"Not as much fun," Sam corrected him.
"Aha, then we'll have to do this again," Wyatt said and watched Sam's eyes light up and a smile spread across his face. God, he wanted to kiss him right then. But with the boys only a few feet away, he wouldn't be able to do it properly.
If he were to start kissing that man, Wyatt wasn't sure he would know how to stop. Plus he wasn't a hundred percent sure that Sam wanted him to. "Soon," he said, and he was talking both about the next time they would see each other and about that kiss.
For now he would keep things low key. "Now that we've eaten, we're allowed to be in the orchard. And the kids and the dogs are busy anyway. Come walk with me." Wyatt got up and offered Sam his hand.
Walking under the blossoming peach trees seemed like something they would do if they were a couple and that's why Wyatt wanted to do it. He wanted a taste of Sam by his side and a taste of romance. Most of all he wanted a taste of that promise of as yet unfulfilled possibilities he saw in Sam's beautiful eyes as he looked up at him.
After a moment of hesitation, Sam took his hand and Wyatt pulled him up to his feet. That made Sam smile shyly. He was a fit guy. He didn't need the help. Wyatt just wanted an excuse to hold his hand for a minute.
That didn't satisfy him for long though. As they strolled through the orchard side by side, not touching, Wyatt wanted to take hold of his hand again.
It seemed wrong not to, like it would be a terrible thing to let this moment pass and not reach out and clasp Sam's hand. So Wyatt went for it.
First he only let their knuckles graze. Next he curled his fingers around Sam's lightly in case he wanted to pull his hand away. Sam didn't. He grasped Wyatt's hand in return and made his heart sing. Now Wyatt held Sam's hand fully and he stopped to gaze into his eyes.
That's all he meant to do, but he found himself leaning in, his head inclining, lips inching closer to Sam's. Sam mirrored his movements, and they drifted closer until their lips touched. Petal soft contact turned deeper as their lips parted and the tips of their tongues stroked lightly.
Somewhere behind them, the boys shrieked and laughed, and the dogs barked. Sam and Wyatt parted on an indrawn breath. They shared the same sigh before they continued on under the flowering trees.
Chapter 10
Sam was used to his nightmares. Sometimes they were about Brian and he woke up in the grip of fear and remembered pain. Other times they were about his childhood. He dreamed he was a boy and he was lost, alone, calling out to distant figures that were always moving further out of reach.
But last night's dream had terrified him more than any of the others. He and Wyatt were walking under the trees in the orchard. Flower petals fluttered to the ground around them and swirled around their feet. Running among the trees, the boys were playing with Barney and Brownie.
Then Sam spotted a figure ahead of them. Waiting, leering threateningly, Brian turned his idyllic dream into a nightmare. Sam tried to warn Wyatt and the kids, but he couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. He was helpless to do anything as Brian approached. He woke up clawing at his throat, desperate to tell them about the danger.
It took him a while to calm down, and the dream colored the rest of his day. It wasn't the dream really. It was the reality of his situation and that he had no right to bring Wyatt and the kids into it.
Mrs. Del Rio and everyone else at work noticed that he was "out of sorts". That's how Mrs. Del Rio put it, and everyone kept asking him if he was all right.
In the late afternoon he got a text from Wyatt and it was like the sun coming up in his world. He grinned at his phone even as he was shaking his head at him.
Right away, Mrs. Del Rio noticed his change of mood. "Ah, finally a smile. Who's been chatting you up?" she teased him.
"It's just Wyatt. He wanted me to wish him luck. He's trying to cook dinner by himself," Sam told her as he texted back. He told Wyatt to stay positive and do his best.
"Such a brave boy," Mrs. Del Rio said, mocking poor Wyatt. "I bet you wish you could be over there helping him out."
Though he felt conflicted about it, in the end, Sam told her what he had figured out since last night's nightmare. "No. I think it's for the best that I had to work tonight. I shouldn't get too close to them when I'm always jumping at shadows and watching for Brian around every corner. I mean, the way I am..."
"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Del Rio snapped, cutting him off. "That lot is lucky to have you. They need some tender loving care in their lives right about now. Sweetheart, you're a gift from heaven. Now I'm going to make sure you get your butt over there." She turned away from Sam and called out, "Magda, if you want Sam's shift, it's all yours, honey."
"Thanks Mrs. Del Rio. Thanks Sam!" Magda yelled back. "Hope you feel better." Obviously she thought he was giving her his shift because he wasn't feeling well. That's how bad he must have looked.
Magda was so happy to work extra hours, now Sam could hardly say he didn't want her to. And his better judgment be damned, he was dying to see Wyatt again.
That was the problem he decided to deal with later. First he wondered how to ask Wyatt if he wanted him to come over.
Sam opted for calling him. He wanted to be able to hear Wyatt's voice so he would know if he really wanted him to come over, or if he was just indulging him. He dialed then started out tentatively.
"Hi. I was wondering..."
"Are you coming over to help me with all the crazy stuff I bought?" Wyatt jumped in before Sam got a chance to ask him anything.
"Umm, Magda wanted my shift so..."
