Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
Walker
Ker ambled down the sidewalk, sipping his coffee. It was a short walk to A Helping Hand, and he enjoyed the bright sunshine and the crisp breeze coming in from the harbor. It was definitely chillier than it had been a week or two ago, and soon he’d have to pull out a heavier coat from his collection of winter clothes. Even though he enjoyed working at the community kitchen, hopefully soon to be more of an outreach center, it wasn’t really how he’d prefer to spend his Saturdays. He’d much rather sleep in and then do something fun on the weekend. But it was his own fault. Volunteering kept him busy and helped keep the negative urges at bay. He really didn’t want to start using again.
Almost a year ago, he’d had a real scare. He’d started drinking more heavily than usual, in part to try and keep himself from going back to taking opioids, but trading one addiction for another wasn’t the answer. It was a daily struggle. Fortunately, regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings and the support of his sponsor helped, but some days were harder than others. One Saturday it got so bad he actually went out to try to score some oxy but chickened out at the last minute. That was a wake- up moment for him, as the following Monday, the construction company where he worked as a project manager did a random drug test on all their employees. If he’d succeeded in buying—and using—over the weekend, he would have been in deep trouble.
That’s when he decided he needed to keep busier and started volunteering at A Helping Hand. Plus, there were a few folks who came in for a hot meal that Ker knew were using just by looking at them. It was something in their eyes. He never passed judgment on them, but seeing those people come in reminded him how close he always was to ending up in a similar situation.
He thought back to the incident that had turned him to drugs; maybe he never should have decided on a career in construction since that’s how he started in the first place. He’d been working construction back in the Fitchburg area the summer he finished college, and he’d suffered an injury after falling from a scaffold. At the time, he had liked the feeling he got when he took oxycodone, so even once he started feeling better, he continued to ask for new prescriptions. When that failed, he went to different doctors, getting pills as often as he could. Years later when he moved to Plymouth, he was able to find a dealer or two that he could buy from when he relapsed.
Friends at the time noticed that he wasn’t acting like himself, so they staged an intervention. Even though he tried to deny it, eventually he broke down and admitted he had a problem. He checked himself into a rehab facility, and thanks to that, a very supportive counselor, and a dedicated group of friends, he’d managed to stay sober for many years.
He shook his head, bringing him back to the present. He’d been given another chance, and he was determined to make the most of it. He tossed his now-empty coffee cup in the trash can in A Helping Hand’s parking lot and walked through the back door. He smiled at the bustle of activity going on in the kitchen. He didn’t see Joyce but noticed a mound of dirty dishes near the sink, so he grabbed an apron and got to washing. He could always pivot to something else if Joyce asked him to.
He noticed Dean chatting with a man he’d not seen before. A new volunteer, perhaps? Tall, with black hair, dark eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Definitely easy on the eyes. I hope he decides to stick around. He nodded hello to Dean as the two men approached him.
“Hey, Ker,” Dean said. “This is Ashton. He’s a new volunteer. Ash, this is Walker.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ker said, waving a soapy hand at him.
“Same,” Ash said, waving back since they couldn’t shake hands.
Just then, Joyce returned and said, “Done with the vegetables, guys? Do you think you could turn that into a pot of soup, Ash? Or do you need my help?”
“I think I can handle it,” Ash said. The tone of his voice left no doubt that he could take on the task. “Do you have some canned tomatoes and maybe some beans? That would help bump it up.”
“We sure do,” Joyce replied, relief spreading across her face. “Dean, can you show Ash where the stuff is in the pantry? I’m sure there are some boxes of ditalini pasta in there if you want. Use whatever you think you need. Ker, when you’re done with those”—she gestured toward the sink—“can you slice up the bread to go with lunch? Then I’ll probably have you and Ash dish out the soup so he can get a feel for how the serving line works.”
“Sure, boss.” Ker smiled.
The rest of the morning passed quickly, and Ker had a smile on his face, thinking about how he’d get to spend time working next to Ash later. Suddenly, volunteering there didn’t seem so bad after all.
“Great job today, folks,” Joyce told them as they were putting on their coats. “And the soup was delicious, Ash.” She smiled and patted his shoulder. “I hope you’re planning to come back.”
“Definitely,” Ash said. “I’m happy to help out. Not sure of my schedule this week, but I’ll be here next Saturday for sure.”
Dean turned to Ash. “A couple of us are going out for coffee if you’d like to join us?”
“Sure, thanks.” Dean, Ker, and another guy who introduced himself to Ash as Mack all headed out the door, and Ash followed.
Except for a few exchanges about serving up the soup and such, Ker really hadn’t had a chance to talk to Ash very much, so he held back a little to walk next to him. “Do you live here in Plymouth?” It was a feeble way to start a conversation, but he didn’t know how else to engage him.
“No, I’m from Hawthorne Bluff,” Ash replied. “I take it you live here?”
“Yeah, originally from Fitchburg, but I’ve been here for almost ten years now. I’m a project manager for a local construction company. What do you do?”
“I’m a detective with the Hawthorne Bluff Police Department.”
“Oh, really? That’s cool.” Ker tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice but wasn’t sure how successful he was. Thankfully, he’d never been arrested for buying illegal drugs, but it tended to make him wary of law enforcement. He was probably just being paranoid. There was no way Ash could know that he’d been a user in the past.
When they reached the coffee shop, they placed their orders and snagged a table near the front window.
“So, what do you guys do when you’re not volunteering at A Helping Hand?” Ash asked Dean and Mack.
“I have my own carpentry business in town,” Mack said. “I do mostly small jobs for folks, repairs and things like that. But I’ve done a remodel or two in my time as well.”
“I’m a mechanic at Thompson’s Garage,” Dean replied. “When I first moved to Plymouth a couple of years ago, I was down on my luck, and A Helping Hand was there for me. When I finally got things together, I decided to give back.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ker said, looking at Dean. “I think it’s great that you’re paying it forward.” Dean blushed and sipped at his cappuccino.
Mack glanced at his watch and said, “Shit, I didn’t realize how late it is. I gotta go. I promised my neighbor I’d stop by and talk about a project she wants to do in her house.”
“I should go too,” Dean announced as he stood. Both guys left, leaving Ash and Ker drinking their coffee.
“So, how long have you been volunteering at A Helping Hand?” Ash asked.
“Just about a year now.” Ker debated whether or not to say more. Ah, well, better to get it out in the open now. “Look, I’ll be honest with you. I, um … well, I had some personal problems and did some things I’m not proud of. I narrowly escaped being terminated from my job only because I chickened out of doing something extremely stupid at the last minute. That’s when I decided to do better with my life. I started volunteering and seeing a counselor to help me with my issues; I love being able to give back to the community, and it helps to keep me busy and out of trouble.” Ker smiled shyly.
“Wow, that’s great.” Ash said. “Well, not that you had some problems, but that you got some help and figured out some options to turn things around. Not everyone can admit when they need help.”
“Yeah. I’m so grateful I’ve been given another chance.”
“Hey, it’s none of my business what you did, so I’m not gonna ask. But if you ever want to talk, I’m a really good listener.” Ash’s tone was sincere.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Ker smiled, relieved that he didn’t have to say more at this point. “So, tell me more about you. You’re a cop, um … I mean detective, and you live in Hawthorne Bluff. Since we’re gonna be volunteering together, what else should I know?”
“Let’s see … I’ve lived in Hawthorne Bluff all my life. My parents were killed in a car accident in Europe when I was eight, so I was raised by my aunt and uncle. My three cousins are more like brothers to me, and we love to give each other a hard time about pretty much anything. Finn works at Hawthorne Bluff Bank and Trust, Court’s a lieutenant in the fire department, and Mitch owns a gourmet wine and food shop in town.”
“I’m so sorry about your folks.” Ker couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice. As difficult as his relationship with his own family was, he couldn’t imagine losing them at such an early age.
“Thanks. As tough as it was, my aunt and uncle raised me in a very loving home. I was so lucky to have them.” Ash paused, sipping his coffee. “And what about you?”
“As I said, I moved here about a decade ago from Fitchburg, where I grew up. My folks still live there along with a younger sister, Sharon. She and I get along great, but there’s some tension between my folks and me. I came out to them when I was in college, and we had some heated discussions about that, but after many conversations with both my sister and me, they understand that I’m the same person I always was, so my sexuality isn’t a problem for them now.” Ker smiled wistfully. “But they’re still not happy that I moved away. They expected me to take over my dad’s business. He owns a small chain of grocery stores, and my folks couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to take over running them. Honestly, I could never see myself working retail for the rest of my life. And while I didn’t get into it for the money, I earn a good living in construction, and I love what I do. But my parents, especially my dad, never could understand that.” Ker didn’t mention that his folks also wanted to be able to keep a closer eye on him. Admitting he had a drug problem had been so much scarier than telling them he was gay.
“I’m sorry, Ker. That’s really too bad about the job situation. But at least your folks got over the fact that you’re gay.”
“Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad. Although still being single and over forty isn’t really anything to brag about,” Ker admitted.
“I know what you mean. Finn tells me all the time that since I date both women and men, I should have found someone a long time ago. He can be such an ass!”
Ker cackled. “He’s right, though.” Well, well. Ash is bi. This just got so much more interesting.
“Jeez, don’t tell him that,” Ash chuckled.