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Mason laughed. He kissed Jack lightly and stood. “Are you going to join me?”
“Yes, and I’m bringing Jack so get your mind out of the gutter. We’re showering to get clean and nothing else.”
“Right,” Mason said, and he walked off chuckling.
11
The next day when Mason and Gray had both left for work, Jack didn’t allow himself to go back to bed. Cooking was easier than trying to figure out how to use his skills talking to kids so he made Mason’s favorite cookies—oatmeal chocolate chip with Hershey’s bars on top. He’d intended to make Gray a cake, but he was out of breath from standing up long enough to get the cookies made. He allowed himself a nap on the couch, but after lunch, he got back into the kitchen and made the cake. By the time he finished, he was worn out again. He’d planned to make dinner, but since he hadn’t been doing the shopping there wasn’t much to work with, and he was afraid he’d fall over if he attempted to stay upright much longer. As it turned out Mason and Gray were happy to have cake and cookies for dinner with ice cream on the side.
Each day he got stronger. His trainer was an evil bastard, but Jack kept meeting his challenges and pushing himself to take even more. Now that he was feeling better, he cooked and baked so much that even with Gray’s ability to eat like a beast and never gain weight, he was making more food than the three of them could eat. He needed to do something with it. There were only somany neighbors who needed a plate of cookies or a pound cake, so he started considering other options.
Cooking and kids. A youth shelter.
He grabbed his phone, opened up the browser, and searched for the phone number for the Bull City Youth Center. He’d done a personal safety program there several years ago and remembered that the youths who stayed there were required to help in the kitchen. Maybe they needed volunteers to bring in food. He might even be able to teach a cooking class. He typed the number in and then hesitated. Would he really be able to help needy kids when he was so unsure of himself?
They’re unsure too. They’d rather talk to someone real than someone who seems to have all the answers.
He sighed. That was probably true. He imagined how thrilled Gray and Mason would be when he told them he’d found a potential way to make a difference. Then he imagined telling them he was too chicken to call. Nope. That wouldn’t go over well. With a shaky hand, he tapped ‘call’.
“Bull City Youth Center. How may I help you?”
The man on the phone sounded cheerful and very young. Jack wondered if he was a volunteer or someone who worked at the shelter full time.
“Hi, I’m interested in volunteering, specifically with making meals.”
“That’s great. We have a few volunteer training sessions coming up and?—”
“Could I maybe come by today and talk to you in person?”
“Um…well, that would be great too. My name’s Andy. I’m the director. Our phone volunteer couldn’t make it today so I’ve been stuck in the office, but let me see when I could meet with you.” Jack heard sounds he imagined to be the man rustling stuff on his desk. “Tell me a little more about yourself and how you got interested in our center.”
“My name’s Jack Abney. I’m a police officer, but I’m on medical leave and I’ve got to get out of the house. I wanted to see if I could do some volunteering during the rest of my time off.”Or until I figure out what the fuck I’m going to do if they won’t have me back or if I keep having panic attacks every time I think about putting on my uniform again.
“We have to do a lot of screening of volunteers for obvious reasons, but if I can get some of that data from your supervisor, we should be able to speed up the process. Can you come in at eleven to talk more and get a tour?”
“Sure. I’ll see you then.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to meeting you, Jack.”
Jack ended the call and took a deep breath. That hadn’t been so difficult. Now he just had to figure out the bus schedule to get himself to his appointment. He still hadn’t been cleared to drive. Mason was in class, and Gray had a full caseload. His heart rate accelerated for a moment as he imagined the dangers Gray could be facing right at that moment. Part of the reason he’d closed himself off from his lovers for so long was the fear he might grab Gray and refuse to let him walk out the door. When he and Gray had been partners, they’d faced those scary moments together. Now, he understood how spouses felt when their husbands or wives walked into danger every day. No wonder so many cops’ families couldn’t handle it.
Getting showered, dressed, and walking to the bus stop took almost all the energy Jack had left after his morning workout. He hoped he wouldn’t look like a sickly mess when he met Andy. At least the day was cool, almost too cool for the t-shirt he’d put on.
He got off the bus a few blocks from the center, and he had to sit down on a bench and rest before he could manage the walk. Maybe he’d pushed himself a bit too hard with the weights today, but he was determined to get back to normal.
Despite his exhaustion, he made it to his appointment on time, and he was even breathing steadily enough to talk when he walked through the door.
There was a young woman at the front desk who couldn’t have been older than twenty. Jack guessed she was a college student volunteer. “Can I help you?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’m Jack Abney. I’m here to see Andy. I have an appointment.”
She clicked a few keys on her keyboard and nodded. “Do you have some ID?”
He pulled out his badge, and her eyes widened.
“I’m here because I want to volunteer. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Oh, okay. That’s good. You can walk on back. His office is at the end of the hall.”
