"That I'm not here for you," Sam reminded him.
"So you're hate-cooking for me? OK. What can I do to help?" Wyatt asked.
Forgetting for a second how close Wyatt was standing, Sam turned too quickly and found himself inches away from him, close enough to breathe him in. So gorgeous and so near, Wyatt overwhelmed him. For a moment Sam forgot everything and swayed, instinctively angling his face for a kiss. At the last second, he quickly looked away.
"I don't think you hate me," Wyatt said and kissed him on the cheek.
"You sure about that? I'm about to make you chop onions," Sam informed him though he didn't buy any.
"I still don't think you hate me," Wyatt said, his voice mellow and deep, and so seductive.
"I wish I could," Sam said very quietly.
"What? Why?" Wyatt asked with a look of concern in his eyes.
Taking in a long, painful breath as his chest constricted, Sam decided to tell him the simple truth. "It's going to destroy me when you leave."
"I'm not leaving," Wyatt told him and lightly touched his hand.
"Not yet," Sam said and turned back to the cutting board to slice the mushrooms.
"Oh, for God's sake," Wyatt said in exasperation. He took the mushrooms away from Sam and made him put down the knife. Grabbing him by the arms, he spun him around and made Sam face him.
"Wyatt," Sam objected but didn't try to pull away.
"Listen up now. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told the boys. I'm not going anywhere without you," Wyatt stated in a stern tone.
"You're just saying that," Sam said and he tried to draw back from him. He couldn't afford to believe him.
"The fuck I am. I wouldn't make a promise like that if I didn't mean it," Wyatt said then he looked toward the back where the boys were still playing outside with the dogs.
"A promise?" Sam said in a hushed voice. "Is that what that was?"
Wyatt was looking at him again, staring deep into his eyes as he said. "Yes. A solemn promise from me to you."
Sam bit his lower lip and hung his head. Wyatt sounded so completely sincere, but Sam was afraid to believe him. It didn't seem to matter though. He let out a shaky laugh. "I'm always here anyway. I can't seem to help myself. So go ahead and break my heart. What the hell."
"Don't you listen? I just told you..." Wyatt started to say but Sam shut him up with a kiss.
As he pulled away, he told Wyatt, "My heart already feels half-broken. Saying I believe you is more than it can take."
"But you do believe me a little?" Wyatt asked.
"Let's cook some food," Sam told him.
"And you'll stay over tonight?" Wyatt asked.
"Don't jump ahead," Sam told him and went back to slicing mushrooms.
"But you will, right?" Wyatt said. From behind him, he placed his hands on Sam's hips and kissed the nape of his neck. Sliding his hands around to lock his arms around Sam's waist, he nuzzled his neck then rested his chin against his shoulder. Feeling Wyatt's whole body, his heartbeat, his chest rising and falling with his breathing, Sam heard him whisper, "You're more precious to me than you know. I'm not letting you go."
Sam wasn't sure how much time passed between that moment and when he heard the boys coming up noisily onto the back porch. He knew that nothing got done during that time, and maybe he didn't take a single breath and his heart might have stopped beating.
Despite the constant distraction of Wyatt "helping", dinner turned out well though the kids pushed the mushrooms to the edges of their plates. Wyatt scooped them up from there and ate them. "Mushrooms are good," he told the kids. "And these are extra good because Sam made them with all of us helping."
"Are you gonna be mad if we don't eat the mushrooms?" DJ asked leaning over the table toward Sam.
"No. You don't have to eat them," Sam told him and Riley then he caught Wyatt smiling at him. His smiles left Sam helpless to him.
