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“Anything, really. Data entry. Maybe some kind of IT something or other,” I answered. “This one is for managing a warehouse. I’m open to anything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, just… Aren’t you going to be bored?”
I shrugged again. I hadn’t really taken that into consideration.
“I did stuff like that after I resigned from active duty,” I justified.
“Yeah, but did you actually like it?”
“I liked it enough.”
She raised her eyebrows. She had a point. Working at a desk, even for the military, was mind-numbing. I did the same thing all day, every day, until I just couldn’t stand the thought of coming into that office and sitting down at my desk anymore.
“Maybe take some time and think about what you really want to do,” she offered.
“Steph, you were just on my case to get a job. Now you’re telling me to take my time. I can’t crash at your place forever, right?”
“You can stay here as long as you need to. But maybe not twenty-four seven,” she teased. “I just want you to be happy, Cindy.”
“Thanks,” I said with a small smile. I know she meant it. But as I turn back to my laptop and see the careers page from some tech company up on the screen, the room suddenly feels too small and really hot. I stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“I think I’m going to take another run.”
By mile four,I was starting to slow down. I was nearing the entrance to Heritage Park and walked along the river. Cheesy as it sounds, I was totally aware that I was literally running from my problems, and I was partly hoping that this was the moment where the universe sent me some sign from above telling me what I was supposed to do next.
I looked around to see some kids playing on the swings. A couple of older guys were playing chess. Someone had a boat out on the water in the distance. The whole scene was serene and familiar. But it still didn’t feel right to me. Something about Blue Creek didn’t feel like home anymore.
A ball landed at my feet and I jumped in surprise.
“Could you throw that back, please?” a boy’s voice asked.
I nodded, picked it up, and threw it back to the kid.
“Thanks.” This time, the voice was clearly coming from an adult. A man. And it was vaguely familiar. “Wait, Cindy?”
I shook some sense into myself and realized it was Carter Kane standing there, playing catch with the boy, who couldn’t have been more than six or seven.
“Carter, I didn’t know you had a kid,” I said.
“I don’t. This is Rex. He’s my neighbor,” Carter said, tossing the ball back to the young boy. He missed and ran after it. “Rex, say hi to my friend Cindy.”
“Hello,” he said, waving at me. I waved back.
“It’s nice you’re so close to your neighbor,” I told Carter. I wondered how well this neighbor knew Carter. He was a good guy, but he was basically an overgrown kid himself.
“Carter and my mommy are friends,” Rex informed me.
Rex threw the ball to Carter and he caught it easily. Carter lobbed it back and Rex reached for it but missed spectacularly.
“Ah,” I said, getting it. Carter was likely trying to hook up with this little boy’s mother. He was kind of a player like that. Normally, I might have found this all a little sleazy, but Carter did seem to genuinely be enjoying his time with the boy.
The game continued like that. Carter caught the ball, threw it to Rex, and Rex missed and chased after it.
