More Than Words: Acts of Kindness: Whispers of the Heart\It's Not About the Dress\The Princess Shoes by Brenda Jackson

Author:Brenda Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

FOUR

CHLOE HID A YAWN behind her hand, a result of her early morning wake-up, and flipped through the pile of papers in front of her, looking for any mention of a delivery pickup from Melinda’s Bridal Shop. “These receipts are from two weeks ago,” she announced.

“We’re running a little behind,” Terri said, “but working at a good pace. See these account numbers listed at the bottom of the receipts? Each one represents an agency that received a parcel of the clothes or items on that receipt. In other words, all of the things listed on this receipt have already been distributed. We just have to make sure the paperwork accurately reflects what was taken and what was sent out or retained.”

“Retained?”

“That means it couldn’t be shipped out for some reason—maybe it was out of season or in disrepair, a pair of shoes was mismatched, or something like that.”

“Wow, you keep a close eye on what comes in and what goes out,” Chloe remarked, thinking that even if she found her wedding dress, she’d still have to figure out a way to get it out of there. According to Andy’s information, unless the agencies experienced a sudden demand for wedding gowns, she had less than two weeks to find the dress.

But if they were two weeks behind processing paperwork in the office, the dress would be gone by the time the receipt from Melinda’s Bridal Shop crossed her desk.

“Our funding depends on good record keeping,” Terri said, breaking into Chloe’s thoughts. “We’d rather be slow and accurate.”

“Are employees and volunteers allowed to take clothes home?”

Terri shook her head. “The donated items are strictly for clients.”

“Are they allowed to buy things?”

Again, the woman shook her head. “It’s important that no one has the opportunity to profit from the items that are donated to Windfall. We have signed contracts with our agencies that they will provide clothing free of charge to those in need.”

It was a simple, effective idea, Chloe acknowledged—matching manufacturer and retailer overstock to agencies through a clearinghouse that ensured the items went where they were most needed. The donors received tax write-offs on products that might otherwise wind up in landfills; the agencies and shelters received much-needed items to satisfy the ever-increasing demand. Even more remarkable, the organization relied solely on private donations and fund-raising events.

“How long have you been working here?” Chloe asked Terri.

“About eight years now. Every year Windfall has grown, and unfortunately, so has the need.”

Terri appeared to be one of a handful of full-time employees, and the woman was dedicated to Windfall. It was clear she put in more hours than a standard workweek simply out of love for the organization.

Chloe continued sorting invoices by date. “How long has Andy been here?”

“That’s a good question. I’m not sure—he was here when I started, and it seems as if he’s always around.”

The door to the office opened and Terri said, “Speak of the devil.”

Chloe looked up to see the man whose face had plagued her dreams last night.

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