After dinner, the kids insisted on feeding him peanut butter ice cream since he missed out on it the day before. The boys scolded him for not coming over.
"Big people get busy," Wyatt told them.
But Riley still scowled at Sam. "You missed peanut butter ice cream," he said like it was a terrible tragedy.
"And we missed you," Wyatt added and grinned at Sam.
Wyatt was perfectly willing to let the kids have the ice cream again, but Sam decided to turn it into a peanut butter ice cream and banana smoothies so it was a little bit healthier. They all walked the dogs together afterward. The stars were just starting to come out in a darkening sky and the air was fresh and cool.
It felt so good to be with all of them -- the dogs sniffing at random things, the boys pointing out the bugs they found, and Wyatt trying to seduce him with every lingering gaze. Of course a thing like this couldn't last. Sam's chest hurt every time he thought how one day he might not have this in his life.
As long as the kids were up, Sam was safe from temptation. But once they were in bed and he and Wyatt were alone, Sam felt his heart start beating faster. He eyed the front door, but he just couldn't make himself leave.
"That was a really good dinner. I don't know how you do it," Wyatt was saying as Sam wondered if he had the willpower to say goodnight.
"You can make it too," Sam told him. They were in the living room just standing around as Sam tried to will his legs to move toward the door.
"As far as I'm concerned, your cooking is magic and no one else can beat it. But I don't care if you cook as long as I get to see you," Wyatt said and he beamed at Sam, his blue eyes shining in the dimly lit living room. How the hell was Sam supposed to walk away from him?
"I'll feed you any time you want," Sam blurted out then blushed. He didn't mean to get so eager again. What happened to keeping his distance, playing it cool and all the other BS?
"Don't get shy. Feeding people is your job," Wyatt reminded him with a chuckle.
"Right. That's what I meant," Sam said though they both knew what he really meant was that he would do anything for Wyatt and the boys.
While he was trying not to get pulled in by Wyatt's good looks and charm, Sam heard him clear his throat. "I wanted to say something to you, what you wouldn't let me say before."
"You don't have to say anything," Sam told him, his voice thick now that the conversation had turned serious.
"I do, especially if you don't believe me when I say I won't leave you," Wyatt said and gave Sam a grave look.
"You can't know what will happen," Sam stated simply.
"I know that I'm not going anywhere without you," Wyatt told him, but Sam started breathing hard and shaking his head, too afraid to believe him. Wyatt took him by the shoulders and stared him down. "If you won't come with me, I just won't go. Nothing is more important to me than you and the kids."
"But you lived an exciting life. Do you really want to settle for...?" Sam couldn't finish his question.
"I want to be with you. As long as you're here, this is where I want to be," Wyatt told him.
"I worry that you'll need more, that you'll get bored," Sam admitted.
"Never. There is nothing more exciting than being with you. You make me feel so alive, more than anything or anyone ever has," Wyatt said, his blue eyes unwavering as he gazed deep into his eyes.
Those were the kinds of things Sam longed to hear Wyatt say, but even as they stirred his heart, how could he trust him to never leave? It was too much.
Too afraid to believe what Wyatt was saying, Sam just stood there for a minute, buffeted by conflicting emotions. He found himself staring at a photo on a side table. It was of the boys and their dad sitting on a log on the riverside all of them with fishing poles in their hands looking at the camera and smiling. Sam imagined the boys' mom behind the camera, taking the picture and smiling back at them.
The photo made Sam all choked up as he thought of the parents he barely remembered. At the same time, he felt so bad for the boys having to suffer such a loss. To think that any good thing could just be ripped away forever...
As Sam clenched his fists, trying to get a hold of his emotions, Wyatt came to stand next to him. Putting his arm around Sam's trembling shoulders, he smiled at the picture.
"That's the last photo we printed up for the album the boys and I are putting together," Wyatt said. "Look at them. They love fishing. I hope they won't be too disappointed in me as an outdoorsy type. I can't fish, and the kids used to love doing that with Lloyd."
"I have an idea," Sam said remembering something. "You can ask Mr. Jasper to go fishing with you guys. He told me he goes fishing right on the riverbank by his house. Now that he's feeling better, he might be up for it."
"That would be great. You would be coming along too, right?" Wyatt asked. "And you're staying the night."
Sam didn't think he should, but then Wyatt stepped close to him and he couldn't even think the word no. His hands were gliding over Sam's sides as he slowly moved even closer, right up against him so that Sam could feel him along the whole length of his body.
