soon. Mina says bye to Spencer, and then swings back over to Jordy’s workstation to hand her what looks like a business card. Knowing her, it has her personal contact info on it, and she’s likely telling Jordy to use it if she needs anything. Mina did the exact same thing for me all those years ago, and in so many ways, I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
After another hour of work, we finish packing the final box for the week. Jordy comes to join us, and Spencer asks her if he’s earned tea and crumpets.
“Oh, totally,” she says. “I won’t be able to join you, though, because I need to finish some homework before school tomorrow. Why don’t you two go do something together?”
I bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that Jordy told me on Friday she didn’t have homework this weekend. I glance down at my filthy clothes and hands, and try not to think of what my face and hair look like. Spencer has more dirt smudges on his face, and his once-black t-shirt is now more gray thanks to dirt and dust.
Spencer’s mouth twists to one side as he thinks. “If you’re up for it, Hollie, I have an idea of something we could do. We could part ways now to get cleaned up and then meet at, say, six? I’ll text you the details.”
I don’t miss the smug expression on Jordy’s face as I agree to Spencer’s suggestion. And I also don’t miss the way my stomach swoops and dips at the thought of finally spending an evening alone with Spencer.
CHAPTER NINE
