"So you can come over. You're my savior," Wyatt said and Sam had no doubts that Wyatt honestly wanted him to come over.
"I guess if you'd like me to, I can come over," Sam finally stated.
"Yes!" Wyatt said then Sam could hear him yelling out to the boys. "Sam is coming over!" There was a lot of noise then Wyatt was back speaking with him. "Did you hear them cheering?"
He didn't need to ask. Sam had heard both yelling and barking, and that made him feel all warm inside. "I'm leaving work now so I'll see you soon."
"Sooner than you think. We'll meet you," Wyatt said. "I wanted us to walk the dogs before we start on dinner, so we'll see you somewhere on the road."
"Oh OK. See you." Sam was going to drive over there, but he had no groceries to carry this time, so he might as well walk.
Halfway on his way to Wyatt's, Sam got another warm reception. As soon as they saw him, the kids started yelling and waving and a big smile spread across Wyatt's gorgeous face.
Getting to him first, the kids and the dogs were jumping around him when Wyatt joined them. "Look at them. It's like you're hiding candy and bacon in your pockets."
Sam laughed at that. "That's not on the menu," he told him.
As they walked along the roadside, Sam was ashamed that he caved so easily and came over. He was so taken with Wyatt. He couldn't think straight.
But he still knew the right thing to do was to tell Wyatt what a mess he was and to stay away. The words just wouldn't come out. The setting sun was bringing out the gold in Wyatt's dark blond hair, his eyes were bright and beautiful, and Sam was left powerless to speak and break the spell he was under.
They all walked into the house together, one big noisy bunch, and Sam started to forget his misgivings in the bustle of activity. Going straight into the kitchen, Wyatt and the kids started pulling out what they bought the last time they went shopping, and the dogs went to drink some water. Brownie then came over to Sam and looked up at him.
"I see Brownie is settling in nicely. I guess she likes it here," Sam said as he got down to rub her side.
"She has her own doggy bowls and her own doggy bed," Riley said.
"Her bed is in our room," DJ said proudly.
"Yeah, they are in charge of the dogs," Wyatt said. "Or the dogs are in charge of them. I don't know."
Sam shook his head at him. Wyatt knew exactly what he was doing -- being a really good uncle.
"I think that's everything we bought," Wyatt announced, and Sam washed his hands and got ready to check out what they would be working with.
"DJ was the one who told me to buy ingredients, and he and Ry helped me pick them out. What do you think?" Wyatt asked Sam as he looked over the vegetables and different boxes of pasta and rice.
"Did we do good?" DJ asked as he looked up at Sam.
"You bought a lot of good stuff," Sam told him.
"You know how to cook it?" Riley asked.
"I do, and soon your uncle will too," Sam told him.
Then Sam went out with the boys, so he could see if there was anything ready to pick in the herb and tomato garden. Wyatt stayed just outside the garden gate holding back the dogs so they wouldn't go in there and start digging.
"Mom planted all the stuff. She used to sniff those things," Riley said and he pointed to the herbs.
"That's because they smell so nice," Sam told him. "Your mom was a great gardener."
Riley smiled, pleased, and DJ looked touched and a little teary eyed.
"Mom and Dad used to cook together. They knew how to cook, not like Uncle Wyatt," DJ said.
"Your dad used to cook for me. My favorite was spaghetti," Wyatt told them.
"We love spaghetti too!" Riley said.
