My charity grew from my experiences. I knew firsthand how difficult it could be to have a disabled or ill person in a home and try to fit in ramps, hospital beds, and equipment, which is why renovating homes to make them handicapped accessible was so important to me. “Why literacy?”
Hadley looked at each of us as if gauging interest before responding. “My brother, Colin, had a stutter when he was younger. He was teased in school, so my dad pulled him out and had him tutored until it stopped.”
I could feel the others’ eyes on us, but I couldn’t look away from Hadley. The way she’d straightened in her seat when Dylan mentioned the nonprofit. The way she’d glanced down at the table when she’d mentioned her dad’s reaction to her brother’s stutter.
“I think it’s important that kids have access to more services. Schools and teachers are overwhelmed with large class sizes and some parents can’t afford extra tutoring. We work with the schools to identify the kids who could use extra help and work with them in after school programs. It’s not just about speech therapy. It’s also about building their confidence, so they’re not afraid to answer questions in class or read out loud.”
“That’s amazing.” Her passion and drive were impressive.
“Thank you.” Hadley’s face flushed pink.
The waitress stopped at our table to take Dylan’s order. When she left Dylan said, “We wanted to brainstorm ideas to help with funding to make expanding Kids Speak a possibility here.”
“Cade runs a charity, Morrison Construction Rebuilds, so he might have some ideas. I convinced him to invite the local media to our next home reveal to gain attention and hopefully, more funding. We like to make a big production when the family sees their home for the first time,” Nolan said.
“I love that. What a great idea to gain attention.” Dylan leaned her elbows on the table.
“In the beginning, I funded it mostly myself. Adding small things to someone’s house was something my company could easily do, but then I go into full home renovations and that takes more money than my company can absorb on its own.” I loved talking about the Rebuilds program, brainstorming ideas to make it more successful and reach more people.
“I need to research the schools in the area and find out what their specific needs are first. Then once we have that information, we can approach possible donors,” Hadley said, thinking out loud.
“What’s the best way to approach donors?” Avery asked.
“You said you already opened it in New Orleans. How did you get it off the ground initially?” I asked.
Hadley’s face fell a little. “That was easy because my father and his business backed it. I didn’t need to beg for money. I approached schools and pitched the program. I hired people to staff the afterschool programs and a director to coordinate it while I’m here.”
“You never had to raise money?” I asked.
“From time to time, we hold dinners and balls to showcase our accomplishments and we do ask for donations there, but my dad’s been the main benefactor. It allowed me to focus on the program and not worry about money. I know I’ve been lucky in that way.”
“You know, it doesn’t make it any less impressive that you had an investor, even if it’s your father. As long as your program is making a difference, that’s all that matters. Why can’t you go to him now?” I asked.
“He’s threatened to withdraw his funding,” Avery said.
Hadley winced. “I don’t want to rely on him anymore. I want Kids Speak to run on its own.”
“I can understand that.” I wanted to ask why he was threatening to withdraw his funds from a charity which was doing so much good, but I didn’t. I sensed Hadley didn’t want to talk about her family troubles.
The waitress placed our plates in front of us. “It looks like everyone had the same idea. Crab cake sandwiches for everyone.”
I took a large bite of my crab cake and for the first time in a long time, the flavors burst in my mouth. It was like coming out of a coma and eating for the first time. It was that good. I opened my eyes and I caught Hadley watching me, her food forgotten on her plate. “It’s so good.”
“Looks like it,” Hadley teased.
I was embarrassed she’d noticed my reaction. I nodded at her sandwich. “Try it.”
“I don’t know about this. Everyone says you have to try the crab cakes once.” She took a tentative bite of her sandwich, her eyes widened in pleasure. I swallowed hard. “Mmm, that is good. Different than when I’ve had a crab cake elsewhere.”
Her joy in eating the sandwich made me think of other things—how she’d react if I kissed her or brought her to orgasm. I mentally shook my head to clear it and focus on the conversation.
“Oh, you can’t eat crab cakes out of state. I did that once and got sick,” Avery said.
“Just like you can’t eat a beignet outside of New Orleans,” Hadley said in agreement.
“Good luck finding them outside of New Orleans.” The banter in the group flowed smoothly as we ate and talked about what Hadley should see of the town and how to avoid the times downtown was busy with tourists.
I wanted to do more than talk about the best tourist spots. I wanted to show her. The realization stunned me a little. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to know everything about her. Why did she leave New Orleans when she had a successful nonprofit there?
“It’s a good thing you live within walking distance. You don’t have to worry about finding parking when it’s busy in the spring and summer,” Avery said.
“Oh, where do you live?” I asked Hadley. I wanted to know more about her but didn’t want to seem overeager.
“I rent a small apartment overlooking the water. It’s exactly what I needed. Simple is
