Page 31 of Peach Tree Family

Chapter 8

Though they were going back to Peach Tree together, Seth was sorry to have their trip to Ashbury end. He didn't get to have a day like this since he was a kid and his parents were around. But there was something else too. It was Theo and what it felt like walking next to him, touching him just by accident, and getting the shirts he picked out.

On their way out of town, Seth saw a cardboard sign for a yard sale that pointed toward the storage rental place they were about to pass. "Do you want to check that out?" Seth asked. They were already stopped at a light and it would be an easy turn.

"It's probably not worth a stop," Theo said but Ace made a whining sound so he turned where the sign was pointing. "All right. A quick stop."

They parked just outside the storage place then walked until they found the storage unit that was set up like a garage sale. Seth spotted a chest of drawers, but it looked pretty bad when he got closer. There was nothing else worth looking at, and he had to admit Theo was right.

"Not worth stopping for after all," Seth whispered so the old man who was eyeballing them wouldn't hear.

Now only Ace was still looking at stuff. There were some toys all jumbled up together in a cardboard box and Ace reached for one.

"Don't touch that!" the old man snapped at Ace and made him jump.

Theo took Ace's hand and glared at the old man. "Don't worry about it. We won't be touching any of your junk or buying any of your junk."

"Buy?" The old man snorted. "All your kind does is steal."

"Keep your ignorance to yourself, old man," Theo told him, his voice harsh and angry.

"Is this guy bothering you, pops?" a big guy asked coming out of the next unit over. He set down a box and swaggered over to them.

Theo pushed Ace toward Seth and wheeled on the newcomer, getting right in his face. "You looking to start something with me?"

The guy looked tougher and meaner than Theo, but then some girl with flashy nails grabbed the guy's arm. "Ray, I swear to God, if you get into anything... Did you forget we're going to my sister's? You are not showing up with bruises and a split lip again. Come on." She dragged him away.

Once they were gone, Theo turned to glare at the old man one more time then they moved on too. "I'm done with this place. Let's go," he said keeping an arm around Ace.

"You could stand to examine your sense of self-preservation, you know," Seth said under his breath once they had gone a few steps. He had to get close so Theo could hear him but not Ace. He also found the press of his arm against Theo's comforting.

"I'm not letting anyone push me around," Theo said, and his voice still held an edge of anger.

"I could have handled it and you could have stayed with Ace," Seth told him.

"Let you fight my battles?" Theo said like it was unthinkable. "No, thank you."

That did sting, but maybe Theo was right. No matter how strong he was, Seth was never any good at fighting his own battles. He only got himself into more trouble that way. There was no reason for Theo to trust him to defend him and Ace.

But now Ace looked gloomy, staring at the ground and Seth hated that old man even more seeing how he spoiled the day for him.

"That old man was in the wrong, not you," Seth told him.

"I'll talk to my brother," Theo said and put both hands on Ace's shoulders and leaned down so their foreheads bumped. "What Seth said is true. You didn't do anything wrong. You're allowed to touch stuff that people have out for sale as long as you're careful and don't touch anything breakable. That old man had no right to talk to you like that. You're a good kid."

"That old man was like Jerry," Ace said.

Seth didn't know who that was but Theo did. "He was, but you don't need to worry about him any more."

"I was scared," Ace admitted. "Could you beat up that other guy, Theo?"

"I can handle myself," Theo said.

"Don't forget, I was there too," Seth told him and got a small glare from Theo like he knew he would.

"Like backup?" Ace said, his face brightening, so at least he liked what Seth said.

"Right," Seth told him, but Theo wasn't happy to hear him talk like that. He really did think Seth wasn't to be relied on. But then he remembered that Theo pushed Ace toward him, so at least he trusted him to keep his little brother out of the fray.

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