us.”
“Us?” she teased lightly.
“Us,” he agreed. “We’ll be best friends for a couple of years and then I’ll follow you around Phoenix on one knee with a ring in my hand until you say yes.”
She laughed delightedly. “I just might hold you to that,” she murmured.
“We can carry your bouquet,” Ann enthused.
“And tie tin cans to the bumper of the car we haven’t got yet,” Bob added, tongue-in-cheek.
“We can take care of him when he’s sick,” Ann added in her sensible way.
Matt gave Ann a beaming smile. “And I can take care of all of you, when you need it.”
“I might be a policeman one day myself,” Bob mused.
It was nice to see that the children liked Matt as much as she did. It wasn’t wise to look too far down unknown roads. But she felt comfortable and secure with Matt. So did the children. He was truly one of a kind. She had a feeling that it would all work out just perfectly one day.
“Deep thoughts?” Matt mused.
“Very nice ones, too,” she replied, and she smiled at him.
Her new job was more fulfilling than anything she’d done in her life. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she and her volunteers—many of them, now—carried food to the legions of hungry people around town.
More newspaper interviews had followed, including stories about her co-workers, which made her feel like part of a large, generous family. Which, in effect, the food bank was.
“You know,” she told Tom one afternoon, “I never dreamed that I’d be doing this sort of job. It’s like a dream come true.”
“I understand how you feel,” he replied, smiling. “All ofus who became involved in this work are better people for having been able to do it. The more we give, the more we receive. And not just in material ways.”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s no greater gift than that of giving to other people.”
He nodded.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. “Goodness, I have to get on the road! Mr. Harvey, did I ever tell you how grateful I am to have this job?”
“Only about six times a day,” he murmured dryly. “We’re happy to have you working for us, Mary.”
“I’ll get on my rounds. Good night, Mr. Harvey.”
He smiled. “Good night, Mary.”
She went out the door with a list of her pickups and deliveries in one hand, her mind already on the evening’s work. Matt was on duty tonight, Bob and Ann were at sports competitions, John was with Tammy, who’d agreed to pick up Bob and Ann at the games—her kids were playing, as well. Mary could pick them up on the way home.
Home. She thought of the neat little house she was now living in with her kids, rent free, and of the nice used compact car she’d been able to afford. It didn’t seem very far away that she and the children had been living on the streets, with no money, no home, no car and no prospects. Life had looked very sad back then.
But now she was rich, in so many ways that had little to do with money. She waved to the volunteer staff standing by their own vehicles, waiting for her to lead the way. How far she’d come, from taking a little leftover food from a restaurant and delivering it to one or two clients.
Her heart raced as she climbed in behind the wheel. She started the car and drove off, leading the others out to thehighway. There would be a lot of deliveries tonight, a lot of people to help. She felt as if she could float on air. She’d not only survived life at the bottom, she’d bounced back like a happy rubber ball to an even better place.
The future looked very bright. Life was good.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention .
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is
“Us?” she teased lightly.
“Us,” he agreed. “We’ll be best friends for a couple of years and then I’ll follow you around Phoenix on one knee with a ring in my hand until you say yes.”
She laughed delightedly. “I just might hold you to that,” she murmured.
“We can carry your bouquet,” Ann enthused.
“And tie tin cans to the bumper of the car we haven’t got yet,” Bob added, tongue-in-cheek.
“We can take care of him when he’s sick,” Ann added in her sensible way.
Matt gave Ann a beaming smile. “And I can take care of all of you, when you need it.”
“I might be a policeman one day myself,” Bob mused.
It was nice to see that the children liked Matt as much as she did. It wasn’t wise to look too far down unknown roads. But she felt comfortable and secure with Matt. So did the children. He was truly one of a kind. She had a feeling that it would all work out just perfectly one day.
“Deep thoughts?” Matt mused.
“Very nice ones, too,” she replied, and she smiled at him.
Her new job was more fulfilling than anything she’d done in her life. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she and her volunteers—many of them, now—carried food to the legions of hungry people around town.
More newspaper interviews had followed, including stories about her co-workers, which made her feel like part of a large, generous family. Which, in effect, the food bank was.
“You know,” she told Tom one afternoon, “I never dreamed that I’d be doing this sort of job. It’s like a dream come true.”
“I understand how you feel,” he replied, smiling. “All ofus who became involved in this work are better people for having been able to do it. The more we give, the more we receive. And not just in material ways.”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s no greater gift than that of giving to other people.”
He nodded.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. “Goodness, I have to get on the road! Mr. Harvey, did I ever tell you how grateful I am to have this job?”
“Only about six times a day,” he murmured dryly. “We’re happy to have you working for us, Mary.”
“I’ll get on my rounds. Good night, Mr. Harvey.”
He smiled. “Good night, Mary.”
She went out the door with a list of her pickups and deliveries in one hand, her mind already on the evening’s work. Matt was on duty tonight, Bob and Ann were at sports competitions, John was with Tammy, who’d agreed to pick up Bob and Ann at the games—her kids were playing, as well. Mary could pick them up on the way home.
Home. She thought of the neat little house she was now living in with her kids, rent free, and of the nice used compact car she’d been able to afford. It didn’t seem very far away that she and the children had been living on the streets, with no money, no home, no car and no prospects. Life had looked very sad back then.
But now she was rich, in so many ways that had little to do with money. She waved to the volunteer staff standing by their own vehicles, waiting for her to lead the way. How far she’d come, from taking a little leftover food from a restaurant and delivering it to one or two clients.
Her heart raced as she climbed in behind the wheel. She started the car and drove off, leading the others out to thehighway. There would be a lot of deliveries tonight, a lot of people to help. She felt as if she could float on air. She’d not only survived life at the bottom, she’d bounced back like a happy rubber ball to an even better place.
The future looked very bright. Life was good.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention .
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is
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