Page 114 of Peach Tree Family

Chapter 30

Theo didn't know what to think when he heard that Rob and Julian's bachelor party was going to be at Mrs. Del Rio's. Then Ace got invited along with Theo and Seth, as did the other kids. It turned out it wasn't a bachelor party at all, but Ace was excited to go and kept asking what people did at a bachelor party.

When they arrived, Mrs. Del Rio's back yard wasn't as colorful as it had been for the Easter egg hunt. This time the decorations were silver and deep blue plus a lot of lights strung up to crisscross the garden and line the veranda. Even if the colors were more serious, the place still looked very festive.

The kids had taken over the gazebo, and Ace wanted to run over to them. Theo stopped him. "First we say hello to Mrs. Del Rio."

That didn't stop Ace from running, he just ran over to Mrs. Del Rio instead. By the time Seth and Theo got to them, Ace was already chattering at her.

"I want to play poker, but first I have to learn how," Ace was telling her.

"He asked what people do at bachelor parties. I told him, 'Play poker,'" Theo explained once Ace went to join the other kids.

"I can make that happen," Mrs. Del Rio said with a wicked grin. "I'm afraid it won't be strip poker with this crowd. Have you heard the news about your aunt's boyfriend? He's awake now, but he's confused about what happened. He did guzzle down a lot of my good scotch so I'm not surprised."

"That plus the head trauma," Theo said. He still couldn't believe what she did.

"That too. He's all mixed up and keeps changing his story. And it turns out he was out on parole. It does not look good for him or for your aunt. Her boyfriend is blaming her for being in this mess. When your aunt heard, she thought he was trying to make a deal to testify against her like she was behind the robbery. So she told them about an armed robbery he was involved in and was never caught for."

"Did the sheriff deliberately turn them against each other?" Theo wondered. "This doesn't mean my aunt will give up on the house."

"I did put out the word that I've soured on the deal and don't want the house any more," Mrs. Del Rio said.

"Ace can still testify that she hit him. Hopefully that will be enough now that she doesn't have Jerry egging her on," Theo said, but he hadn't heard from his aunt and that worried him.

They went over to say hi to Sam, Wyatt and Rico, who was in the middle of ranting. "A bachelor party at my grandma's! Just listen to how wrong that sounds." Rico shuddered.

"We didn't have a bachelor party either," Sam said.

"I made it up to Sam ten times over," Wyatt bragged and winked at his husband.

"The invitation we got didn't say bachelor party," Theo said as he greeted them. "If everyone stopped calling it that, there would be no problem."

Wyatt dismissed that idea. "That's way too rational for Rico."

Sam agreed. "Rico was looking forward to tormenting Julian and Rob, and his fun has been spoiled."

Sam was giving Rico a harsh look, but he was distracted by the newest arrivals. "Oh my God, there is a baby at the bachelor party. For the love of all that is unholy."

"The kids are happy to see her," Seth said seeing all the kids run over to Leo, Andy and his two great-aunts, one of whom was holding Lucy.

After greeting Mrs. Del Rio, Andy and Leo made it over to them. "Your grandmother said something about organizing a poker game," Leo said to Rico.

"Just don't get suckered into playing poker with any of these old ladies, they're beasts," Rico warned him. Then he pointed to Leo and Andy. "You two are getting the most indecent bachelor party ever."

"We'll elope," Andy threatened.

"You causing trouble again?" Mitch asked coming over and putting an arm around Rico, and he mellowed out right away.

"I got my bachelor party revenge," Rico said with a shrug. "I sent a truckload of sex toys and porn to Julian and Rob."

"Is that why Julian looks like he wants to kill you?" Wyatt asked pointing out that they arrived just as a cheer went up for the would be grooms.

Danny and Lenny ran over to the kids, and Julian and Rob went around to greet guests. When they came over to their group, Julian lit into Rico, "What the hell did you send to our house, Rico?"

"You already got it? Woo hoo!" Rico was celebrating but Julian really did look like he wanted to kill him.

"I have never been more embarrassed opening a package in my life," Julian told him.

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