Page 32 of Heart of a Hero

Conrad licked his thumb and ran it over the bottom. “Wow.”

“What?”

“See how heavy this is? It’s bronze, and there’s a patina under all this dust and grime. How much is it?” Conrad looked it over and found an old price on the bottom. “40 bucks.”

“I like it.” Forrest carried it with him as they continued wandering. Conrad went to one of the booths in the second aisle, full of Lego sets. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” He looked them over carefully, picking one up and checking the price. “I’ve been looking for this one. I have the other two in the series, but I never got the green robot.” He was thrilled for both of them.

The place was largely empty, and Conrad took Forrest’s arm. When he did, Forrest sighed and smiled over at him. “I’m always worried about public displays of affection, and yet when you do something this simple, I feel… I don’t know, more grounded and cared for. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I feel it too,” Conrad told him. They checked out the basement. They were alone down there, and with very little worth looking at, they spent the time exploring together, the energy building as their furtive looks grew more bold and heated. Just before they climbed the stairs, Conrad was about to wrap Forrest in his arms when he hesitated and went up alone with Forrest behind him. Once he reached the top, he stepped off the stairs as Lester approached. Fucking great. Just what they needed.

“Hey, Lester,” Conrad said a little loudly to make sure Forrest knew he was there. Then Conrad continued to where he stood near the checkout counter.

“Conrad,” he said rather flatly. “What are you doing here? Buying something for your kid?” he asked, looking at the box.

He shrugged, not willing to give anything away. Lester got under his skin sometimes, but he refused to let that happen today. “Just poking around. You know how it is. Sometimes you find something special.”

“I hear people like you like to go poking around.”

Conrad rolled his eyes, and it took all his willpower not to snap at Lester. Instead, he took a steady breath and just let it go. He was determined to be the bigger man. Not that it was too difficult with Lester. He put his purchase on the counter and waited until Lester wandered off before paying. Forrest approached once Lester was down the aisle and out of sight. He paid as well, and they scurried out of the store and to his car, then pulled out of the lot.

“I hate skulking around,” Forrest said.

“I know. I keep wondering if we’re doing something wrong. Maybe we are, I don’t know. I haven’t been in the closet for years now, and I feel like I’m right back there and it’s weird. I know I’m not and we’re being careful and circumspect for good reason.” It was for Lizzie, and because he didn’t want Forrest to suffer at work. It was also for him in a way, because of Lester. “But I don’t know what to do about it.”

Forrest sighed. “I don’t know either, but I keep hoping that something will present itself.”

Conrad hoped it showed itself pretty damned soon.

Chapter 13

“HAVE YOU heard anything about your interview?” Forrest asked.

Conrad shook his head. “Not yet. I asked about the position again and was told that the partners are still discussing it, which means that they can’t make a decision and it’s just dragging out. And that probably also means they are taking Lester as a serious candidate. Which is a complete joke.” He shifted closer to Forrest and rested his head on his shoulder. It was the Thursday before Thanksgiving and the last time they were going to see each other until after the holiday. Forrest was spending Thanksgiving with his family, and of course Conrad had plenty of obligations.

“I get it, but there isn’t anything that can be done about it.”

“No. Lester isn’t qualified, but I can’t be the one to bring that to their attention. If I do, then it will look bad. But someone has to. This isn’t just about me but about the firm. Lester would be a disaster. They could decide to hire from outside the firm, but it would take someone months to get up to speed. All the extra work will land on me no matter what they decide.” It was clear that Conrad was becoming anxious, and if he were honest, Forrest was nervous for him. He knew Conrad wanted this so badly and he wished he could help him.

Forrest put his arm around Conrad as they lay together. “I wish I could see you this weekend.”

“Yeah, me too. But Mom is going to New York, and I’m going to have Lizzie.” Conrad sighed.

“Hey. None of that. You’ll be spending time with her, and that’s important. Sometimes I feel like I’m taking you away from her, and I don’t want to do that. You need some daddy time. I’ll be fine, and once school lets out on Wednesday, I’m hitting the road. I haven’t seen my folks in a while, and I need to see them.” He hugged Conrad closer. “It will be all right.”

“Are you saying that for me or for you?” Conrad asked.

Forrest shrugged. “Maybe for both of us.” It was amazing how quickly he had come to rely on Conrad. When they were together it was wonderful. Conrad listened to him, and they could talk about anything. But when they were apart, he kept thinking about Conrad, even wondering what he was doing. And they spent a lot of time apart.

He checked the time and pushed back the covers. “I should go. Lizzie is going to be back from her art class soon.” It was like he had an internal clock that told him when their time was over.

“I suppose.” Conrad kissed him, and after they dressed, Conrad saw him to the door. “I’ll call you.”

“And we can text.” Forrest kissed him one last time and then stepped out into the night. “We could even naughty text once the kid is in bed.”

Conrad wasn’t sure how that would work, but he snickered and felt his cheeks redden. Then he watched Forrest walk to his car and waited for Lizzie and his mother to come home.