Page 66 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

She looked like she was thinking over his answer, trying to decide if he’d passed the test. Judy stepped closer to him and gave Tommy a kiss on the cheek.

“We take care of our own too, Tommy.” Then she gave the same cheek a light tap and added, “You stubborn jackass.”

The idea of someone like her claiming him and the kids as part of her own made it hard for Tommy to breathe. He figured he and God were even now. Maybe he even owed the guy one or two. “Got it,” he said quietly.

Bobby spoke from behind him. “Good,” he said as he came closer and wrapped his arm around Tommy’s waist.

Tommy had jumped at the sound of his voice. “Jesus, copper. How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Bobby grinned into a small kiss. When Judy left the kitchen, she was smiling. She was also carrying a plate of cookies with her into the living room.

Tommy watched her go and said, “They’re gonna have to take up jogging and start brushing their teeth three times a day.”

“They’re organic oatmeal cookies made with honey.”

“Practically health food, huh?” Tommy asked. He set his bowl down on the counter. He was still hungry, but he needed Bobby more.

When Tommy wrapped his arms around him, Bobby relaxed against him.

“She’s been known to hide spinach in brownies too,” Bobby said, still talking about the wide array of treats Judy liked to produce. “And that chocolate cake they like so much has avocadoes in it.”

Tommy couldn’t help a snort of laughter at that. “Please make sure I’m in the room if you ever tell Collin that.”

“You have my word.” Bobby kissed him again and then said, “Did I miss anything important?”

“Like what?”

“Like…. Did Mom talk about your options or anything?”

Tommy could feel tension creeping through him like a thorny vine. He reminded himself of his conversation with Judy and said the word trust in his head. “Not yet. I can barely look at all that paperwork from the state before my brain short-circuits.”

He could tell Bobby was about to say something, but Colleen poked her head around the corner. “Family meeting.”

“Options, huh?” Tommy pulled back from Bobby long enough to shovel three big bites of his quickly cooling lunch into his mouth. When he was done, he took Bobby’s hand and pulled him into the living room.

Mike, Judy, and Colleen were sitting around the living room. Mike had claimed a chair by the window, and Judy sat on the edge of her coffee table. Colleen had pulled her feet up on the couch and rested her chin on her knees, and Tommy took a seat on the floor near her. Bobby sat down on Tommy’s other side on the couch. “Where’s the kids?” Tommy asked, looking for the rest of the family so they could start.

Judy looked at him and said, “Davey is writing a one-page essay on the importance of grammar.”

The way she said it, Tommy guessed it wasn’t a homework assignment but one she had given him for saying something like “ain’t.”

Judy continued. “Collin and Carrie are in the family room with Max and Zoe.”

She seemed a little more businesslike than usual, but Tommy figured that was reasonable, since they had a lot of things to work out.

“I thought you three, being the oldest, could be in here for now, and when you’ve all had a chance to discuss things, you could talk with the children.”

Tommy looked at Mike when she said that. He was so used to thinking of Mike as one of the kids, he somehow forgot Mike was the same age Tommy had been when he started running things. He’d turned fifteen almost a year ago. It seemed so damn young from the other end. But Judy was right. Mike was old enough now to be in on the big decisions. “So what happens next?” he asked Judy.

“Well…,” she started slowly, as if she were deciding the best way to say everything. “We have a few options, though they’re somewhat limited.”

Tommy didn’t like the sound of that, but he waited for her to go on. Mike and Colleen were silent, and Tommy could feel Bobby’s hand when it landed on his shoulder.

“The first, and, in my opinion, the worst, is looking at this as a temporary placement. Once they find a more permanent arrangement for everyone, the kids would go into the system and be placed with another family. They would likely be split up.”

“That’s off the table,” Tommy said firmly. He didn’t have a clue where they would all go or how they would get there, but if that was all they had, he’d take them on foot and leave in the middle of the night.

Judy surprised him with a laugh. “I know,” she said. “The second, third, and fourth options are entirely up to you.”

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