Page 39 of What We Break
"I don't always have the best sense of direction," she admits, wincing. "At least, not out in places like this. Put me in the center of Kuala Lumpur and I can get anywhere. But the trees and the dirt... it all looks the same."
"That's very cosmopolitan of you. I, meanwhile, would be completely lost in Kuala Lumpur."
"You'd be fine. You'd just make friends with everyone and they'd help you."
She's not wrong. "Okay, new deal. You follow my lead out here, and if we ever end up in a big city together, you're in charge. Division of labor."
"Deal."
She grins up at me, and for a second, all I can think is:Mine.
Whoa. Down, boy.
Shake it the fuck off. The last thing I need to do is go caveman on her. I don't want to chase her away by being a possessive weirdo on our second date.
"You do this kind of thing often?" she asks.
"Walk in the woods with beautiful, directionally challenged women? Can't say that I do."
She laughs again, and it's warm, and hits me right in the gut. "You're funny. Volunteer, I mean."
"Oh, that. Yeah, maybe once a month when he needs extra hands. You?"
"Yep. I like getting outside the hospital sometimes."
"Even on your day off?"
"Especially on my day off. Hospitals can be..." She pauses, thinking. "Reactive, I guess. People come to us when something's already wrong. This kind of work is more about preventing problems before they start."
We reach my truck, and I open the passenger door for her. "You know, most people would be annoyed about changing plans last minute."
"Are you annoyed?" she asks, climbing in.
"No. The opposite, actually."
"Then why would I be? We're still spending time together. We're just doing something useful while we do it. I mean, I love flowers, but they all kind of look the same after a while, don't they?"
"I thought it was just me!"
The Pine Street camp is tucked under a highway overpass about ten minutes from downtown. Not the prettiest spot, but it's dry and out of the wind. About a dozen tents and makeshift shelters, people starting to gather as Danny's van pulls up. I recognize a few faces from previous visits—Marcus with his Army jacket, Linda with her three cats, old Pete who always wants to talk about the Mariners.
Danny's already there when we pull up, unloading supplies from a beat-up van with "Community Outreach" painted on the side.
"Reid!" Danny waves us over, grinning wide. He's a big guy with graying hair and the kind of face that puts people at ease immediately. "And Laine! Good to see you again!"
Wait.Again?
"Hey Danny," she says, giving him a quick hug. "Nice to see you too!"
"You two know each other?" I look between them, completely thrown. "How do you—when did?—"
"Laine's been helping out for a few weeks now," Danny says, grinning. "When you said you were bringing backup, I had no idea it was going to be someone I already knew. This is perfect. Laine's more efficient than three of my regular volunteers combined."
I look at Laine, who's suddenly looking a little embarrassed. "You've been volunteering here?"
"Just a couple times," she says. "I heard about Danny's program through work. I didn't realize this is where we were coming."
"She's being modest," Danny says. "She's been here every week since she started coming."
