When the sandwiches were polished off, they went exploring through the countryside. The dogs and the kids were the real explorers. Wyatt and Sam strolled a yard or two behind them, walking with their arms around each other and enjoying the nature on a beautiful sunny day.
Their peaceful stroll was interrupted by a controversy as they approached a big mound of greenery. The boys had stopped in front of a thicket overgrown with bushes and vines. They were trying to figure out if what was at the center of it was a tree or a really big bush.
"It's a bush," Riley said.
"It's a tree," DJ insisted.
"You tell us, Sam and Uncle Wyatt," Riley said turning to them for the verdict.
With both boys looking at them expectantly, Sam and Wyatt regarded the tree closely. Wyatt was pretty sure it was a tree. He just needed a way to explain why.
Sam came up with an explanation first. "DJ is right. It's a tree. See how the branches are long and come from the same stem. It's also very tall, much taller than the bushes are. Does that make sense?" Sam asked Riley.
"Maybe." He was a little disappointed then he brightened up suddenly. "If it's a tree, I can climb it," Riley exclaimed.
"You have to ask your Uncle Wyatt," Sam told Riley, who seemed a little apprehensive now. At first he looked ready to get in there right that second, but then he started to hesitate seeing how shadowy and dense with creepers it was in there. It was a little scary to a small boy.
Turning to his brother, Riley asked, "If Uncle Wyatt says it's OK, you gonna go in there with me to climb the bush tree?"
"Yeah. If Uncle Wyatt says it's OK," DJ told him.
They both now looked at Wyatt, who got down to pet Barney as he thought about it. "You don't have to climb it, you know. You're not squirrels, are you?" he asked the boys.
"No. Can we climb it?" they asked again.
"Not by yourselves, but we can all climb it," Wyatt decided.
"We're climbing?" Sam said in disbelief, but the boys were thrilled at the idea. Riley was practically fearless now that Wyatt and Sam were coming with them.
"I can't believe we're doing this," Sam said as they made their way inside all that overgrown greenery.
"You told them it was a tree. If it was a bush, we wouldn't have to climb it," Wyatt pointed out.
Sam shook his head, but Wyatt could tell he was having fun.
The climbing went fine, though it was unnerving to watch the boys more than a few feet off the ground. While he was paying attention to them, Wyatt stepped on a dry branch and it snapped under him.
Wyatt didn't really fall as much as he let himself drop to the ground in such a way that he wouldn't hit any branches on the way down. Though he wasn't very high up, his fall still sent everyone into a panic. Even the dogs came running. While Wyatt landed on his ass and got the wind knocked out of him, he couldn't even say anything to reassure Sam and the kids.
That's when Sam took charge. In a loud, commanding voice that Wyatt had never heard him use before, he issued orders to the boys. "DJ and Riley, stay put. I'm gong to check on Wyatt. You just stay where you are and hold on. I'll be right back to get you."
Sam was already climbing down swiftly but not carelessly. Obviously he was perfectly aware that another fall was the last thing they needed.
"I'm fine guys," Wyatt finally managed to tell them, but Sam came over anyway.
"Can you move OK?" Sam asked even as Wyatt started to get up. Sam gave him a hand and helped him get to his feet with more support than he needed.
"I'm OK, really," Wyatt said loud enough for the boys to hear. He smiled up at them reassuringly. Still up in the tree, the boys looked scared as they stared back at him with worry.
"He isn't hurt, guys," Sam assured them. "Do you want to come down now?"
"I do," Riley said and Wyatt went back up into the tree to help him. Though Wyatt was only a little sore, his tumble out of that tree made him a lot more conscious of how easy it was to fall.
As Sam was going up to help DJ, Wyatt noticed how tightly the little guy held on and how pale he looked. Wyatt's fall must have really scared him.
Wyatt was about to ask Sam to switch with him and help Riley instead, when he noticed DJ's gaze move from Wyatt to Sam.
"Uncle Wyatt is OK?" he asked Sam.
