Page 39 of Peach Tree Family

Chapter 10

The café got busy and Seth ended up with a few extra hours and some good tips. Done with work at the same time as Hannah, he stepped out in front of the café with her. Stopping for a bit, he wondered if he should spend some time in town since Theo and Ace wouldn't be home yet. Walking would take him a while so they might get there right when he did, or even pick him up on the way if he got lucky.

"I thought you had that noisy old truck," Hannah said looking around. "I don't see it."

"Theo has it at the inn," Seth told her.

"I'll drive you over and you can get it," she offered.

Seth shook his head. "Oh, no. I don't want to bother him. But thanks anyway. I'm just going to walk to the house."

"Walk? More like let Theo walk all over you," she said. "You're supposed to share that old wreck, aren't you?"

Seth couldn't believe she was saying that. "He drove me to work."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll give you a ride to the house."

"You don't have to do that. I'm alright walking."

"I already said I was doing it. I can pick up Shawn to go over so he and Ace can hang out," she said, inviting herself over.

"They won't be at house yet. But I'll text." Happy to have an excuse to text Theo, Seth told him what was up then passed the word to Hannah. "Theo is just finishing up then he'll be getting Ace. He offered to get me too, but I told him I have a ride." Seth told Hannah so she'd know she had the wrong idea about Theo.

"Sounds like they might be at the house by the time I get Shawn and we get there."

Seth didn't think so, but it did take her a while. Shawn wasn't eager to go for a visit, and Hannah wanted to change.

"Ace is just a little kid," Shawn complained while the two of them waited for Hannah in front of their house.

"So?" Seth said and watched the boy shrink back. Seth didn't want him putting Ace down, but he didn't want to scare him either. Maybe he was giving people mean looks without realizing it. Theo and Ace never showed any sign of it, but that guy at the thrift store did.

By the time they were parking in front of the house, Theo and Ace still weren't back.

"There isn't even a proper dirt driveway," Hannah complained as she got out of her mother's car.

"It's just a bit overgrown," Seth said then he saw Shawn going over to the porch steps. "Better stay off the porch. It still needs to be fixed."

Looking bored and annoyed, Shawn only sat down on the steps and kept playing a game on his phone like he had done the whole drive over.

"Can we go inside?" Hannah asked since Seth didn't invite them in.

"Sorry. There's no key for that front door and I can't get you in through the side either. I don't have a key," Seth told her.

"You don't have a key?" Hannah said and Seth could tell she was gearing up to gripe about Theo again.

"It's padlocked. I don't even know how many keys there are," Seth told her.

"Two. They come with two," Hannah said.

"Theo is doing me a favor letting me stay here, you know," Seth told her.

"So you don't feel you're entitled to a key?"

"No, I don't," Seth told her straight out, but she only shook her head. "I have no cause for complaint, and I should know best."

"Sorry for busting your chops. I just like to speak my mind." It was a halfhearted apology, but Seth still accepted it.

"I can take it," he said.

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