Chapter 34

 

Sam walked through the back of the café feeling like his whole world had turned upside down. He tried to ground himself in facts. He was signed up for the early shift so he could be there for The Little Peaches on Parade.

The boys put in some practice time walking in their peach costumes, but it would be different when they were walking down Main Street. They would need him and Wyatt, and Sam was so glad he was going to be there with them after all.

As Sam went looking for Mrs. Del Rio, he was teary-eyed thinking how he would have missed that if Wyatt hadn't stopped him. On his way through the kitchen, he tried to pull himself together and waved at Rico.

"Good to have you back. I thought Wyatt was the right man for the job. Don't pull that shit again. I mean it," Rico warned him then went back to washing dishes.

Mrs. Del Rio was by the wait station, and she let out a huge, relieved sigh when she saw him. "Come here, you. You've been a bad boy trying to run out on me," she said and gave him a big hug.

"Sorry. Wyatt stood in front of my car and wouldn't let me drive away," Sam told her.

"That's how you do it. Good for him," she said and patted Sam on the back. "You want to tell me what sent you running? Did that ex of yours try something?"

"Nothing since he tried to crash your party," Sam told her.

"Then you stay strong. He'll be on his way soon enough," she predicted.

"Or he might show up here," Sam said and felt himself go numb. Brian had just walked through the front doors of the café. Now he slouched near the entrance, looking around. There were no open seats anywhere, so he just lingered there, showing no signs that he planned to leave.

"Is that him?" Mrs. Del Rio asked.

After Sam nodded, she pulled him behind a shelf where Brian couldn't see him.

"I bet he knows I work here. He likes messing with me at work. He knows I have to be on my best behavior, and he's hoping I'll have a panic attack," Sam said. He was already starting to breathe hard.

"Hold it together now," Mrs. Del Rio ordered him. "You think you can get him riled up, get him to swing at you?"

"I can usually," Sam said, plus Brian might want to pay him back for punching him. "But I don't know if he'll do it in front of witnesses."

"You just do your best to get him good and mad, and I'll call the sheriff to toss him out."

"I'll try," Sam told her.

"Keep Rico in the back. I don't want him mixed up in this," Mrs. Del Rio said to someone as Sam went to confront Brian.

 

Sam didn't usually have trouble setting him off, but he had never done it deliberately. As he approached Brian, he got ready to do whatever it took.

"We refuse service to scum like you. Go steal the tips someplace else," Sam told him.

"You a bouncer now? Maybe I should talk to your boss, let 'em know they got a boy trying to do a man's job," Brian said and he looked around.

"I know you like using your fists when your dick doesn't do the job, but that doesn't make you a man," Sam told him. "You're a failure, you're shit in the sack and you're only here because you can't get any other guy to even look at you."

Brian bared his teeth, and Sam could tell that he really wished he could hit him. "You..."

"I wouldn't have even looked at you if I had any place to go. You made my skin crawl. There wasn't a second you didn't disgust me," Sam was saying.

Brian was narrowing his eyes, fuming with his jaw clenched tight, but Sam wasn't sure he would hit him even now with people looking on.

Mrs. Del Rio suddenly stepped in between them while Hannah and Magda pulled Sam away. What was going on?

"You need to leave, and I mean right now," Mrs. Del Rio was saying to Brian while crowding him in the doorway. She then started shouting and struggling. "How dare you put your hands on me!" Next she cried out and fell.

Sam tried to go to her but Hannah and Magda wouldn't let him. Why were they keeping him back? He had to help her.

"I didn't do anything to you, you old bitch!" Brian was yelling and looking around desperately, like he was the one who needed help.

"We all saw you!" Hannah yelled and several other people joined in to say that they did too.

Brian didn't stick around. He was out the door and rushing down the street while a number of people were already on the phone with the sheriff.

Sam was finally able to go to Mrs. Del Rio. Feeling sick that she got hurt because of him, he kneeled down next to her. "Please don't move," he told her.

She grabbed his arm in a strong grip and pulled him down so he leaned over her. "You bet I won't," she whispered. "I'm a seriously injured woman."

As Sam straightened and gaped at her, Mrs. Del Rio winked at him. He couldn't believe it. She was faking.

He started to wonder if it was all fake. He never actually saw Brian touch her.

"You scared me," Sam told her as he helped her over to the nearest booth someone cleared for her so she could take a seat.

"Don't worry about me. I'm an agile old bird. Used to be a dancer," she said with wiggle of her eyebrows.

She was in good spirits but soon she had Rico to deal with.

"Some guy shoved you? What the hell?" Rico said as he kneeled in front of his grandmother and peered at her with concern.

"Isn't he sweet?" she said and cupped Rico's face. She leaned in to give him a kiss, and Sam was pretty sure she whispered something in her grandson's ear.

"You're such a con artist," Rico hissed at her and she shushed him.

"Go get me an icepack or something," she told him so he would stop staring at her disapprovingly. As he left, Mrs. Del Rio looked after him then turned to Sam. "He's a handful."

"He is?" Sam said in disbelief. "You just take it easy." Brian might not have pushed her, but she shouldn't be throwing herself on the floor like that at her age.

 

By the time the deputies came by to take statements, it seemed everyone was willing to confirm they had witnessed Brian grab Mrs. Del Rio and shove her. Sam wasn't sure if they had bought her act or were just going along with what she said. Either way, it got Brian arrested not long after that.

The sheriff caught up to him as he tried to drive out of town. Brian took them on a little bit of a car chase, but he didn't get far. According to the story going around, they found some pills not prescribed to him in his car.

That was the good news Sam gave to Wyatt when he came into town for the parade. He also filled him in on what Mrs. Del Rio had done. They were talking by the crowded counter while DJ and Riley were sitting with Raquel. They were getting some snacks before going to the school to get changed into their peach costumes.

"It's worse for him that way, and I'm glad you didn't get hit," Wyatt said.

"I would rather get hit than risk Mrs. Del Rio getting hurt," Sam told him.

"That is so you," Wyatt told him then he cupped his face. "It worked out. That's what counts."

Mrs. Del Rio was sitting by the wait station, supervising the bustling café and still pretending to be hurt. Wyatt went over to thank her.

"You think I would let him mark this handsome face, not on your life," Mrs. Del Rio said and smiled up at Sam fondly.

"I'm going to make sure never to get on you're bad side," Wyatt vowed.

"Be good to Sam here, and you won't have any trouble from me," she told him.

 

Today two of Wyatt's friends were coming in from out of town for the festival. With everything that was going on, Sam hardly had a chance to get nervous about meeting them. Then two guys came into the cafe and called out Wyatt's name at the same time, so he knew that must be them. They came over and immediately turned to Sam.

"If you're not the boyfriend, I'm going to be very disappointed," the chunky one with glasses said while he peered at Sam too closely. He didn't wear glasses in the old photos of him that Sam had seen, but he knew he was Stan.

The other guy was younger looking and very slim. His name was Yu. He gave Wyatt a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "That is him. He was in that picture Wyatt sent to brag and make us jealous," Yu said.

"Where was my picture?" Stan demanded.

"You said, 'shirtless of GTFO', so you got nothin'," Wyatt told him. Then he did introductions. "That's Stan. That's Yu. And yes, that's Sam. Now come meet my boys."

Sam could tell how much Wyatt liked showing off DJ and Riley, he was practically bursting with pride. And Stan and Yu were a hit with the boys. The guys talked over each other a lot and argued good-naturedly making DJ and Riley smile and Raquel roll her eyes. She was much quieter that they were, so of course they teased her while Wyatt came to her defense. Sam left them to it and went back to work.

 

Finishing up his shift a little late, Sam was ready to go with Wyatt to get the boys ready for the parade. Raquel stayed behind to have lunch with Stan and Yu.

The kids were changing into their costumes at the school, and that was also where the start of the parade route was. When they arrived at the classroom, which had been turned into a dressing room, they saw that screens had been set up and costumes were waiting. Some of the other kids were already wearing the round, peach costumes and beanies that made it look like leaves and stems were growing out of the tops of their heads.

Gloria was there too, and they all got to see her try to hug another girl while they were both wearing the peach costumes. Of course they both fell down.

Going over to her, Lara was signing, "Oh Gloria, what am I gonna do with you? Don't you remember this happened last year too?"

"I forgot, Momma," Gloria said as she got picked up and placed back on her feet.

Eventually, Sam and Wyatt managed to get the boys into their costumes as well and then snapped so many pictures. Sam and Wyatt put on green t-shirts with a peach in front and the words "a real peach" written on the back. Now they were ready to be spotters.

As they took part in the parade, Sam steeled himself. Feeling like the whole town was watching them, he was nervous, but only at first. Soon he realized, the adults were just a backdrop. The kids were the real stars.

Walking in a disorganized jumble, trying not to trip each other while looking everywhere except where they were going, the little peaches were a hit. Somehow, the boys didn't fall down even once. Everyone cheered as they passed, but Sam was sure that Wyatt's friends cheered the loudest.

They got to see the floats they painted go down Main Street. Seeing their handiwork on display, the boys were very excited. The peach blossom honey float had a guy in a bear costume holding a jar of honey and waving to the crowd. He was a favorite with the boys.

All the floats were piled high with mounds of flower decorations and flower sculptures. It was a true celebration of spring in bloom.

To cap off the celebration, a peach blossom princess was crowned. That's when they got to pop balloons and shoot off confetti. The day was crazy, but it was fun in the end.

Wyatt's friends had enjoyed it too. Afterward Stan's only complaint was, "Needs more shirtless hunks."

"Or any shirtless hunks," Yu pointed out.

Sam was glad he didn't have to explain that comment to DJ and Riley. Luckily they were out of their costumes and using the bathroom.

When they came out, they ran up to everyone.

"Did you see us? We didn't fall down," Riley bragged.

"Sure we saw you. You were great," Raquel told them.

"That's right we are so proud of you guys," Sam told them.

"I saw Mr. Jasper. He waved at us," DJ said.

"Everybody did. Everybody waved," Riley said, still full of a whole day's worth of excitement.

"Of course they did. You two were the best Styrofoam peaches out there," Wyatt told them and that made both boys smile. He then picked them up, one in each arm, and they giggled into his shoulder. It had been a wonderful day.