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They were cute together. What must it be like to have an easy, uncomplicated love? To sit down and kiss your boyfriend openly without guilt, regret, or secrets holding you back?
“How long have you two been dating?” I asked.
“About three months,” Maverick said. “Do you have someone?”
“No, not—”
“Kit,” Damon said at the same time, then looked surprised. “I thought you two…”
“It’s complicated.”
“Oh no, the dreaded C word,” Maverick said with a chuckle. “My condolences.”
“Thanks.” I picked a doughnut out of the box and took a bite. It was a caramel-drizzled glazed doughnut. Damon went straight for the chocolate, I noticed. Maverick seemed to like the jelly-filled ones.
“So, I don’t know if I ever asked what your day job was?” Damon said.
I swallowed. “Oh, um, I just work at a pet store right now. I’ve just kinda been trying to find the right fit.” I shrugged, my face warm. Damon and Maverick—who was a florist—seemed to have their lives together. It made me hyperaware that my life was going nowhere fast. I liked the pet store better than the print shop, but it was just a way to get a paycheck and stay in Matteo’s good graces. I couldn’t imagine doing it forever.
“Hang in there,” Maverick said. “You never know what might light a spark in you.”
“Not sure I have a spark,” I said with an awkward chuckle.
“You seem to really like volunteering for New Horizons,” Damon said.
“Yeah, but that’s different. I get to help people who’ve had something terrible happen to them, you know? It’s bigger than me. Plus, the reno work is kind of fun. Transforming the space into something that will make a home safer and more comfortable? It just feels good.”
Damon nodded. “I get it. Scott Construction has always tried to be a good community partner, but until Dakota called, we were never involved in something like this.”
“It’s pretty special,” Maverick said, eyeing us.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“So maybe you’re not so far from figuring out what you want to do after all,” he suggested.
I blinked. “You mean nonprofit work? Or construction?”
He shrugged. “That’s for you to figure out. If you like what you’re doing here, though, surely there’s a way to turn it into more.”
Could Maverick be right? Could I find work that did the kind of good New Horizons did? It sounded too good to be true. A job I cared about, a job that could pay it forward and continue to put good into the world after the pain I’d inflicted. That was everything I could ever want.
“That’s an interesting idea,” I said, heart beating a little faster. “I’ll have to look into it.”
Damon grinned. “My man is the smartest.”
Maverick rolled his eyes, but he smiled, looking pleased.
We got back to work, but my whole body continued to buzz with the possibilities.
No job had ever appealed to me like the work I did for New Horizons did. I was afraid to get my hopes up, because what if I couldn’t find a way to turn it into employment? I didn’t have the qualifications to work for a nonprofit. But even if I got to join a crew like Scott Construction, I could contribute to projects like this one—and continue to volunteer with more skills.
Maybe, with enough time and experience, I could give back to the world the way I wanted and decrease my karma debt a little.
Suddenly, there was a road forward. A path to my future. I’d never had that before.
My phone buzzed with a text just after six. I paused work to check the screen.
Kit:
