"You're supposed to eat these?" Patch asks with a disgusted look on as face before picking up a large boiled
shrimp.

"Yeah, well, you have to peel it first." Tim chuckles. "You don't eat the outer shell."

Patch nods as he observes the shrimp he was holding in his hand.

"These things live in the ocean?" Patch asks after laying the shrimp down and wiping his hands.

"Yep, you see all those shrimping boats? These little creatures are what they're catching along with some crabs and lobsters probably." Tim answers as he peels a shrimp and turns to put it in Henry's mouth. "Look, Patch, this is how you peel one."

Patch watches Tim carefully as he peels another shrimp.

"And you eat this part." Tim says holding up the meat of the shrimp. Tim starts to eat it but Henry leans over with his mouth open. He chuckles and puts the meat in Henry's mouth.

"It looks better without the legs." Patch laughs then tries his hand at peeling one. He puts the meat in his mouth and slowly chews it. "Wow, that's good."

Every time Tim would peel a shrimp to eat, Henry would open his mouth like a baby bird.

"Well, I wouldn't know. I haven't got to eat one yet." Tim laughs as he puts the shrimp in Henry's mouth. "I guess we should have eaten a bigger breakfast."

"Where did Kirstie, Jenika and Emily go?" Patch asks before reaching for another shrimp.

"They walked over to the Flea Market." Tim says as he quickly eats a shrimp before Henry had time to open his mouth. Tim chuckles as he receives an unhappy look from the blond.

They make their way to several of the seafood stand. Tim was letting Patch try the different seafood. He liked the lobster, crawfish and crabmeat but refused to even try the oysters.

"There you guys are." Kirstie says as she walks up, handing Emily over to her daddy. "Trying to find someone here is like looking for a needle in a haystack." She laughs.

"Where's Jenika? Did you lose her in the crowd?" Tim chuckles as he notices his wife wasn't with her.

"She ran upon an old friend so we thought we'd just come find y'all." Kirstie says before eating a piece of crabmeat.

"Really? Did she say who she was?" Tim asks. He and Jenika had grown in these parts and knew a lot of people.

"It wath a man." Emily says as she takes a bite of crabmeat that her daddy had offered her.

"What did he look like?" Tim asks.

"He was tall, black hair and a beard." Kirstie says as she tries to remember the man's name. "Uhhhh, Darren?"

"Darrell?" Tim asks.

"Yeah, that was his name. Darrell. You know him?" Kirstie asks.

"Yep." Tim nods. "Darrell Marrier. He was a friend of mine."

"Was?" Kirstie asks with raised brows.

"He was always a little too flirty with Jenika." Tim says as he gives Henry a sip of his soda.

"Oh. Maybe I should have stayed." Kirstie says.

"No, that's fine. I trust my wife." Tim smiles.

Even though Tim smiled, Patch could see a little uncertainty in his eyes. During his years on the streets, he became quite good at reading people's expressions and body language. Tim might have trusted Jenika but maybe it was Darrell that he didn't trust.

They walk out on the pier and one of the fishermen gave Patch and Emily a tour of his shrimp boat. Both were very much amused by his fishing stories.

Tim pulls his phone from his pocket to check to see if his wife had texted him. Kirstie had been back for a good hour and he was beginning to get worried.

'Where are you?' He texted her, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. Ten minutes later his phone vibrates.

'On my way.' Jenika text back.

'We're on the docks.' Tim sent her the text.

'K' She responded.

"It was a great white. Had to be at least fifteen feet in length." The old fisherman was saying. "Completely destroyed our nets and almost pulled our boat under."

"Wowwww." Emily says, her eyes big as saucers. "Maybe you needed a bigga boat."

Tim chuckles and looks away. He spots Jenika walking up the dock toward them.

"Having fun?" She asks Henry as she rubs him on the back.

Henry leans away from her and into Tim.

"So. Uh, what did you and Darrell talk about?" Tim asks.

"How did you know I ran into to Darrell?" Jenika asks.

"Kirstie told me to ran into an old friend and when she described him, I knew who it was." Tim answers with a slight shrug.

"Just old times. When we used to hang out." Jenika says as she shifts her eyes away from her husband's.

'Body language speaks louder than the truth'. Patch thought as he watches Jenika.

Tim only nods then looks out across the dock.

Did he believe her? His actions tell Patch that he wasn't all that convinced. There was something that had to make Tim doubt her story but what, Patch didn't know.

"Look, Sweetheart." Kirstie giggles, pulling Patch from his thoughts. "Dolphins."

"Yes, Mam." The old fisher nods. "Dolphins gather around these shrimping vessels like buzzards on roadkill."

"Look, Pumpkin." Tim says as he takes Henry by the hand and leads him over for a better view. Leaving his wife standing on the dock, deep in thought.

"They so pwetty." Emily squeals as she watches the dolphins. "I want one."

"Sure, we can keep it in our swimming pool back home." Kirstie giggles.

Patch gives her a shocked look.

"I'm kidding." She laughs as she leans into her husband.

After they leave the dock, they take a stroll along the beach before heading back to Dena's. Patch and Kirstie swings a giggling Emily between them.

Tim held to Henry's hand and the other his cane, trying to maneuver himself carefully over the soft sand.

"You need some help?" Jenika asks.

"No, I'm fine." Tim answers flatly as he gazes out across the water. He was busy pleading with his mind to come up with a reason. Any reason at all that would explain his wife's swollen lips.

** For those who might not know who Darrell Marrier is, I added a photo below. Ikl, he is good friends with Home Free. This is a screen-shot from Tim's Birthday Bash.

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