Page 59 of Feeding Hope
Good, Strong Hearts.
Reina Torres
Chapter One.
WAYNE
When Wayne Reynolds arrived at Center City’s Central Pantry, he was prepared for pretty much anything.
Volunteering at the local foodbank closest to the Carvers Football Stadium was actually a highlight of his week.
Being the new Head Coach of the highly ranked professional football team was stressful on any given day but recently dealing with a number of asshole players had left his battery running low.
So when he pulled his Gladiator truck into the loading area of the food bank, he let out a slow exhale that ended in a smile. Before he managed to take the key from the ignition, two of the volunteers were walking up to his truck.
They were a married couple, and he’d never seen one without the other.
George opened the door for him. “Always good to see you, Wayne!”
Wayne nodded at the older man. “I needed a pick me up today, so I’m really glad to be here.”
George gestured at the bed of the Gladiator. “You want me to start unloading?”
Wayne smiled at him. “Thanks.”
George held up his hands. “We’re the ones who should thank you. And the Carvers. Since you joined the team as Head Coach and made the decision to support us, the visibility of our food bank is through the roof. Besides the crazy amounts of food that the team donates, about a third of our new donors in from the street said that the reason they chose to donate here was because of the news stories they’ve seen with you and some of the men on the team.”
With a bright smile, George walked around to the back.
Wayne hopped down to the ground beside the truck and found himself wrapped up in a hug from Maybell, George’s wife.
“And...” she grinned as she stepped back, “some of the donors and our new clients have also said that they hadn’t even heard of us until you came to Center City.”
Wayne felt his heart swell in his chest. “I’m glad to hear that.”
He moved around to the back of the truck with Maybell beside him, pushing the pallet cart over the newly paved delivery area.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be here the day they filled the parking lot holes and resurfaced the area.”
“You were at an away game, Wayne! I can’t imagine that you had the time or the energy to fly back just to stand there and watch the Zamboni flatten the parking lot.”
Wayne’s steps slowed and he turned to look at Maybell’s back as she walked on.
She stopped a few steps ahead and turned her head over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Wayne barely smothered a laugh. “Zamboni?”
Maybell shrugged.
“That thing with the big flattening roller thingy. I don’t know the name, the closest thing I could come up with in my head was a Zamboni.”
Wayne put his hand over his heart and caught up to her with a couple of ground-eating steps. “For a second I thought you were going to say that you were a bigger hockey fan than a Carver fan.”
The color of Maybell’s cheeks deepened. “Well... The Cyclones are good, but... I used to take skating lessons when I was kid at a local rink.”
Wayne felt a little vindicated.
Or maybe just reassured.
