Chapter 35

 

Wyatt couldn't believe everything that went on only since that morning. What a day, and it wasn't over yet. That evening Wyatt had everyone over for a dinner party, but Sam was not allowed to help him cook.

He and the boys helped set up while Wyatt did a lot of cursing in the kitchen. Raquel, Yu and Stan arrived later and then Lara, Gloria and Noreen. That was almost everyone. Seeing who was missing as he came to greet the guests milling around in the living room, Wyatt asked Sam, "You did invite Rico, right?"

Sam took a moment then told him. "I wasn't sure you could handle it so..."

Wyatt groaned. "Oh come on." He knew Sam was teasing him, but then he got serious. He stared into Sam's beautiful, gray eyes solemnly and told him, "I can handle anything as long as you're here."

As Wyatt gave Sam a soft kiss, Stan yelled, "Keep it clean over there, you two!"

The others laughed, but DJ went up to Stan and told him, "It's OK. They're boyfriends."

That got an even bigger laugh, but not from Wyatt. He went over and kissed DJ on the cheek. "You're my smart boy. You tell them."

 

Wyatt was so happy. Sam was there and his new and old friends, and the cooking was going OK. Even Rico was a good addition when he arrived. Though he made Wyatt jealous, he was someone Sam could be friends with, and he wanted that for him. Sam had suffered through enough loneliness in his life.

After arriving last, Rico was introduced to Stan and Yu. Now he was hanging back with Sam by the dining table. "So these are your out of town friends," Rico said to Wyatt when he bright out some mixed olives and cheese. "Grandma is hosting some of her out of town friends too. They're busy doing old lady things. That's why she couldn't come over, and I had to escape."

"They're playing poker," Sam informed him.

"Old lady poker," Rico scoffed.

"Mrs. Del Rio said they would be drinking each other under the table," Sam said but that didn't impress Rico.

He was so different from Sam, but Wyatt could tell that they had a good rapport. And there he was getting jealous again.

"You're not helping out with the cooking?" Rico asked Sam. He must have noticed that only Wyatt was going in and out of in the kitchen.

"I'm not even allowed in there," Sam said and then glared at Wyatt a little.

"I'm cooking solo. This is my time to shine. Or crash and burn. I'm making an unholy mess in there," Wyatt said then he grinned at Sam. "If you're dying to help, I might let you clean that up after."

"Oh thanks," Sam said.

Wyatt looked around to make sure there were enough snacks and drinks. Over by the sideboard, Lara was acting as bartender.

"Don't let her mix you a drink or it will be all sugar," Noreen warned Raquel, who had gone up there.

"You hush. I make a beautiful cocktail," Lara claimed.

"You can make mine as sweet as you want," Raquel told her. "I have a sweet tooth."

 

Seeing that everything was good in the living room, Wyatt went back to cooking. Since everyone was forbidden from coming into the kitchen, DJ, Riley and Gloria couldn't resist poking their heads in there, then running away when Wyatt spotted them.

On one of their kitchen raids, the kids witnessed Wyatt tipping a bowl of parmesan he had just grated and spilling some.

"You messed up!" Riley yelled from the door.

"Yes, please announce it to everyone," Wyatt told him.

"Uncle Wyatt messed up!" he yelled even louder then all the kids giggled and ran away.

Wyatt chased them and happened to overhear Raquel as she leaned over to whisper in Sam's ear, "Will it be edible?"

"Mostly," Sam said. He was in so much trouble.

They were turned away from him so Wyatt went over to sneak up on them. "You can just eat around the burnt parts," Wyatt said from close behind them and made them both jump.

"You can't burn it. You'll make your cooking teacher look bad," Noreen told him with a smirk. She was perched on the arm of the couch with something brown in her glass and plenty of ice.

"I'll try to do him proud, but I take full responsibility for any screw-ups," Wyatt said and he grinned at Sam. "Food will be on the table pretty soon. I just have to top it off with cheese, after I grate some more."

As he was about to head back to the kitchen, Wyatt heard Gloria saying to DJ and Riley. "It's sad. I still have my dad and my mom and my grandmas."

Wyatt didn't like the sound of that. He groaned inwardly and went over in case the boys got upset.

"You only have your uncle and that's sad," she insisted. It reminded Wyatt of that woman who pitied the boys only the day before.

This time it was Riley who wouldn't accept the pity. "No, we have Sam and Aunt Debbie and Uncle Tom and Barney and Brownie," he listed.

"Yeah!" DJ agreed loud and proud.

Hearing that list, Gloria had to agree too. "You do have two dogs so that's good."

"We are sad," DJ admitted to Wyatt once Gloria ran off with Riley so they could chase after the dogs.

"That's what hugs are for," Wyatt told him and got down so he could wrap DJ in his arms. "You're good, brave kids, but I know you miss your mom and dad. Go on now and tell you brother I owe him a hug."

 

As Wyatt was going back to the kitchen, Lara told him. "Sorry about that. I'll talk to her."

"It's OK. Gloria just speaks her mind," Wyatt said.

"Oh, God, does she," Lara huffed. "I have no idea where she gets that from. Or that red hair."

Wyatt smiled at her, and then felt a small hand grab hold of his fingers.

"You owe me, Uncle Wyatt," Riley said. "Gimme my hug."

Wyatt picked him up and spun him around. "There, you got a little extra."

 

The chicken parmigiana Wyatt made with tomatoes from the garden turned out pretty good, and now it was served up with some ravioli and everyone was taking their seats around the table. The kids were eating at the coffee table. While Wyatt was making sure they had plenty of napkins, Raquel was praising Lara's drink mixing skills.

"You make a great cocktail. If I wasn't driving, I could have one more," she said as she took a seat next to Lara. "I might just have to move here."

"Aha, see? She likes my cocktail," Lara crowed to Noreen then she turned to Raquel and threw an arm around her. "If you move here, I promise to make you my best friend and ditch Noreen," Lara loud-whispered to her.

Over by the drinks, Noreen made a face at her and mixed another drink for herself before she took a seat at the dinner table. "Good riddance to you," she said to Lara then turned to Raquel. "She tries to win every argument by telling me I'm built like a Popsicle stick."

"You are," Lara confirmed.

"It's not always relevant," Noreen snapped.

"You guys are fighting over my best friend. You know, I have no plans to give her up," Wyatt told them as he went to sit at the table next to Sam.

"You won't have a choice. I'll steal her away from you," Lara threatened.

"No stealing, Momma," Gloria admonished her from the kids' table.

DJ had a different take on it. "Grown-ups are weird."

Riley wasn't so dismissive though. He got up, went up to Lara and told her, "Gloria's mom, don't try to steal our uncle or Sam or our dogs."

"I only want to steal Raquel," Lara told him.

"OK," Riley said and went back to sit at the kids' table.

Stan and Yu laughed at Raquel and then Stan claimed, "I love girls."

"No, you don't," Yu told him.

Stan elaborated, "Platonically."

Wyatt leaned over toward Sam. "Did you hear that, Sam? No one is allowed to steal you," Wyatt said as he put an arm around him and kissed him on the cheek.

That's when Gloria spoke up again. "I know something. Momma said something," she announced loudly.

Lara covered her face with her hands. "Oh God, she's going to repeat something I said."

"I have to tell 'em," Gloria said.

"She's got a full head of steam. There's no stopping her. Everybody, cover your ears," Lara instructed them, but only DJ and Riley did it.

Gloria wasn't having it though. "No, you need to listen," she said and then she pulled down their hands so they could hear her tattle on her mom. "Momma said you two guys are gonna have Sam as another dad."

"Dad?" Riley said and looked over at Sam, peering at him with his head tilted like he was looking at him in a whole new way. In the end he smiled at him.

"That's 'cause your Uncle Wyatt is like your dad now, and you're gonna have Sam too. That's another dad," Gloria kept explaining.

The boys looked a little confused then Riley said. "We have lots of dads."

DJ started to look a little sad though. Wyatt was about to go over to him, but DJ got up and came over to stand next to Sam's chair. He stared at Sam for a long moment, then he said, "I miss our dad, but you can be our dad too if you want. You're good at it."

Sam reached over and pulled DJ into his arms for a sweet hug. "Thank you. I'll do my best," Sam said to him and kissed the top of his head.

"Now I'm gonna cry," Lara said.

"Don't you dare," Noreen told her, but she looked a little teary eyed too.

Sam was busy hugging Riley as well who knew he was owed a hug. In the meantime, Wyatt had his arms around DJ, and he felt so incredibly lucky. The boys were amazing, and maybe it was good that Gloria was so outspoken.

Wyatt reached out to take Sam's hand and he kissed it. He wanted to say something, but he was a little choked up. Later on though, he would definitely have something to say to Sam.