** I apologize for the delay on an update on this book. I had a minor case of writer's block. Hopefully, I'm back on track. Thanks for being patient.

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Tim and Chance were sitting at the table eating breakfast. Tim would eye Chance's plate that was rounded with eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy. He had to pull all his will-power together as he sat there and ate his bowl of Special K cereal.

"Honey, why don't you let me fix you a plate?" Chance asks as he notices Tim's glances at his hearty breakfast. Chance was overcome by guilt. He knew that Tim was wanting to lose weight and here he was sitting in front of him with such a fattening breakfast.

"No, I'm okay." Tim says as he reaches for an orange. Really he wasn't. He was starving. What he wouldn't give to grab a handful of that bacon and cram it into his mouth like a hungry savage.

"You don't have to do this." Chance says as he lays his hand on top of his lover's.

"Yes, I do." Tim nods as he begins to peel the orange.

"Goooood morning, boys." Kirstie greets the guys happily as she walks into the kitchen.

"Somebody must have gotten her some last night." Tim chuckles as he continues to peel the orange.

"My lips are sealed." Kirstie smiles as she fixes herself a cup of coffee. She turns around and leans against the counter watching the two men eat their breakfast. She bit her lip as she tries to think of a sweet way to ask them.

"Is the wild man up yet?" Tim asks as he pops an orange slice into his mouth.

"Yeah, uh, he went and woke Adam up. Sorry, I know you like your quiet time in the mornings." Kirstie says as she walks over to the table, sitting down beside the long-haired brunette. 

"Eh, that's okay." Tim says before shaking slightly from the bitterness of his coffee after eating the sweet orange.

"Timmy?" Kirstie asks softly as if she were talking to a child.

Tim slowly turns his head toward the petite blonde. She only called him 'Timmy' when she wanted a favor.

"Uh, are you busy today?" She asks. She could feel his stare burning into the side of her face.

"Not that I know of." Tim answers then he raises a brow. "Why?"

"Ummm, Sami, Tori and Olena were kinda wanting a girls' day/night out." Kirstie explains still not meeting the brown-eyed man's stare. "Maybe going for a day at the spa and then out for a few drinks tonight. It's not very often that we all can get together because of their work. I promise not to be out late."

"And you're telling me this because....?" Tim asks with a slight smirk. He knew the answer. He just enjoyed watching Kirstie squirm.

"I was wondering if you guys would be interested in babysitting Patches and Emily?" She asks as she finally turns her eyes to meet Tim's.

"Gee, I don't know. What do you think, Chance?" Tim asks as he glances around at his boyfriend.

"Well, she did make fun of us the last time we were playing with the boys." Chance says as he tugs lightly at his beard.

"Oh, yeah." Kirstie giggles. "But it was soooo cute. Batman and Mr. Potato Head."

She stopped giggling as Tim turns his gaze back at her.

"Sorry." She mumbles as she hangs her head. 

Tim has to bite his lip to hide his smile.

"But I really need this, Timmy." The blonde says as she looks back up at him with pleading eyes.

"I know you do." Tim nods with a soft smile. "That's why we're going to babysit for you."

"OH! THANK YOU!" She shouts with excitement as she grabs her friend into a tight hug. She jumps up from the table and runs around to hug Chance.

"But you owe us." Chance says with a grin.

"You got it! Any time you and Tim want to go out, I'll be more than happy to watch Adam. Just make sure Patch is around to help." She giggles. "I have to go get ready!!"

She meets Adam and Patches in the doorway as she's leaving the kitchen. Stopping briefly to give them both a kiss on the cheek before running upstairs.

"Whad wath dat all bout?" Adam says as he wipes his cheek.

"Mo Ti, Cha." Patches giggles as he skips over to the table. (morning Tim and Chance)

"Morning Wild Man." Tim smiles as Patches begins to load his plate with bacon, nothing else. Tim turns his attention to Adam as the blonde sits down next to him. "Looks like Chance and I will be babysitting you guys and Emily today. Kirstie is going out with Tori, Olena and Sami."

"YAYYYY!!" Patches claps. "Pun!!"

"Uncle Tim!" Emily giggles as she runs in and gives Tim a huge hug. "Mommy just told me that you and Uncle Chance will be watching us today. We gonna have so much fun."

"Yay." Tim says in a somewhat sarcastic tone but still managed to smile at the young girl.

"So, what do y'all wanna do today?" Chance asks as he sets a booster chair in the empty chair next to him for Emily. He lifts the tiny child up and sits her in the chair.

"I don't think you should have asked that, Cha..." Before Tim could finish his statement, the kids started naming a whole list of things that they wanted to do.

With everything that Adam and Emily named, Patches would agree with a rather loud, "YAYYY!"

There was everything from building a sandcastle, swimming, metal detecting, coloring, the list went on and on. Ever so often, Patches would add "Pay bee, Ti". (play on the beach, Tim)

"You had to ask." Tim says as he shakes his head.

"D*mn, it's going to be a very long day." Chance says as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"Yep. I sure picked a fine time to quit drinking." Tim chuckles as he collects the dirty dishes.

~~

They decided to start out on the beach before the temperature got too hot. 

Tim had to tell Patches several times, as they got dressed, that he could not wear a beanie to the beach. It would be too hot. He suggested to the man-child that he wear a snapback like Chance. Patches finally agreed with an eager nod.

All dressed in swimming trunks and Emily in her bathing suit, they head out for the beach.  

Tim carried a few blankets, thrown over his shoulder, to lay out under the beach umbrella and a picnic basket with sandwiches and snacks. Emily carried a couple of pails and small shovels to help build their sandcastle. Adam carried two metal detectors. Chance carried a cooler full of soft drinks and water and, of course, the beach umbrella. Even Satchmo carried a large nerf ball in his mouth to play with and Mack carried a frisbee in his. But everything was too heavy for Patches, or so he said.

As Tim and Chance set up the umbrella and laid out the blankets, the 'kids' along with Satchmo and Mack run out to the water's edge. The high tide had brought in a lot of interesting shells that the 'kids' quickly begin to pick up.

"How's your leg? Are you hurting?" Chance asks as he checked the batteries in the detectors.

"No, I'm fine." Tim smiles as he watches the 'kids' run around like maniacs grabbing up shells. He was bent and determined NOT to spoil this day with the kids.

"Okay, but promise me if you start hurting, you tell me. We can always go inside and find something else to do." Chance says.

"And face Patches's wrath? I don't think so." Tim laughs as he takes Chance's hand as they walk out to join the kids.

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