Senses 03 - Love Comes Home (DA) (MM) by Andrew Grey

letting go of some of the tension he’d allowed to build up. He hadn’t realized it was there until he took a few deep breaths and let some of it go.
    “I’m going to take Howard to change,” Gordy said.
    “We’ll watch Davey and Sofia,” Tom offered.
    “No digging into the chocolate cake, though,” Howard warned.
    “How did you know?” Tom asked.
    Gordy chuckled. “Howard can smell chocolate of any kind from half a mile away, I swear.” They moved away, with Howard between Gordy and Token.
    “I need to get Davey a dog like that. I know he needs to learn things first, but having a dog to help him and be his constant companion would be good,” Greg said, watching Davey, who had moved over to where Sophia was working, feeling his way around the castle, which was really just a pile of smoothed sand.
    “Hey,” Tom called and took off in Davey’s direction as a group of three older boys ran down the beach. They marched right over the castle, knocking Davey backward onto the sand.
    “You should watch out, baby!” one of the boys called.
    Greg raced across the sand to Davey. Sophia was already helping him up, scowling at the boys.
    “You meanies!” she cried at them, her hands on her hips.
    “I’m okay, Dad,” Davey said. “They surprised me. I heard them coming but kept expecting them to turn away.”
    Greg looked in the direction they’d gone and saw Tom walking back toward them, holding two boys by the arms. He marched them past and up the beach to where two ladies sat on chairs. They were too far away to hear what Tom was saying, but from the looks of it, the boys and their mothers were getting quite an earful. Greg saw Tom let the boys go and stood back as the entire party, along with the third offender, who’d worked his way back, packed their things. Tom was still scowling as he made his way back.
    “They won’t be bothering you again. They’re gone,” Tom told Davey and Sophia and then shifted his gaze. “I explained to their mothers that they had the choice of leaving or I’d call Don Marshal, the park manager, and they could be thrown out and banned for the rest of the year.”
    “You can do that?” Sophia asked, eyes wide.
    That was exactly the question Greg had been about to ask.
    “Yup,” Tom said with a wry smile. “Gordy and Howard went to change to go swimming.”
    “I already have my suit on under my clothes,” Sophia said.
    Greg was grateful he’d thought to have Davey do the same thing. It would save one change of sandy clothes. Sophia hurried back to the picnic table. Gordy and Howard had returned. Greg guided Davey back.
    “Could you really have had them banned from the park?” Davey asked.
    “Yup,” Tom said, popping the “p.” “The women argued that it was a public park. I simply informed her that last year the park needed new picnic tables and bathrooms. My family’s foundation helped them secure the money. I worked with the park manager, and he was grateful for my help and owes me a few favors, so having them banned from the park for bad behavior would take a phone call and nothing more. They left.”
    Greg sat down and guided Davey onto the bench. He helped him out of his shirt and then began spraying on more sunscreen. “I need to change, so you stay here with Uncle Howard and Uncle Gordy until I get back. I shouldn’t be long, and then I’ll take you in the water.” Greg hurried to the bathroom and changed into his suit. When he returned, Tom was sitting next to Davey, ready to go into the water. Greg did his best not to stare. He and Tom were about the same age, but Tom didn’t look like most guys in their mid to late thirties. There might have been a touch of gray in his hair, but the strength and fitness that had been hinted at under Tom’s shirts was most definitely on full, mouthwatering display.
    “Let’s get wet,” Gordy said, and their group made its way toward the water. Sophia raced ahead, wading into the edge of the water while she