She smiled wryly. “As you can imagine, it’s the only Beaucoeur-based event that Carlisle enjoys.”
His eyes drifted to their boss’s closed door.
“It’s so strange,” he said in an undertone. “He’s so proud of the work we’re doing overseas, but point him a few blocks west of Big Dig HQ, andnothing.”
Savannah shrugged. “There’s no chance that he’ll bump into a celebrity looking for job retraining in Beaucoeur.” Her lips quirked. “Oh, did you hear? Ashton Kutcher’s giving the keynote speech at the foundation director conference in Chicago next month.”
“Seriously? What does Ashton Kutcher know about running a 501(c)(3)?”
“No idea.” She wrinkled her nose. “Anyway, Carlisle is from a different time. He doesn’t quite get the potential impact of the grants you’re working on.”
“And that’s why it’s good that I’m here.”
To his surprise, he meant every word of that. He’d been concerned that corporate life would bury him in red tape, swallow him whole, maybe even exposure him as a fraud who couldn’t hack it in a suit and tie. But those worries had receded to the background as he’d settled in and found a groove. Met people. Discovered that his new coworkers—most of them anyway—were welcoming and curious about his previous work experience and what he was building in the community. And now that he was getting out from behind his desk more often, he could almost describe himself as… fulfilled.
“My advice?” Savannah leaned closer and dropped her voice even more. “Don’t worry about what Carlisle’s saying about your programs. They’re just as important as everything else this office handles. He’ll come around.”
She smiled at him encouragingly before ducking back into her office, leaving Leo’s contentment to curdle around the edges. Who the fuck was Carlisle talking to about his grants? It must be bad enough if Savannah was mentioning it, although it wasn’t bad enough for their boss to actually sit down with him to address how to fix it.
His eyes narrowed on Carlisle’s shut door, and he considered barging in and getting it all out in the open, starting with how the guy had hated him on sight. But that would likely make things worse, so Leo did what he did best: he left the building.
Getting out of the office helped. He focused better in those interminable meetings if he knew he’d be able to use his body on a project later that day. And fuck Carlisle if he didn’t consider that an important part of the job. It was. It was meaningful work, and it made a difference. He knew that in his bones.
Like today, for instance. At Jobs Inc. he spent an hour shuffling desks around with Barrett, trading Beaucoeur High School memories the whole time. After that, he was free to visit BUILD.
The drive was short since the office sat at the outskirts of the warehouse district where the developers’ efforts to rehab old buildings stopped and the cheap strip malls and generic office buildings began. But it was within reasonable walking distance of two grade schools and a junior high, so the location made sense. And with the security cameras he’d had installed, he felt infinitely better about Faith coming and going at night.
About the whole staff coming and going at night, that was.
He pulled around back and clocked William’s 4Runner but not Faith’s battered Audi. He swallowed a pang of disappointment and reminded himself it was for the best. William hadn’t brought up his history with Faith since the cookout, but Leo knew his friend’s curiosity hadn’t been met, just like he knew he couldn’t possibly explain the snarl of emotions that being near her created. He didn’t hate her anymore, he’d never stopped wanting her, and he clammed up every time he had to watch her laughing with his friend. So it was good that she wasn’t there today because he had actual business to discuss.
Inside the BUILD office, half a dozen kids were sitting at the long worktables with books and notepads spread in front of them. Elaine and Jonah floated from student to student, pausing to point at something on a paper or to answer a question. A wave of emotion built in his chest. Faith did this, and he’d helped her keep it going. One of those kids might even be getting the math help he hadn’t known he needed at that age.
Leo waved to the two tutors he’d met at the gourd festival before tracking William down in his new office.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Grandpa Leo, come to check up on me.”
Leo grunted. “You’re older than I am, asshole.”
“You’re grouchier in Beaucoeur,” William said with a mournful shake of his head.
That wasn’t true; Leo was actually less stressed now than he’d been at POR where he’d juggled constantly shifting rosters of volunteer and inventory and travel schedules. But he’d been wearing hard-soled shoes and a tie all day while William was in a BUILD polo and hiking boots, and he probably knew what Faith was wearing, what she’d had for lunch. It was enough to make him a little growlier than usual, yes, but he chose to ignore William’s cheerful dig and jump into why he’d stopped by.
“I had a thought,” Leo said. “You’re nervous about running those overnight camping programs, so why don’t we do a dry run?”
“Hey, I’m never nervous.” William straightened indignantly. “But say more things about the dry run.”
Leo sat down and crossed one ankle over the other, linking his fingers over his stomach. “We do a two-day trek at Starved Rock with a couple of hand-selected kids to see how the planned activities go. Iron out the wrinkles before we throw it open to the students signing up for the program.”
“I like it,” William said. “Where do we find available kids?”
Leo held up a “one second” finger as he pulled out his phone and tapped out a text message. Within twenty seconds he had his answer. “We can take my nephews. You moved here with all your camping gear, right?”
“I did.” They grinned at each other. “So which of us is doing grocery shopping for five?”
“Six.”
They both turned to see Faith leaning against the doorframe.
