Page 84 of Backward Motion

“As well as it could have,” Sam said, carving up the meat. “I’m sure you’re enjoying the peace and quiet.”

“We loved having you, Sam,” his mother protested, elbowing his father. “Didn’t we, David?”

His father nodded reluctantly. “But it’s nice to have your mother’s little creations back in their own room. I was tired of picking sequins out of my socks.”

Connor returned with the uncorked wine and poured some for the table then pulled out the chair beside Sam and sat down.

Sam’s mom raised her glass. “I have to admit, these past few months have been a whirlwind. But a wonderful whirlwind. I’m so happy for you both.”

Sam glanced over at Connor, who was looking back at him.

“So here’s to your new place, and here’s to new beginnings,” his mother said.

“To new beginnings.” Connor leaned forward to touch glasses with Sam’s mom and dad. Then he turned to Sam, their glasses clinking. “Thanks for taking a chance on me,” he murmured.

Sam recalled that first meeting in the office, nervously handing his résumé over to the handsome electrician with kind eyes and a firm handshake. “Ditto,” he said with a smile.

Epilogue

“Wait, so we’re standing in the bed of the truck?” Sam asked. “That can’t be safe.”

“Ernesto will be going, like, two miles an hour. We’ll be fine,” Connor assured him, fixing the last of the balloons to the tailgate.

Ernesto was their newest employee, and while he was a little older than the average electrical apprentice, they’d been incredibly lucky to find him. He’d moved from out of state and had already completed three years of training under the supervision of his old employer. The man had been an enormous help over the past year, what with Connor barely able to keep up with the onslaught of jobs.

With Sam at the helm as manager, the business had gone from strength to strength. He’d used Connor’s win at the business awards to drum up publicity, and several local news networks had picked up the story of the young, dedicated electrician from Oakdale. Now they were getting calls as far out as Kearney. When Ernesto’s indirect supervision card was approved, Connor had bought a new truck so he could send Ernesto out on small jobs alone—the same truck that was currently decorated with crepe paper and balloons for the We Love Oakdale appreciation parade. At Sam’s recommendation, they’d rebranded, updating the old logo and kitting out the van in sleek signage while also commissioning a set of uniforms in navy and white.

It was Mayor Greenfield who’d approached Sam about being a part of the parade, which was a tribute to Oakdale’s community spirit.It was the first time Finnegan’s Electrical had ever been asked to participate. When Sam asked Connor about the parade, framing it as the perfect opportunity to showcase what they’d accomplished in the last year, Connor’s thoughts had jumped to his father on instinct. Not that the old man was in the habit of passing judgment these days. He’d relinquished his hold on the business and taken up online chess instead. It kept him busy and out of everyone’s hair and supplied ample conversation for their regular Sunday-night dinners, in which Sam was an avid participant. Connor and his father still didn’t talk much, though now that his dad was less concerned with what Connor wasn’t, he seemed more interested in who he was.

“I don’t pretend to know how this works,” his father said to him once when Sam was out of earshot.

Connor had fought the urge to retort, “What’s that, Dad? Love?”

“But he’s a good kid, and he seems to make you happy,” his father continued.

And Connor had simply nodded. It was the truth, after all.

After taking over the business, Connor had felt the responsibility as a heavy weight on his shoulders. But with Sam onboard, it started feeling more like a project, a dream they were building together. He’d taken what his father had given him and was shaping it into something he could call his own.

And Sam loved nothing more than a good project. In addition to his role as manager, he had been working with Brian on a spinoff series based on his friend’s graphic novel and had approached a handful of offbeat publishers to get it in print. Sometimes Connor worried Sam was taking on too much. But Sam was getting better at knowing his limits and respecting them, even if he still needed the occasional reminder.

Connor looked over at Sam, who was eyeing the height of the truck bed as if making some shrewd calculation of the potential risk.He couldn’t help but laugh and bent to kiss Sam on the forehead. “It’s going to be fine. Ernesto is an excellent driver.”

“Why am I doing this again?” Sam asked with a pout.

“Because it was your idea, remember? You wanted us to showcase the business,” Connor explained for the umpteenth time, smoothing Sam’s frown with the pad of his thumb. “And you are a big part of this business.”

“Yeah, well, I prefer to remain behind the scenes.” Sam shot a nervous look at the growing number of floats pulling up along the road as they waited for the parade to get started.

Then Connor realized perhaps it wasn’t the fear of falling from a moving vehicle that was behind his boyfriend’s reluctance. “What’s really bothering you about this, Sam?” he prodded gently. “Getting up in front of the crowd?”

Sam glanced at him, his eyes guarded, and Connor knew he’d hit the nail on the head. “It hasn’t exactly gone well before.”

Connor resisted the urge to scoop him up into a hug. Sam was wearing a matching pair of overalls withFinnegan’sembroidered across the right breast pocket and looked way too adorable to be this worried. “If I’ve learned anything from you, it’s that life is too short to give a shit what other people think.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Look at you, all caution to the wind. I’ve created a monster.”

“But seriously, if you don’t want to do it, just say the word. I’m not going to make you.”