Chapter 5

C hapter F ive

"What is it?" Thor asked as he woke to Michael talking on the phone.

"Did you say what Thor told you to?" Michael asked, and Thor knew he was talking to Peter. In an instant, he came fully awake. "Good. Thor says he can have one ready in a day… hold on." Michael passed him the phone.

"What's going on?"

"They called again first thing this morning. It was a woman who called, and she was very apologetic. They agreed to pay for the last boat and provide the deposit. I requested cash, but they balked, and I didn't want to kill the deal. I gave them a PayPal account, and once the funds are deposited, I'll transfer them to a new account I'll set up at the bank. That way I can give you the money. I know it's dirty, and I don't want any of it. I did what you asked and played dumb, which sucked."

"Don't say any more and get over here. Just hang up the phone and come over." He ended the call and stripped back the covers.

"Why did you do that?" Michael asked.

"In case they managed to clone his phone. I don't want them listening in. If they did, it would take time to set up the connection." He didn't think that was the case, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Okay. Then we'd better get up because I don't want my brother to find me still naked when he gets here." He jumped out of bed and began dressing. "I was hoping we could have a quiet day, but I guess criminals don't keep regular business hours." He sighed, and Thor tugged him back down onto the bed.

"No, they don't. But I'll make it up to you somehow." He kissed him, and Michael wound his arms around his neck. "I would love to stay in bed all day, but Angie is coming over with Auggie in a few hours anyway. And we need something to eat. So, I'll get dressed and get breakfast started while you make yourself pretty for your brother." He winked, and Michael smacked him on the shoulder.

"Smartass," Michael teased as he slipped out of his arms and went to the closet. Thor watched every movement until Michael went into the bathroom. Then he got up, dressed, and set about making something to eat.

He was just finishing the eggs when Peter knocked on the back door. He let him in and got him a mug of coffee. "Michael will be out in a few minutes." Thor finished cooking and took three plates to the table. "Did they give you a number?" Thor asked.

"Yeah. I wrote it down for you. And they sent the money. I opened a separate account at my bank and transferred the money out. Here is the account and the amount."

"Good. Once we're done here, call them and say they can have the boat on Tuesday. It will be moored on the Albion River, and they can take it from there."

"Is that all?" Peter asked.

"From you, yes. I'll get the boat in the water and tied up to the dock. I don't want you in any danger. They'll think I'm one of your men and that this is just a normal delivery."

"But it isn't," Peter said.

"No. The department will have installed tracking and listening devices. I'm sure they'll check for all of them, but we know what we're doing. They will be hidden well, and from that point on, we'll know where the boat is located, and we should be able to hear any conversation."

"Okay. I need details to give them so they'll recognize it," Peter said, and Thor told him he'd send a picture as soon as he could.

"You did well, and this should be a big help." Thor ate his breakfast as Michael joined them at the table.

"Have you gone over everything?" he asked, sipping from his mug.

"I think so," Peter answered. Thor had his mouth full, so he didn't try to talk. "Thor is going to handle everything from here on out. I just have to make a call." He seemed much less nervous than he was when he first arrived.

"Just keep your head about you and everything will be cool." Thor sipped his coffee before checking the time. "Angie is bringing Auggie at one. We're going to watch him so she can get some rest." Thor sat back. "How is everything else with you?"

Peter shrugged. "I have some fishing excursions booked for the next month. A couple of them are on my best boat, with a couple from Anaheim wanting three days. So, things might be picking up."

"That's great," Michael said. "I really hope you can make a go of it. Both of us should have jobs that aren't dependent on our father." He chewed and swallowed. "I have a couple of specific commissions this next week. I'm pretty happy with that, and I'm meeting with three possible clients for two homes and a custom-built B and B. Apparently, we don't have enough of those already, because this family wants to build a new one. They have land on the bluffs just north of Little River, and they want to build a complex that will be their home and have ten rooms that they can rent." He sounded so excited.

"You were always talented that way," Peter said. "I was so jealous as a kid. You could draw and were smart, and I never seemed very good at anything."

"You did well in school," Michael told Peter.

He nodded. "But I worked like hell to get those grades."

"Then be proud of them, because you earned them." Michael finished his eggs and stood, taking his dishes to the kitchen. "That insecurity is Dad talking, and you need to try to let it go. Be your own person."

"But I tried that, and look at the mess I got myself into," Peter groused.

"And you're helping us get you out of it, plus your business is starting to take hold. Concentrate on that rather than what Dad is going to think." Michael was getting a little edgy; talking about his father usually did that to him.

"And we're here to help you," Thor said as levelly as he could. "Michael and I want you to be successful. You have the potential to bring business to the area, which is a good thing. And you can be a success in your own right." He smiled, and Peter's eyes got less of that goggled look. "You were a big help, and we appreciate it."

Peter sighed. "Okay. Well… thanks for breakfast and all. I guess I just let you know if they contact me again after this."

"I'm sure they will eventually. Just be calm, and let me know when they do." Thor wanted him to settle down. Peter was still jumpy, and nervous people made mistakes. "Do you want to call them while you're here?" Thor asked, and Peter nodded before pulling out his phone. He made the call and did a great job, remaining calm and explaining where the boat would be, that he needed to get it from boat storage, and would text them a picture of it.

"They fell for it and didn't seem to think anything was off."

"Good. Now we'll deliver the boat as promised." Thor took his dishes to the kitchen while Peter and Michael talked. It was good to see the two of them together. At least that part of Michael's family seemed to be healing.

"I should go," Peter said as Thor finished with the dishes. "You guys have things to do. Thanks for having my back on all this."

Thor chuckled. "I was about to tell you the same thing. Keep in touch." He patted Peter on the back as he left, shutting the door behind him. Thor started the dishwasher and grabbed his phone, calling Miller to explain the details of what he needed. "And make sure anything we install on that boat is undetectable."

"We know what we're doing," Miller said.

Thor growled. "If anything is found, then the person they're going to come for is the one who arranged the boat, and that's Michael's brother. And if that happens…." He made sure Miller knew the seriousness of what he was saying.

"I understand," Miller said. "Now, I have to get the men on finishing that boat, and we'll deliver it to Noyo Harbor Tuesday morning."

"Perfect. I'll take it up to Albion River and dock it. That way if anyone is watching, they'll see a simple boat delivery. Nothing more." That was exactly what he was hoping for. Everything was going the way it should, which only meant that something was waiting in the wings to blow the entire plan out of the water. He just didn't know what that was yet.

"Are you and Uncle Thor going to nap?" Michael asked Auggie as he placed him in Thor's arms. "He's had a diaper change, and here's his bottle." Michael handed it to him, and Thor adjusted Auggie a bit, giving him the bottle. He popped it in his mouth and ate like he was starving.

"That's it. Just relax, and we can go to sleep for a while." Auggie had been raring to go for the last two hours, and Thor was more than ready for a little quiet time. His sister seemed less frazzled than yesterday but had hurried out of the house to run some errands. She was expected back around five, and Thor hoped that Auggie would nap for part of that time.

Auggie's eyes drifted closed as he finished the bottle. Thor took it and set it on the table next to him, and Auggie settled in to sleep in his uncle's arms.

"You like this, don't you?" Michael asked quietly, sitting on the sofa and turning on the television, keeping the volume down.

"I do. But why don't you hold him for his nap?" Thor asked.

"Simple. If I held him, you'd find something to do to keep you busy, and this way I get to sit here with you. We can watch TV, have a little quiet time, and just relax."

Thor coughed softly. "And I don't know how to relax? Is that what you're saying?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Duh." That man could give lessons in sass. "You never relax unless you're asleep. The minute you wake up, you're going to a mile a minute. And sometimes, I think we all need a chance to take a breath. If it takes napping with Auggie to do it, I'm willing to sign you up for some baby time every Sunday afternoon."

"You really are a pain in the ass, you know that?" Thor whispered, loving the way Auggie slept in his arms, so trusting and content.

"Maybe. But look at you. He loves you and trusts you." Michael got up, standing next to him. "And so do I." Michael lightly kissed him. "You're one of the best men I know." He left and returned with a couple glasses of iced water, putting one on the table next to Thor's chair. Then he sat down, and they watched a movie about elephants on Netflix as Auggie slept.

Thor had held a number of men in his life. He'd slept with them, too, but yesterday and today were the first times he'd held a sleeping baby, and something about it rocked his world. He had never known such complete trust in his life. Thor always felt he had to be defensive, even with Michael. Not that he didn't trust Michael—he did. But everyone in his world seemed to either want something or someone else more. Auggie seemed perfectly content with him just as he was.

"Your phone," Michael said sometime later. Thor realized he'd nodded off.

He took it from Michael with a smile. "Yeah?"

"It's your father," Michael's dad said gruffly.

He knew he should have looked at the caller ID first. His belly tightened at the sound of his voice. "Okay."

"I'm trying to find your sister. I thought you might know where she is. I need some things from the store, and I wanted to ask if she was going."

Thor huffed. "Angie is probably resting. Michael and I have Auggie for her this afternoon so she could get a few things done and have a chance to lie down. If she isn't answering, it's probably because she's asleep." His father was always selfish.

"Why do you have him?" his dad demanded. "I don't think that's the best thing. I'll come over and get Auggie, and you can tell Angie…."

"No, Dad. Auggie is sleeping, and you aren't going to disturb him." The truth was, he liked holding his nephew and wasn't going to give him up. "I don't need your help. Michael and I are here to watch him."

His dad actually growled.

"What? You think I'm not qualified to watch him?" He knew he was pressing and forcing his father to vocalize his prejudices. "I'm more qualified than you are."

"And why is that?" his dad snapped.

"Because Angie left him with us and not you. She's his mother, and she is the one who makes decisions for him. Not you." He tensed, and Auggie shifted against him, probably feeling the anger that washed off him. "I'll have Angie call you when she comes to pick him up."

"I'm on my way."

"And you won't be let in." He had had enough of this kind of shit from him. "I'm not arguing with you, and I will tell Angie the way you're acting." If nothing else, he knew that would get his dad to back off. "Do you have any idea how pissed off she's going to be?" He lowered his voice. "Just stop, and I'll tell Angie to call you when we see her." Thor hung up the phone and turned to Michael. "Just when I thought things might be changing with my dad, he pulls some crap like that." He wanted to throttle the man. How dare he even think that Thor would hurt his nephew in any way.

"I guess it goes to show that a tiger really can't change his stripes," Michael said. "You know, both of us really hit the father lottery, didn't we?"

"Yeah. They were both the boobie prizes that no one else wanted." Thor was more than happy never to see that old goat again. He had tried to make peace with him for Angie's sake, but he was done with that. Getting beaten up again and again by the man was not going to get him anywhere. His father was never going to change his mind about anything, and Thor had to accept that.

"I know, and every time they do something to support us, anything, we look too damned deeply into it and think that maybe they're going to change. But they aren't." Michael sat back, watching the television until Angie returned just after Auggie woke up.

Thor had just finished changing his diaper when she came in the back door. "How's my boy?" she asked, getting a huge smile from Auggie. Suddenly, he wasn't interested in Uncle Thor, and all he wanted was Mommy. "Did you have a good day?"

"He was good and napped with Uncle Thor," Michael said.

She bounced him to laughter before hugging Auggie to her. "I understand you talked to Dad."

Thor nodded. "Don't ask me to call him back or make excuses for him… not this time."

"He said you told him off," Angie said.

"And the rest?" Thor asked. "He said nothing about questioning my ability to take care of Auggie? He was going to rush over because two gay men were watching his grandson. I'm sorry, but I'm done with him. I walked away years ago for good reason, and I'm not going to deal with him now. He had his chance, and I know it would make you happy if we could get along, but all he does is make me miserable, and I don't need that." Michael stood next to him, his hand on his lower back. "That isn't fair."

Angie sighed. "Okay. I won't push the two of you together any longer. You gave him a chance, and I know you did it for me. If Dad isn't going to take advantage of it, then it's his loss."

Thor wasn't going to put pressure on her to alter her dealings with their father, but he expected her to show him the same courtesy. "Do you want to stay for dinner? I can make some pasta or something."

Angie shook her head. "Brian will be getting home in a few hours, and I planned to have dinner with him." She kissed his cheek and Michael's too. "Thank you both for watching him this afternoon." She smiled and left the house with Auggie and his things.

"Sometimes I swear mothers become jugglers when they give birth," Michael said, closing the door after her. "Now, they're gone, and it's just the two of us again. We could make something for dinner, or…."

"Or I have a couple of frozen pizzas out in the garage fridge. I could put one of those in the oven later, and you and I could go up and work it off."

Michael grinned. "I love how your mind works." He took Thor's hand, pausing at the base of the stairs. "Be sure to leave your phone down here. Any emergency can wait until later." He led him up the stairs to the second floor and into their bedroom, closing the door.

"And I love the way you think," Thor said, pressing Michael back onto the bed, proceeding to make it impossible for either of them to think of anything for quite some time.