"But he might have," Wyatt said.
"If Don did remember then all Brian would have to do is slip him a couple of bucks, and he would tell him whatever he wanted to know," Sam said.
"I'm never going to let him hurt you again."
"Don't do anything crazy. Remember DJ and Riley are counting on you," Sam cautioned him.
"You can count on me too. Why the hell did you go off with him, anyway?" Wyatt asked.
"To get him away from you and the boys," Sam said like it was a perfectly reasonable thing for him to do.
"You were alone with him. That was dangerous." Wyatt pointed back at the alley where anything might have happened to him.
"I couldn't have it out with him in the middle of the street. The last thing I want is to expose the boys to someone like him," Sam said firmly.
Wyatt could see how much he wanted to protect the boys, but that didn't mean he could let him off the hook for putting himself in danger like that. "You're so busy protecting others, you forget to take care of yourself."
"If anything happened to you guys..." Sam started to say.
Wyatt cut him off. "Nothing is going to happen to us, and I won't let anything happen to you either, for your sake and mine and also because of the boys. They adore you." After he laid it all out for him, Wyatt kissed him.
When they rejoined the others, the kids were doing battle with Popsicle sticks, and Lara and Raquel were talking about jam.
"Might as well call it the peach jam festival. Jam jars everywhere you turn," Lara was saying.
Raquel agreed. "I know. I have to get some spiced peaches too. I'll have to clear some space in the trunk of my car," she said and looked ready to buy up the lot until she saw Sam and Wyatt. "Hi, guys. Everything OK?"
"Everything is fine," Wyatt told her. "Thanks for watching the boys."
The boys were happy to see them. "We had peach popsicles," Riley said and showed him the evidence.
"I have to go to work now, but I'll see you guys at Mrs. Del Rio's party, right?" Sam said.
"I forgot you were going back to work," Wyatt said to him. He wanted Sam where he could guard him and keep him safe.
"I'll be fine," Sam assured him.
"We'll walk you and maybe get something to eat," Wyatt said, but he hated that he wouldn't be able to be by his side. He walked with his arm around Sam the whole way.
At least Wyatt could look forward to seeing Sam at Mrs. Del Rio's party. When she invited Wyatt she told him, "You're invited to my annual blossom shindig in my own back yard. Bring the dogs, bring the kids. And if you don't want your peach punch spiked, bring your own."
It sure sounded like a guaranteed good time. The whole time before the party, Wyatt once again found himself texting Sam every few minutes to make sure everything was all right.
That evening he brought Raquel and the kids to the party but decided to leave the dogs at home. Mrs. Del Rio's house was an old two story mansion with a big back yard that now held a ton of guests.
The back yard was a riot of flowers and colored lights with a gazebo in the middle of it all. The way the place was decked out, it was like she was trying to outdo the whole town.
"I guess the real festival is over here," Wyatt said when they went over to greet her.
She was delighted to hear it. "A party is no time to hold back."
But one colorful decoration in particular caught Wyatt's eye. "I know those berries. A wreath that says welcome, made out of poisonous berries," Wyatt said and Mrs. Del Rio laughed.
"Well I just love the heck out of it," she said. Then she grew serious and leaned in to whisper to Wyatt. "You know Sam told me he was like those berries. I think he was calling himself pretty poison or some such thing."
"He's too shy to call himself pretty," Wyatt said, but now he frowned too. It reminded him of how Sam drew his ex away from him and the boys in order to protect them. Wyatt just hoped that he had talked him out of doing that sort of thing again.
Raquel and the boys spotted Lara and Gloria and went off to greet them. That left Wyatt with Mrs. Del Rio who was regarding him with a searching look.
