Flipping the Switch by Brigham Vaughn
FIFTEEN
“I don’t like you being gone so much.” Mike’s caustic words greeted Tony the moment he returned to the farmhouse.
“I know. But I told you, Dad,” Tony said with a sigh. “I’m seeing someone and I spent the night at his place.”
“You said you’d be back early today.”
“No,” he said as patiently as he could manage. “I said I had no idea when I’d be back. Was there something you urgently needed? Mary texted me earlier to let me know you’d had breakfast and lunch and had your meds.”
His father frowned. “No. I just don’t like it when you’re gone.”
Tony swallowed hard. “Well, you’re going to have to get used to the idea. I am going to be gone more in the future. I got offered a woodworking job.”
“Isn’t what you do out there in the barn enough?”
“It’s not,” Tony said. “And this is a big deal. A new restaurant is going in downtown and they’d like me to build a custom bar. It’s going to be a real showpiece. The whole place is going to be amazing, with a wooden bar as the centerpiece of the entire restaurant and they want me to make it.”
“You can’t just do shit like this for free, Tony. You’ll never get anywhere like that.”
He snorted. “I wasn’t planning on it. They’re actually paying me a substantial amount.” He named a price that made his dad’s head whip around.
“What was that?”
Tony repeated the number, feeling a touch smug. “This commission is a big deal. I’m not saying I want to do a lot of commercial stuff, but I’d love to do a few projects like this here and there when I’ve got time.”
“You can’t let it take away from work here. That’s what matters.”
Tony swallowed back the hurt. “It’s not all that matters to me.”
“Well, it should be.”
“No, it shouldn’t!”
His dad reared back at the volume of his voice. “What was that, son?”
“I said, it’s not all that matters to me. It never has been. This was your dream. Not mine. I want to be a woodworker.”
“It’s a hobby.” His dad waved dismissively. “Nothing more.”
“No, it’s a career,” Tony insisted. “Did you not hear how much they offered me for my work?”
“That’s a one-off—”
“No, it isn’t,” Tony said furiously. “It isn’t a one-off. My work is good. Do you know how much I make a year at it?” He spat out another number, and that one made his dad’s eyes widen. “I know you think this is just some stupid thing I do for fun, but it’s a real, thriving business, or it would be if you’d let me do it.”
“Well, who in the hell is going to run the business I started?”
Tony crossed his arms. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe Keira.”
“She doesn’t know how to run a business.”
“How would you know? You haven’t been involved in the business in years. Keira and I are the ones in there every day keeping it running. The last time you were there, Keira was just filling in temporarily, but she knows her shit. It wouldn’t be doing half as well without her.”
“Why are you acting like this?” His father scowled. “Is that man you’re seeing telling you you’re not good enough because of what you do? Your mother always used to—”
“No!” Tony said furiously. “They’re not telling me that.”
“They? Is this some of that gender stuff that everyone’s talking about?”
Tony’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even realized what had come out of his mouth. “No. I’m involved with two people actually.”
“What now?”
“Two guys. Logan and Jude.” Oops, maybe shouldn’t have mentioned their names. They weren’t really generic names like his, where there were probably a dozen Anthonys in the Pendleton area. Too late to take it back now though.
“And what, you’re screwing around on them both?”
“No!” Jesus, it felt like that was all Tony had been yelling since he got home. “No, they know about each other. Well, I mean, all three of us are involved together.”
“I don’t know what kind of shit you’re involved with but—”
“I’m involved with two kind, decent men.” Tony’s throat tightened with emotion. “Lately, they’ve done more to support me and my career than you ever have.”
“I don’t know what kind of nonsense this is, but I want it to stop.”
Tony’s rage boiled over. “You don’t get to decide that for me. I’m a grown man. I choose who I date. Not you.”
“What the hell has gotten into you?” Mike asked with a scowl.
“I’ve finally grown a backbone,” he snapped. “I’m tired as hell of you telling me what I can and can’t do. You need to stop treating me like a child. I care about these guys, and I want to have some life of my own. You can disapprove of it all you want, but it isn’t going to change anything.”
Tony turned and strode out of the room, his father’s shocked noises of protest fading into the distance as he jogged up the stairs to his bedroom.
He was breathing hard when he slammed the door behind him, less from the exertion than the emotional turmoil raging within him. He flopped onto his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to take a few deep breaths.
He reached for his phone without thinking twice, bringing up his contacts. The three of them had ditched communicating through the kink app and created a group text. It made Tony feel like he mattered. Like they wanted to be sure that he could get ahold of them if he needed it.
Well, he did now. His fingers flew over the keyboard.
I kinda outed myself and our relationship to my dad.
The response was almost immediate.
Logan: Are you okay?
Jude: What happened??
Tony typed up a short version of the conversation, then added: Are you mad? He knows your first names.
Jude: Hell no! I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. Do you need anything?
Tony: No, I’m okay.
Logan: Of course I’m not mad. Are you sure you don’t need anything though? Any time you need to get away, feel free to come to my place.
The message was followed with the address of where he was staying. Tony felt the kindness of their words gather into a warm ball in his chest.
Jude: You know that offer stands for me too. Any time. Day or night.
Tony: You guys are the best.
Logan: Here for you in any way you need me.
Jude: Ditto.
Tony thanked them, then told them he needed to get some work done. It was true, sort of. He did need to head into the main office but not immediately. Right now, he just needed a moment to think about the blowup with his dad.
He rolled onto his side and stared out of the window, not really seeing the big old oak tree that had just about lost all its leaves for the season.
He’d had such a good night with the guys. And this morning had been nice, talking with them, getting to know them better. He’d been excited about the project for Jude’s restaurant and the chance to do something to move his life forward.
And then his father had shit all over it.
Tony was almost glad for the fight, though. It had felt good to finally say some of those things aloud, and he felt a little smug that his father was shocked by how well he was doing. That’ll show him.
But what he really wanted was for his dad to be excited for him. Sure, Tony had impressed him with how much money he made at his woodworking, but it felt a little hollow.
He was impressed by the money, not by what Tony had created. Deep down, his dad might love him but it didn’t matter what he did or how much he accomplished; it was never going to be enough.
So why did Tony care anymore? He was an adult. Why did he keep trying to make his dad change his mind? He should just admit their relationship would never get better and do whatever the hell he wanted.
