Page 43 of Peach Tree Family

"My brother, Theo, works at the Stone Creek Inn," Ace was saying to the other kids and sounding very proud.

Sammy gasped and ran over to Theo to ask him, "Did you see the baby, baby Lucy?"

"I did," Theo said.

Now the little girl was even more fired up. "Did you hold her hand like this?" She took Theo's fingers in her little hand to show him.

Theo laughed. "No."

"You have to. Then you'll be friends with the baby," Sammy told him and then ran away to go back to tell Ace about the baby and how to make friends with her.

"That's my Pink Tornado for you," Mitch said coming over and looking after Sammy with a loving smile. It turned out that he was done with the locks and he handed Theo the keys.

He and Sammy left soon after that and then Hannah and Shawn did too. Now it was up to Ace and Theo to try and get Butter back inside while Seth took the glasses and the almost empty cookie bag to the kitchen.

When they didn't come back, Seth took one of the cat treats out to them. That got Butter to come inside and Seth started heating up dinner.

"I feel like I can breathe easier with all of them gone," Seth confessed.

"Is that right?" Theo asked like he didn't believe him. He was on his laptop but Seth didn't think he was interrupting him.

Theo was mad at him about Hannah and maybe for Mitch coming here too. If it bothered Theo that Hannah hit on him, it didn't sit right with Seth either. Telling himself that Theo was gay and she wouldn't get anywhere with him only made him feel a little better.

But it shouldn't bother Seth at all if Theo got hit on. Except it was like when Seth kissed him. He just couldn't help this thing inside him that wanted to warn everybody to keep their damn hands off Theo.

All through dinner, Ace was the one doing most of the talking. Then they all took their dishes to the kitchen and Seth started washing them.

"I'll do that," Theo told him.

"I'm pitching in for you letting me stay here, remember," Seth said.

"I... Fine," Theo said just as Ace came in with his glass.

"I finished my juice."

"Good for you. You got to show off Butter to two of your friends. Did you have a good time?" Seth said to Ace but with a glance at Theo's back as he left.

"Yeah. Sammy is a little kid, but she knows about cats. But Shawn knows lots about video games. And Sammy liked my hair," Ace said with a grin.

"You have cool hair."

"You like it too?" Ace said with an even bigger smile.

"Sure do. But your aunt didn't?" Seth said remembering what Ace said.

"Aunt Cindy wanted to cut it, but I didn't let her. I said, 'No. I want hair like Theo.' She said Theo looked like a thug. Ha! Theo is a nerd, and he looks like a nerd. And I said, 'No no no!'"

"You disobeyed her?" Seth was surprised.

"Theo said I could. He said not to listen if Aunt Cindy tells me anything that's wrong. That she wasn't like our mom even if she looked like her."

"I see," Seth told him. "Then you must have done right."

As long as Ace was up, things weren't too bad. He drew Theo out of his bad mood. But once Ace was in bed with Butter curled up next to him, Theo went silent and Seth was on pins and needles. He wanted to talk to Theo about what happened with Hannah that got him so mad, but he wasn't brave enough to jump right in.

He started talking about Ace instead. "Ace was telling me how he didn't let his aunt cut his hair."

"So?" Theo was looking at the iPad, but Seth was sure it was only to keep something between them.

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