Page 18 of Finding His Forever

At a brick building on the other side of the street, people waited in a long line that started by the front door. The disheveled men, women, and several children looked worse for wear in dirty, ill-fitting clothes and carried what was probably their only possessions in shopping or garbage bags. The sight of the little ones caused Del’s heart to clench. He thought of his nieces and nephews and was grateful they had roofs over their heads, healthy food in their stomachs, and soft, clean beds to sleep in.

Matthew opened the driver’s door, but Del gently grabbed the back of his neck before he could exit, pulled him closer, and sweetly kissed him. “Put some more lip gloss on. I like it.”

Once Matthew’s lips shined brightly again, they climbed out of the truck and hurried across the two-lane street during a break in traffic. Instead of going in through a front entrance, Matthew led the way to a side alley where a door was propped open with a brick. Del followed him inside to an industrial-size kitchen that buzzed with activity. Matthew introduced Del toseveral men and women wearing white aprons, latex gloves, and hair nets as they prepped dozens of trays filled with food, but none were his parents.

A swinging door to another room flew open, and a woman who appeared to be in her late fifties bustled in. She was slender and about five feet five, and Del knew instinctively she was Matthew’s mother. He’d gotten her attractive looks—from her blonde hair, which was pulled up into a ponytail, to her beautiful blue eyes and high cheekbones.

Her face lit up the moment she saw them. “Matthew, there you are! I was getting worried.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “Hi, honey. Congratulations again on passing your test. Dad and I are so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

When she released Matthew, her gaze shifted to Del. “Who’s this?”

“Del, this is my mom, Carla Behan. Mom, this is Delmar Sutton, my—my, um, boyfriend,” he added as pink tinged his cheeks.

“Boyfriend? You didn’t tell me you were dating anyone.” She held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Del. I hope you realize what an honor it is since it’s been a long time since my son introduced me to someone he was seeing.”

Del gently took her hand in both of his. “It’s an honor for me no matter what. I’m grateful he’s given me the opportunity to get to know him. You’ve raised an amazing son, Mrs. Behan.”

She blushed almost as much as Matthew. “Thank you. And it’s Carla, please. Are you here to help us, too, or do you have somewhere you need to be with family tonight?”

“I’m here to help. My mother’s been gone for a while now, and she was my only family. I just moved to Florida a couple of months ago, so I didn’t really have any plans for the holidays.” Ever since his mother’s death, Randy and Brian both invitedhim to join one of them for Christmas each year, but he always turned them down, not wanting to intrude on their family time. This year, he was glad he had. “When Matthew told me about you all volunteering here, I offered to come with him. My mom and I volunteered at a shelter whenever we could while I was growing up.”

Carla clasped her hands to her chest. “Oh, I’m sorry for your loss, dear. She sounds like she was a wonderful mother.”

“She was,” Del agreed wistfully. Although it had been years since his mother died, his chest still ached whenever he remembered how full she made his life, despite what little they had. He glanced at Matthew. Maybe his mother had sent him someone to fill the hole in his heart. The corners of his mouth pulled upward at the thought. She would’ve loved Matthew.

“Well, thank you for coming. We can use all the help we can get.” Carla gestured toward the door behind her. “Let’s introduce you to my husband and then put you both to work. There’s still a lot to do in the dining room before we open the front door.”

Del braced for impact. One parent down. One to go.

Chapter Twelve

After meeting Evan Behan, Del spent the next half hour helping set up tables and chairs while being grilled by the man about various inquiries, including Del’s intentions toward his son, who’d groaned and begged his father to back off. Del hadn’t minded the interrogation, especially when Evan finally seemed to approve of the two men dating.

The two-story former firehouse was now a sizeable shelter. The truck and engine bays had been converted into the new kitchen and a cafeteria-style dining room that doubled as the men’s sleeping area when cots were laid out. Showers and bathrooms were also on the first floor. Offices and sleeping areas for women and children were upstairs where the original kitchen, bunk room, and living spaces had been. As far as shelters went, Del had seen worse.

Two hours later, the dining room was filled with people of all ages, and the buffet’s dozens of assorted food trays were empty. As Del helped with the cleanup, Matthew was across the room with an older gentleman dressed as Santa Claus, playing with the children and the small toys they’d received as presents. Meanwhile, Carla and several other volunteers handed out new clothing, toiletries, and non-perishable food that had beendonated to the adults. Del made a mental note to speak to the shelter’s director about making a monetary donation before they left for the night.

It took another ninety minutes to clean the kitchen and exchange the dining room tables and chairs for folding cots. Once everything was in order, the volunteers said their goodbyes as the shelter staff took over for the night.

Carla surprised Del when she linked their arms together as they walked across the street with Evan and Matthew. “Del, since Matthew usually works on Christmas to give his coworkers with children the day off, we’ve been celebrating on the twenty-sixth for the past few years. We would love for you to join us on Sunday if you don’t have plans. My sister and brother-in-law, their kids, and a few grandkids will be there.”

A glance in Matthew’s direction told Del the younger man wasn’t surprised about the invitation. His mother probably asked him if it was all right before approaching Del. Matthew gave him a little nod in encouragement. He wanted Del to meet his extended family, and the knowledge had warmth coursing through Del’s body. “Thank you, Carla. I would love to join you. Just tell me what I can bring.”

“We have all the food planned already, and beer, wine, and soda. If you want anything special to drink, you can bring that. And my son, of course.”

“Of course,” he said, opening the Camry passenger door for her after Evan used a fob to unlock it. “I couldn’t leave out the best part of my day.”

She grinned at him. “Now I see how Matthew fell for you so quickly.” She kissed his cheek and then Matthew’s before climbing into the car. “We’ll see you on Sunday. Be safe tomorrow, dear.”

“I will, Mom. Bye, Dad.”

Evan hugged Matthew. “Bye, Son. Be safe.” He turned to Del and held out his hand. “It was great to meet you. Thanks for helping out tonight.”

Del shook his hand. “It was my pleasure and nice to meet you too.”

“See you on Sunday. Fair warning, though, you’ll probably be the only Cinnci Bengal fan there.”

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