by Trina Solet
"So you'll sell?"
"I might have to, but I own it jointly with Ace. My aunt is not in charge of Ace's stake in the house. One of Mom and Dad's friends is. He would have to give permission for the sale to happen." Theo still doubted he could find a buyer, but there was another obstacle. "If I give my aunt the money, I would only have her word that she would give up on Ace. That means I can't give her anything before I have custody of Ace, but I don't know if she'll agree to that."
They drove for a while, following the river, and seeing all the signs of spring. The riverbanks were turning green, and in some places, colorful with flowers.
"How did Ace seem?" Theo asked.
"Poor guy was sad, but then there were cats to wrangle, and Mitch and Rico are building a playhouse for Sammy. It was supposed to be just a dollhouse but it kept getting bigger. Ace and Sammy are helping. I wanted to lend a hand, but they didn't need all that many extra hands."
"I'm glad things are busy over there. That will help keep Ace's mind off our aunt being here," Theo said. "We can get some lunch and take it over to them. Maybe from that barbeque place."
They drove a little longer then circled back to L&L barbeque. The small building with its big roof and all the open air cooking on the side got Seth's approval.
"That's what a barbeque place should look like," he said.
Getting closer, Theo saw that they would have to park on the rise then walk the rest of the way toward the riverbank. Just as Theo, got out of the truck, he got a call from Mrs. Del Rio. "My real estate gal just let me know that a woman who said she was your aunt has been inquiring about the sale of your house and land."
Hearing that, Theo let Seth take care of the food while he stayed by the truck and talked to her.
"That was my aunt, but the house isn't hers to sell," Theo told Mrs. Del Rio.
"That was my thinking. Your aunt spoke like she was sure the property would be on the market soon, but I knew that couldn't be right. That's why I wanted to speak to you."
Theo decided to just come out and tell her the truth. "My aunt thinks she can blackmail me into agreeing to sell the house and give her the money." Theo grit his teeth then he continued. "You see I don't have custody of Ace yet. She does. But I couldn't leave Ace with her." Theo told her about his aunt's boyfriend and hoped she would understand the situation he was in.
After he was done, Mrs. Del Rio's voice was shaking as she told him, "Well, that aunt of yours, she is... I'll be ladylike and say no more. But I do have to tell you, honey, it's my fault your aunt thinks the house is worth blackmailing you for. I had my real estate gal look into buying it a while back. I asked her to find the owner and make an offer. I guess your aunt got wind of it. I didn't offer all that much really. I'm sorry, honey."
"Our aunt is just greedy. It's not your fault."
"This boyfriend isn't around here, is he?" Mrs. Del Rio wanted to know.
"I don't know."
"You need to let Sheriff Jackson know about him, just in case."
"And tell her I took Ace away without getting custody of him first?" Theo said.
"Ah. Well, that's what lawyers are for." Theo was about to say he couldn't afford one and was still looking at Legal Aid, but she guessed the truth. "You don't have one? Let me talk to mine. See how you can get on the right side of this."
Theo thanked her, and leaned against the truck door. That explained why his aunt was doing this, but he still didn't have a solution.
While he waited, Theo could see Seth waiting in line for the food. He went down to join him, but then he had to step away to take another unexpected call.
On the way back to the truck with the food which smelled amazing, Theo told Seth what he found out. "Mrs. Del Rio wanted to buy the house and the land at one time. Now she feels bad that her offer made Aunt Cindy see dollar signs, so she offered to get her lawyer involved. Then Julian called to tell me Mrs. Del Rio asked him to help us out too, and a custody lawyer would be in touch with me. She called it an 'all hands on deck situation'."
"That's good. You'll take their help, right?" Seth asked and gave him a sideways look.
"I haven't let my pride get in my way so far," Theo said. "This is too important. I'll take whatever help I can get, but that doesn't change the fact that I basically kidnapped my little brother."
"No one in their right mind would call it that," Seth said. "You're a good big brother."
"Maybe you can be a character witness for me," Theo said as they climbed into the truck, but then he noticed that Seth stopped and frowned.
"What is it?" Theo asked him.
Seth stopped frowning but he could only manage a sad smile. "I would do anything to help you and Ace stay together," he said, but for some reason, his words gave Theo an uneasy feeling.
Chapter 26
Seth knew that tonight Theo wouldn't be sharing his bed. Ace needed him, so he was sure to spend the night in their room, though Seth doubted he would sleep much.
That meant Seth would need to talk to him before he went off to bed. He was dreading what he had to do and telling Theo about it, but it had to be done.
Theo was smart, prepared, always thinking and planning. In so many ways, Theo was ahead of the game, but that might not be enough to keep him and Ace safe if the law got involved.
That's why Seth had done his own thinking. He stopped Theo in the kitchen and told him, "I'll need to move out again, so I won't cause trouble for you and Ace."
"What?" Theo said a little too loudly. Then he lowered his voice. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Ace belongs with you, and I can't get in the way of that." Seth had decided. He knew that's how it had to be, but he wanted to be touching Theo and kissing him, not telling him he had to leave. "I told you about my troubles back in Waterfield. The sheriff could never bring charges against me, but he took me in a bunch of times. Having someone like me living with you is gonna make you look bad. You know I'm right."
"No, I don't. I can't believe you're saying this."
Seth was surprised to hear him deny it, but that didn't mean he was wrong. "Theo, I'm bad news."
"Don't say that, damn it," Theo said under his breath.
"I am if you go to court. I only want to help you and protect you. I know what it's like to lose family." Seth then had to ask something. "Do you think Ace will understand?"
"No," Theo told him bluntly. Then he softened his voice. "I'll try my best to make him understand."
In the morning, Seth waited out on the porch while Theo sat down with Ace to tell him he was moving out again. Seth already had his bag with all his stuff in the truck. Seeing that old, taped up bag reminded him of what his life used to be, when all he knew was how to limp away like a kicked dog.
It hurt to leave, and it hurt to have Theo mad at him. But Ace being taken away from Theo would be much worse.
And it happened right when things were going so good, with Theo in his bed most nights even if he did leave at the crack of dawn. It had still been sweet to sleep next to him and hold him and everything else they did.
When Theo and Ace came out, Seth felt his chest get tight. Ace had his book bag on and his head down, but then he ran over to Seth and hugged him hard. Without letting go, he frowned up at Seth, "You're always leaving us."
"No. It's just for a little while," Seth told him.
"Did Aunt Cindy make you leave?" Ace asked, but it looked to Seth like he had already made up his mind. Seth still looked over at Theo.
"Once she's gone, things will get back to normal," Theo said. "Now let's go before we're late for work and for school."
Alone in the truck with Theo after they dropped off Ace, Seth wanted to say something. He almost said that it would all turn out all right. But who would he be reassuring, Theo or himself?
There were other things he wanted to say but didn't dare, not when Theo looked so grim.
He was still mad about Seth leaving. Seth took it as a sign that Theo wanted him around, but he wasn't any good to him
and Ace right now.
They parked on the far side of the inn parking lot, but before going inside, Seth got out the house key on that Peach Tree keychain that Theo had given him. "You should have this." As he offered Theo the key back he paused closing his fist around it. "I... Can I keep the keychain?"
"You can keep them both," Theo told him and pushed his hand away then looked down. "I'm pissed at you. Don't think I'm not, but you still live with us as far as I'm concerned."
Seth only stared at him. A catch in his throat wouldn't let him speak so he just nodded.
***
With Dustin looking over his shoulder, Theo was doing some checking after a customer had trouble making a reservation online. He wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem with the inn website. From what he could tell, the issue was on the other end.
"I'm writing up a report on that. I think the feedback could be clearer when a reservation doesn't go through," Theo told him since technically Dustin was supposed to be supervising him.
"A report for a little glitch like that? Going after some extra credit. Have at it. Better you than me," Dustin said.
Maybe he had a point about that. Theo was probably trying too hard to prove himself to Andy and Leo. He was also making more work for himself when he had so many things on his mind. The lawyer Julian hired for him was already working on trying to keep Theo out of jail and get him custody of Ace. She had advised Theo not to sell the house, but Theo didn't see how else he would keep Aunt Cindy from ruining everything.
He was also worried about how Ace was handling things. He was anxious again and had trouble sleeping. It helped that Theo was sharing the room with him, and having Butter to keep him company was good for him too, but he missed Seth.
Seth moving out was another thing Theo couldn't stop thinking about. Going home without him these past few days was miserable.
No matter how many times he told himself it made sense for Seth to move out, he couldn't make peace with it. He wanted Seth with them. He wanted to be able to talk to him late at night or climb into bed with him.
Telling himself to focus on work, he was still so angry, not at Seth really. This was his aunt's fault. But seeing Seth just brought the anger back. Behind the French windows of the tearoom, Seth was taking an order and practicing that pleasant, professional smile that Theo helped him perfect.
Theo dragged his eyes away and stared at the computer screen without seeing what was actually on it. Seth leaving might be the right thing, but it was so wrong too. Theo wanted him to stay, needed him to.
When it was time for school to let out, Theo was ready to text Wyatt to see if everything was OK, but he got a call from him first. He wanted to bring Ace over to the inn. "I think he needs a little brotherly visit. Your aunt approached him at recess. Noreen chased her off, but he's upset."
Wyatt and the boys arrived a little later just as Leo brought the baby from Andy's office. Theo didn't even get to talk to Ace because the boys went straight for Leo and the baby.
Dustin was in awe of the kids as they showed no fear of Leo. "Look at that little blond one. He'll fight anyone."
He meant Ry, who was trying to convince Leo that they should be best friends. "Then I'll have a bigger best friend than DJ," Ry said and he pouted at his brother and Ace.
"Oh, man, you don't need to worry about me being friends with DJ," Ace told him. "You two are brothers. Don't you know brothers are forever?"
Coming over to lean on the front desk, Wyatt had on a sad smile. "Where was this kid when me and my brother needed someone to set us straight? Did you teach him that?" he asked Theo.
"When my aunt kicked me out of the house, Ace was worried that he wouldn't get to see me, so I told him that brothers are forever," Theo said.
"Sorry you guys had to go through that. Noreen said she would keep a close eye on Ace," Wyatt told him.
"Thank you for bringing Ace here," Theo said.
"No problem. I got busy and skipped breakfast and lunch, so I'm going to take the boys to eat in the inn restaurant and get takeout for Sam. I hope Ace can come with us."
"If you let me pick up the tab," Theo said.
Wyatt looked like he wanted to argue, but then he just sighed. "OK, but I'm treating them to dessert in the tearoom."
"That way Ace can visit with Seth. All right. It's a deal."
Ace stopped by the front desk, and Theo told him, "I know Aunt Cindy was at the school. How are you doing?"
"Ms Kurtz made her go away. Theo, it's good to have a scary teacher," Ace said and Theo couldn't help but laugh.
"So you here to visit me or the baby?" Theo teased him.
"You and Seth too."
Theo told him the plan, but Ace poked his head into the tearoom to say hi to Seth before he went off with Wyatt and the boys to eat. Theo wished he could go talk to Seth. Or maybe he just wanted to throw his arms around him and let Seth hold him.
After their lunch, Wyatt went to sit with Andy in the lounge area. The boys went to the tearoom where Seth served them dessert. Theo kept glancing that way to check on them, and it looked like the boys were behaving themselves. He also got to watch Seth and see his real smile.
When the boys were done, Wyatt took them to explore the inn's extensive grounds. They ended up staying until it was time for Theo to go home. Seth wasn't done with his shift, so Theo left him the truck and got a ride from Wyatt.
When he and Ace got home, Theo finally found out more about what happened at school, but didn't get to talk to Seth about it until he called late that night.
"Aunt Cindy stopped by Ace's school at recess. That's why Wyatt brought him by the inn," Theo told him.
"What did she want?"
"She was telling Ace how he'll have to go and live with her if I don't wise up, and that things would get bad for me. She wanted to send a message through Ace."
"She must have scared him bad. Damn her," Seth said, and Theo could hear him gritting his teeth.
"She did. I'm just glad Wyatt and the boys were so good at taking his mind off it until I finished work."
"True. Ace didn't seem too bad off considering. It helped that he got to see you," Seth said.
"And you too. Don't be a stranger. Come over tomorrow after work," Theo told him.
"I can cook something," Seth volunteered.
They talked some more about the legal stuff the lawyer had gone over with Theo. But Theo really wanted to listen to Seth's voice for a while.
"I need a break from my own issues. Tell me about your day," he told Seth.
"Well, these three kids came in to have some cake in the tearoom and they pretty much made my day," Seth said and Theo could hear the smile in his voice. "And there's this real good-looking guy at the reception desk. I can't keep my eyes off him."
"Oh. I didn't know you had a thing for Dustin."
That got a laugh out of Seth. "No, it's this other guy. The serious one with pretty eyes."
Theo couldn't believe the things Seth was saying. "So this is what you're like late night on the phone."
"I guess it's kind of freeing, but it's not as good as being there," Seth said and his voice was full of feeling.
Theo had to shut his eyes, but that only made him picture Seth next to him. With Seth's voice in his ear, it was too easy to imagine his touch, his scent, his mouth on every inch of him.
Chapter 27
The next day when Seth arrived at the house after work, Ace showed him what Sam sent over. "We helped Sam in the garden, and I got this." It was a jar of homemade tomato sauce made from their own tomatoes.
"You must have done a good job," Seth said. "And I know what I'm going to be making with this. I'll use the sauce and the recipe Sam gave me to make a pizza. And we can follow that up with the skillet cookie."
"This is like Ace's dream dinner," Theo told him, while Ace jumped with excitement.
Ace got to help with kneading the dough, and Theo made sure to keep Butter and her hair away from the action. While the pizza do
ugh was rising, they went out so Butter could climb some trees.
"We should have a garden too," Ace said to Theo and Seth.
Theo knew what he had in mind, but he still asked him, "You want to grow flowers?"
"No. Tomatoes. DJ and Ry and their dads have a garden with tomatoes and herbs and green beans, but we don't need the green beans. No green beans." Ace wanted to make that very clear. "We just need tomatoes so we can make pizza sauce, and then we can make pizzas all the time."
"Listen to this little farmer," Theo said. "You going to take care of this pizza sauce garden?"
"Yes. Me and Seth," Ace said.
"Don't volunteer Seth," Theo told him, but Seth didn't mind.
"I'd love to help. I helped our neighbor back home with her garden. I don't claim that I'm knowledgeable though. I was just an extra pair of hands. Her back wasn't so good any more so she couldn't bend down like she used to."
While Seth and Ace made gardening plans, Theo tried not to think about how they would probably have to sell the house. He didn't want to bring Ace down, so he didn't mention anything about that.
"I want to make some salad. You guys hang out," Theo told them.
"Not salad," he heard Ace complain as he went in.
Theo had been watchful ever since their aunt showed up, but from the kitchen, he didn't have a good view of the front of the house. The first sign that something was wrong was Seth calling his name. As he ran out the door, Theo only caught a glimpse of his aunt's car out the window.
He expected to see her out there, but it was much worse than that. Jerry was getting out of her car and grabbing Ace by the arm.
Theo rushed at him, but Seth was closer. He grabbed Jerry's right shoulder, digging his fingers in until he released Ace. Seth didn't let him go. He had grabbed a few fingers of Jerry's other hand, twisting them the wrong way. Jerry let out a sound of pain.
As Ace ran to him, Theo said, "Seth!"
Seth let go, shoving Jerry away from him. Aunt Cindy tried to check if her boyfriend was hurt. Jerry's shoulder was hunched and he cradled his hand against his middle, but he pushed her away. He was cursing until Seth took a step toward him and bellowed at him, "Watch your mouth!"