The awful sound of the phone ringing, interrupts one of the best dreams Tim has ever had.

"What?!" Tim growls into the phone. His voice rough and gravelly from sleep.

"Morning, Sunshine." The voice says into the receiver.

"Austin?" Tim asks before trying to clear his throat. "What the hell are you doing calling this early?"

"Timmy, it's eight o'clock in the morning." Austin chuckles. "I need a favor."

"No." Tim answers as he rubs his eyes and yawns.

"I haven't even asks yet." Austin laughs.

"It can't be good if you call me this early." Tim says as he closes his eyes.

"We need help in the field today." Austin states.

"No." Tim answers as he glances around to make sure his husband was still sleeping.

"Come on, Man. We need you." Austin continues his efforts.

"No, Austin." Tim wasn't backing down.

"Chris called and said he had something to do. He's been acting really weird lately. We're needing to get this field done. Please, Tim. I don't have anyone else to call." Austin turns to begging.

Austin listens to the silence on the other end. Hoping that Tim was thinking it over and not fallen asleep.

"For how long?" Tim asks with a sigh.

"A day. A day and a half at the most." Austin answers with a smile.

"Sh*t." Tim groans, rubbing his eyes once more.

"Pleaseeeee." Austin begs.

"Alright." Tim moans. "But you owe me."

"You got it." Austin says but hears a dial tone. "Hmmm, Tim won't be in the best of moods today."

Tim carefully gets out of bed and gets dressed. Being extremely quiet as to not wake up Avi. He grabs a bandanna and slips out the door.

Walking into the living room, he sees their daughter, Avery, sitting on the floor in her footed pajamas watching cartoons. Avery was now three and quite smart for her age.

"What are you doing up, Kid?" Tim asks as he ruffles her long dark brown hair as he walks by heading to the kitchen. (In the first book, Avery had blond hair. But her hair grew darker the older she got.)

"Those coaties woke me up howling." She says as she gets up and follows her daddy into the kitchen. (coyotes)

"You know they can't get in, right?" Tim asks as he picks her up and sits her on the counter beside him as he makes some coffee.

"I know." She answers as she pushes up her glasses. "But I couldn't go back to seep with all dat noise."

"Listen, your Uncle Austin called and he's needing me to help him and the guys haul hay today." Tim says as he takes her glasses off to clean them. "Poppa is still asleep. So keep the noise down to a minimum. Got it?"

Several months ago, Avery had went from calling Avi 'Mommy' to calling him 'Poppa'. Her reasoning was "Mommies are girls".

"Got it." She smiles and gives him a thumbs up.

Tim reaches into the cabinet for a box of pastries.

"I don't have time to fix breakfast but this will keep you from starving until Poppa gets up." Tim says as he picks her up from the counter and sits her at the table. "Milk or orange juice?"

"Milk." She nods as she takes a bite of the pastry.

"Lock the door the minute I leave." Tim says as he ties the bandanna around his head.

"Okay." She nods.

"Do. Not. mess up the house." Tim says as he reaches for a pastry.

"Okay." She nods once more.

"Mind your Poppa." Tim says. "And no back talking."

"Okay." She giggles. Her daddy lays down the rules every time he leaves the house. "Anyting else?"

"Mhmm. Give me a kiss." Tim smiles as he leans over to his little girl. "I gotta go."

She gives him a pastry flavored kiss.

"I love you, Daddy." Avery says as she hugs him tightly.

"I love you too, Princess. Now, come lock the door behind me." Tim says as he takes her by the hand.

Tim walks out on the porch closing the door behind him. He stands there until he hears the lock latch.

"See ya later, alligator." Tim says through the closed door.

"After while, cwocodile." Avery giggles. She then returns to her spot on the floor to finish watching her cartoons.

Avi yawns as he reaches for his husband. Only to find the place beside him empty and cold. He groans as he stumbles to the closet to find something to put on.

"Morning, Poppa." Avery smiles.

"Good morning, Sweetie." Avi says as he sits down on the floor next to her. "What are you watching?"

"Scooby Doo." Avery answers with a smile.

Even though Avery was not biologically their daughter, her eyes were the exact same color as Avi's and the older she got, she actually favored Tim. It was so freaky that Tim actually had blood test run to prove to his husband that he had not had a drunken one night stand.

"Where's your daddy?" Avi asks as he gets up from the floor and follows the smell of the coffee Tim had made.

"He had to go help Uncle Austin ball hay." Avery answers.

"Ball hay?" Avi chuckles. "You mean haul hay?"

"Yeah, dat's it. Haul hay." Avery giggles.

"Have you had breakfast?" Avi asks as he fixes himself a cup of coffee.

"Yep, Daddy gave me one of those pastries." Avery says as she crawls up into a chair at the table.

"Did daddy carry him any lunch?" Avi asks.

"Nope." Avery says shaking her head.

"What do you say, we surprise them with pizza for lunch?" Avi smiles.

"I LOVE PIZZA!" Avery shouts.

~~

"So did Chris give any hint on what he had to do that was so important?" Tim asks as they took a break to cool off.

"Not a word." Austin says as he hands Chance a bottle of water.

Chance was hired to fill Tim's place when he 'retired'.

"I know he's been making a lot of trips back home to Minnesota." Adam says. "And that him and Tristin have been talking a lot."

"Are your parents alright?" Brad Paisley, the driver of the tractor, asks.

"As far as I know, they are." Adam shrugs.

"I've noticed he's been acting a little strange during rehearsals. I just haven't said anything." Tim says as he wipes the sweat from his brow.

"Tim, I think you have some visitors." Chance says as he points across the field.

Their attention is drawn to Avi and Avery walking across the field toward them. Avi was carrying two large pizza boxes.

"DADDY!" Avery yells and begins to run.

"PIZZA!!!" Austin yells with excitement.

********

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