Page 59 of Peach Tree Family

"That sounds good," Theo said as the two of them headed inside and left Ace to mess around on the porch with Butter.

"There was another thing Mitch mentioned. They're having people over for a barbeque at his place tomorrow and he invited you, me and Ace." Seth was expecting Theo to be reluctant and he was.

"I don't know..."

"He said Rico wouldn't take no for an answer and Sammy wouldn't either."

"All right, but I'm not going empty-handed," Theo said.

Seth had an idea for that. "I can make some fried apple pies."

"I was going to make something after I came from work," Theo said.

"You got ideas or..."

"No," Theo admitted. "Everything I want to make requires an oven."

"We can make the fried apple pies together, if you want." Seth tried not to sound too hopeful like he was dying to cook with Theo, but he was.

"Sounds good," Theo said.

"I'll get the apples while I'm out job hunting."

Seth got to do some cooking with Theo that very evening. He started dinner and Theo came over to help. Seth was making green beans with bacon.

"Smells good," Theo told him once everything was simmering in the pot.

"The smell is making my stomach hungry," Ace said poking his head into the kitchen. "Can I have a snack?"

"You can't have a snack before dinner," Theo told him. "You can have something later."

"I'm not hungry later. I'm hungry now," Ace said.

"What are you hungry for? I was thinking of making sandwiches to go with this stew," Seth said. "What kind do you want?

"Ice cream sandwiches?" Ace said hopefully.

"Ice cream sandwiches will definitely have to wait for later," Theo told him. "Much later since we don't have any."

"I'll put ice cream sandwiches on the shopping list. I like 'em too," Seth said.

Ace pouted at his big brother. "Me and Seth like stuff and you're a grouch, a grouchy, grouchy grouch."

"Is that right?" Theo grabbed him and started tickling him until he had him squirming on the floor. "Ticklish kids shouldn't mess with their big brothers," Theo told him.

From the floor, Ace gave him a defiant look, but then Theo threatened to keep tickling him, and he scrunched up into a ball and started giggling again.

Watching them together, Seth couldn't believe the warmth that filled him. How the hell was he ever going to be able to leave them?

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