I peeled off my running jacket and rubbed my arms as I stood on a large mat inside the door. Water droplets fell to the floor, and a shiver tore through me so violently, I thought my spine would snap.
“Here you go,” Hana said as she reappeared. She held two large towels, a hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants in her arms. “I thought you might want to change. The bathroom is the first door on the left.”
“Oh, wow. Thank you.”Dang, people around here really are nice.“Do you think I could use your phone once I’ve dried off? I need to call my parents, and I think my battery died.”
“Of course.” She pointed to her left. “You can meet me in the kitchen once you’re done. It’s right through there.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, accepting the towels and clothing.
Warm air poured from the vents in the bathroom. It made stripping off my wet clothing a little more bearable. I dried off as best I could, then gathered my waterlogged clothes and towels together and made my way down the hall.
“It’s not like Ryan to be late.” Hana’s voice floated through the air.
Ryan as in Ryan “Preach” Armstrong?
“I’m worried about him,” a man said. “Maybe I should give Willow a call? Ask if she or Brodie have seen him?”
Of course he’d be volunteering here today or at least, by the sound of it, he was supposed to be.
“Good idea,” Hana said.
Walking through the doorway, I found Hana and an older man standing near the stove. “Thanks again for the towels and the clothes. I’ll wash everything and bring them back tomorrow, but could I borrow or, I mean, have a plastic bag for these?” I held up the towels and my wet clothing.
“Oh, you can leave the towels here and return the clothes whenever. We always have extras here at Helping Hands. And you’re very welcome, my dear.”
“I’ve heard of this place,” I said.
“Yes, this is Woodhaven’s homeless shelter. We’re here for whoever might need us.”
“I’m Mr. Covington,” the older gentleman said, holding out his hand. He was short and bald and had striking blue eyes.
Covington…This had to be Willow’s grandfather.
“I’m Grace,” I said, returning the gesture with my good hand. It was so weird shaking people’s hands with my left hand.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” he said.
“All right, Grace, the kettle is nearly boiled. I’ll have a nice hot mug of tea ready for you in just a minute. In the meantime, you can use the phone.”
“Thank you.” I turned toward the cordless phone mounted to the wall. I didn’t think anyone even had these anymore. So weird.
“Miss Hana, can I have some hot chocolate?” I spun around, my gaze landing on a small boy with disheveled blond hair and green eyes. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks.
“Of course, William. I’ll make a big batch. Can you gather everyone in the family room?”
“Sure,” he said with a big grin. Before leaving the kitchen, he stole a glance at me. “What happened to you?”
“I got caught out in the rain and my phone battery died. Luckily, I saw this place and Miss Hana let me come in and dry off and she’s going to let me use her phone to call my parents.”
“You should put it in a container with rice.” His eyes got big. “That fixed my mom’s phone. It got wet the last time we had to sleep outside.”
My heart pinged as he smiled again and then skipped off.
As Hana started pouring hot water into mugs, I grabbed the phone from the wall and dialed my mom’s cell phone number. Her voicemail picked up after eight rings.
Sighing, I dialed my dad. No answer on his end, either. I left a quick message, letting them know I was okay and where I was, then hung up the phone.
“Would it be okay if I stayed here until the rain ended?” I asked Hana. “My parents aren’t picking up.”