Page 42 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

As he picked Zoe up and let her hide her face against his shoulder, he noticed Max had no such issues. The little turncoat could be bought out with a slice of cake and wouldn’t give it a second thought. He was already climbing into Judy’s lap and trying to grab at her necklace.

“Oh goodness, you’re a sweet one, aren’t you?” Judy was talking to Max. She used the same tone women around the world used when confronted with a baby who liked to flirt. She looked up at Tommy and asked, “They’re about a year, aren’t they?”

Tommy tried to bury his annoyance and nodded his head. “Last month.”

Judy turned her attention back to Max. “You like that?” she asked him as he picked at her necklace. “Look,” she said softly, taking it gently from his hands. “It opens,” she explained as she undid the clasp and pulled the locket open.

When Max made a happy sound and said, “Babo!” Judy laughed.

Tommy got curious then, knowing what Max and Zoe called Bobby.

Judy smiled at Max and ran a hand through his mess of curls. “That’s right. You’re such a smart boy.” She pointed a thin, well-manicured fingertip to one side of the frame and said, “That’s Bobby when he was about your age.” Then she pointed to the other side of the frame and said, “And that’s him all grown up.”

Tommy found himself sitting next to Judy. He wanted to see Bobby’s baby picture just as badly as Max did. “Please tell me he’s naked on a bearskin rug,” he joked, thinking Judy seemed like the kind of mother who would take great joy in mortifying her only son.

“That one is on the mantel,” she told Tommy with a laugh before she turned the locket so Tommy could see.

There was Bobby in his dress blues, probably right out of academy. The other picture was of Bobby when he was a baby. One tooth showed in the photo, his chin glossy from drool. He was wearing a little sailor suit.

“So he’s always looked good in a uniform,” Tommy joked.

He realized a second too late the comment might have been inappropriate, but Judy laughed again. “Most men do, dear.”

Zoe had decided to give Judy a try. She must have figured anyone cool enough to carry around a picture of Bobby was worth the time of day. She climbed out of Tommy’s lap and reached for Judy.

“They’re cuter than kittens,” Judy said, grinning at Zoe and showing her Bobby’s pictures.

Tommy had to agree, but he said, “Don’t let ’em fool ya. These two are hellions when they wanna be. Couldn’t get them to sleep at the same time for the first three months. It about killed me.”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Judy bounced Zoe on her lap as Max tried to squirm his way between her and Tommy. “When I was working my way through college, I spent a summer or two working in a daycare center.” She looked like she was remembering it, all those years ago. “I had to quit after a while. I was afraid I’d never want children of my own.”

With a laugh, Tommy agreed. “Yeah, that’d do it.” He leaned down and kissed the top of Max’s head, smelled his hair with a sigh.

“Do you want more? One of your own?” Judy asked.

Tommy was impressed with how easily she slid from useless small talk to potential son-in-law grilling.

“Seven ain’t enough?” he asked, thinking he needed to get out of the room fast.

“Don’t say ‘ain’t’, dear. It isn’t a real word.”

Tommy glanced at the clock on the wall and wondered if Bobby would be released soon. It was time for his bloodletting. “Well, seven is enough for me,” he said, letting out a breath and leaning back against the foot of the couch. “If I can get all of them outta school, settled into real jobs, and in their own homes, I can die happy. I don’t need another one to look after when that’s all through.”

“And you started from scratch with these two, didn’t you?” Judy asked, sounding curious.

“Pretty much.” Tommy didn’t know where all this was going, but he gave up on getting out of it. “I’ve been it for the other kids since our mother died. Probably before that, really. Max and Zoe since day one. Cheryl’s not exactly….” He couldn’t go into all the things Cheryl was and wasn’t.

Judy smiled at him. “I suppose seven is enough, then.” He thought she was finally dropping the subject, but she added, “You’re a better father than most men ten years older than you.”

Tommy let a disbelieving laugh slip out. “Ask them in fifteen years what a bang-up job I did.”

Zoe rested her head on Judy’s shoulder. “No one will have to ask them, I’m sure.” She rocked Zoe in her arms.

Max had curled himself around Tommy and yawned. That was his cue.

“I think it’s nap time,” he told her as he got to his feet.

“I think you’re right.” Judy had a harder time getting off the floor with Zoe in her arms, but she managed. She passed the baby to Tommy and sat down on the couch. “I’ll just wait here while you get them settled.”

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