Page 27 of Galen's Redemption
Chapter Eight
“PUT THOSEboxes on the shelves in the storage room, and make sure they’re out of the way of the leak.”
When Noel had called and said Lincoln was sending a delivery over, Robert had no clue that it would include cans of tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, peas, boxes of mashed potatoes, bags of flour, shelf-stable milk, and he’d even gone so far as to include soy milk for thosekids who were lactose intolerant.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Scrolling through the contacts, he found Noel’s number and dialed.
“Did the stuff get there?”
“Oh my God, Noel. I can’t say thank you enough. This is…. Wow. I can’t even think of the words for how generous this was. Please thank Lincoln for me.”
“Do it yourself. Why not come by the diner for coffee one day?I think I could probably sweet talk Lincoln into springing for a meal.”
God, Noel was so damned amazing. “Lincoln is a lucky man.”
“Nah, I’m the lucky one. I have great friends, a man I love, and if I look at my life, it all comes back to you. I can’t repay you for your kindness. You literally kept me off the streets.”
“No, you kept yourself off the streets. You had no money, and I couldn’tafford to pay you. Going out and trying to earn money however you could would have been an option.”
“Never. I can’t even imagine doing that kind of stuff. I’m glad I didn’t have to.”
Robert winced when Brady cried out, “Watch it!” Then he heard the creaking of metal—a sound Robert had heard before. It was followed by a crash in the storage room that had Robert rushing to get there. He foundone of his shelves had collapsed, and the cans that had been stocked were now scattered across the floor. Fortunately Brady didn’t appear to be hurt, and none of the cans had been damaged. He added yet another expense to his ever-growing list.
“Just stack them in the corner, would you? I’ll find something to prop them up later.” He brought the phone back to his ear. “I’m sorry, Noel. I have togo see if I can salvage this mess.”
“Do you need me to come down and help? I’ve got some money saved up, so I could get you some new shelving units.”
It was on the tip of Robert’s tongue to say yes, but he looked at all the things Lincoln and Noel had just given them. “No, it’ll be okay.”
“You’re a terrible liar. We’re done with brunch, so I’ll be down soon. And I’ll bring Lincoln with me,okay?”
Robert closed his eyes. He couldn’t afford to be too proud, especially now. “Okay. And thank you.”
Noel clucked his tongue. “That’s what friends are for. I’ll see you soon.”
As soon as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, Robert turned toward Brady, who was cleaning up the mess. God, he appreciated Brady—all the volunteers, really—so much. They took some pressure off him, and whenthings got rough, they stepped up to help out.
“Noel’s going to come down and bring some new shelves. I don’t want to make this harder on you than it already is, but could you help me move the stuff out of the room, and I’ll stock it after they’re put up?”
“I can stay and help, if you want.” Brady smiled, showing off the perfect teeth Robert had helped get him braces to fix. “Or, you know, maybeI could start dinner service.”
A quick glance toward the kitchen had Robert ready to whine. It was already one in the afternoon, and he should be working on the evening meal. “Brady, you would be a total lifesaver if you could start dinner. I have the menu posted on the refrigerator. I’ll get this cleaned up and come in as soon as I can.”
“No problem. You know I’m happy to help.”
He trottedoff toward the kitchen, and Robert started lugging the boxes and cans back out of the storeroom. By the time he finished, his back was aching, but he’d gotten the room clear and the old shelves taken down. When the door opened and Noel stepped in, Robert rushed over to thank him once again for his kindness. He was brought up short by the man who stood behind him, a protective hand on Noel’s shoulder.
“Robert Kotke, this is Lincoln Merriweather. Lincoln, this is the man who saved my life.”
Lincoln graced him with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. Thank you for all these supplies. I can’t tell you how much they mean to me and the people who come here for help.”
“It’s my pleasure, honestly.” He kissed Noel on the top of the head. “Going to go get that stuff in, pup.”
Noel frowned.“I can help.”
“And you will. Stay here and help Robert, okay? He looks like he needs a hand.”
