The Last Thing He Needs (10 page)

He nearly jumped off the step when the back door opened. Colleen stood there in a T-shirt and pair of shorts, her hair looking wild, eyes heavy.

“You okay, Tommy?” She sat down beside him and reached for the cigarette between his fingers before taking a drag.

He narrowed his eyes and snatched it back from her. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re not usually up this early.” She was quiet for a minute before she added, “I noticed Bobby in your bed when I came down….”

Shit.
“He awake yet?”

“Sleeping like a baby. You gonna tell me the score?”

Tommy laughed. “He’s just sleeping over tonight, no big deal.”

“Bullshit.”

Feeling his frustration simmer inside him, Tommy ran his hand through his hair before he flicked the butt into a can at the foot of the stairs. “Bullshit and a bad idea, but he’s here nonetheless.”

“Are you two, like… a couple now? Or…?”

Tommy exhaled a laugh. “I think we qualify as an ‘or’ for now.” A couple. Was she serious? “He’s a good guy,” he added as an afterthought, leaving
too good for me
unspoken.

Resting her head on Tommy’s shoulder, Colleen pressed a kiss there, her words hushed when she spoke. “So’re you, Tommy.”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He didn’t thank her for the comment, but part of him wanted to. “How are things with you and Wyatt?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.

Colleen lifted her head and smiled. “Good. He’s leaving for school in a couple months, but he said he’d fix my phone for free texting and stuff before he leaves.”

Tommy laughed. “Shit, leave it to us to corrupt the only good kid in the neighborhood. How the hell did he learn how to do that?”

Shrugging, Colleen told him, “He knew how to do it before we met. I told ya he was smart.”

“Criminal mastermind,” Tommy teased.

The sun wasn’t quite up and the street was quiet. “You gonna get Bobby outta here before the kids get up?”

“You think I should?” Tommy was almost afraid of what her answer might be.

Colleen’s voice was firm as she spoke. “No. The ones that are old enough to understand probably won’t care, and the babies already love Bobby.”

“All the more reason to hustle him out the door before they get up. I don’t want anyone getting attached.”

“They’re already attached to him, Tommy.” Colleen rolled her eyes. “And so are you. You should let it ride, see what happens.”

Tommy considered her advice, chewing his lip before he spoke. “I’m not into gambling, Col, especially when it comes to you guys.”

“Neither am I, but Jesus, Tommy. Some bets are worth the risk. Bobby’s a good guy. He’s not gonna do anything to mess us up.”

“Maybe I’m worried about us messing him up.” He wasn’t just playing devil’s advocate and Colleen seemed to know it.

“Maybe you should let him decide for himself if he’s willing to take that chance.”

With a deep, resigned sigh, Tommy stood up. “Guess we should both try and get some more sleep, then. We’re having a coming out party tomorrow.”

T
HE
HOUSE
was already alive with movement and noise. Tommy had no idea what time it was or how long he’d managed to sleep. All he knew for sure was that Bobby hadn’t moved and the kids were tearing through the house like lightning. He’d left his door cracked to let some air in, hoping they wouldn’t suffocate in their sleep and be found later, two naked corpses covered in come. The idea didn’t make him laugh.

Bobby lifted his head from the pillow he and Tommy were sharing. He had been sleeping on his stomach and his position hadn’t changed much through the night, but he’d managed to kick off the sheet. Bobby’s naked body was highlighted by the shaft of light coming in from the hall. Tommy didn’t like the idea of them getting caught like that either.

“Should probably get some clothes on if we don’t wanna give the kids a show.” Tommy stretched before he reached down to scratch his balls and reposition his cock. It had taken far too much interest in Bobby’s bare ass.

Rising up on his elbows, Bobby asked, “Can I kiss you first?”

Tommy fought a smile. “If they walk in here, I don’t think you kissing me is the first thing they’ll notice.” Even though it sounded like a no, Tommy leaned over and touched his lips to Bobby’s. The kiss was the first tender one they’d shared, quiet and slow. Bobby opened for it, sliding his tongue into Tommy’s mouth as Tommy reached for him and pulled him closer. Tommy was still wearing the sweats he’d put on the night before, but their bare chests pressed together, and Tommy wanted him all over again. He slid his hand down Bobby’s back and started to turn him over before he remembered himself and sat up.

Bobby let out a frustrated growl and then laughed. “The next sleepover is at my place.”

That answered one question for Tommy. This wasn’t a one-night stand or two friends seeing how good the benefits would be after a few beers. “You’d rather give your mother a show?” he teased as he started to get to his feet.

Laughing again, Bobby followed him, taking his briefs from Tommy as they sorted out their clothes from the floor. “It’s not like I live in my old bedroom, Tom. I converted the garage into an apartment,” he explained, shaking his head before tugging his shirt on.

Tommy grunted in understanding, but he was working out the details of an overnight trip to Bobby’s and thinking of what all they could do to each other with that much privacy and that much time together. It wasn’t doing much for the state of his erection, which was growing harder with every mental image he conjured.

They were still working on their clothes when Colleen popped her head in through the open door. She blushed and glanced away from Bobby, who hadn’t managed to find his pants yet.

“Breakfast is ready,” she said. “If you two are hungry, ya better get in there. Davey got us some bacon, and they’re about to riot over it.”

“Let ’em eat their fill. I’ll settle for toast,” Tommy told her as he opened the door farther. “Where’d Davey get the bacon?”

Colleen gave him a look before she said, “The less we know, the better off we all are. He probably found it on the back of a delivery truck, if I had to guess.” She cut her eyes to Bobby then, a look of panic on her face.

Bobby laughed and put up a hand. “I’m off duty. Hear no evil and all that.”

Colleen seemed to relax at Bobby’s words, but Tommy still had a knot in his stomach. Bobby must have caught the expression of dread on his face because he leaned close and whispered in Tommy’s ear, “If you’re gonna ask me to trust you, Tom, you’ve gotta trust me a little too.”

Tommy nodded his head. Colleen had slipped away down the hall again, probably to give them some privacy. “I’m trying.” Tommy had never learned how to bend and not break, and this was new territory for him. His sigh was weighted, heavy with all the things he wished he could have and all the things he knew he shouldn’t even bother wanting.

Bobby smiled, leaning in and catching a quick kiss. “Good enough.” Before he stepped out into the hall he added, “For now.”

T
HE
SMELL
of Colleen’s cooking greeted them before they made it down the stairs. Tommy had to weave through the living room to keep from tripping over the toys and books littering the floor. It appeared the kids had abandoned everything and made a run for it when the food was ready. It wasn’t like they never ate, but breakfast was usually just oatmeal or cereal and an egg if they had time.

Bobby was on his heels and nearly bumped into him when Tommy stopped as he swung the kitchen door open. French toast and scrambled eggs, fruit and bacon, even orange juice, had been set out on the table. “The hell?” He looked over at Davey who was sitting on the far side of the room. “I know you didn’t just
find
all this.”

It was one thing to look the other way when Davey lifted something they needed or maybe one little luxury every now and again, but there was no need for him to pinch so much just so they could have a big meal they didn’t need.

“Relax, Tommy.” Colleen stepped away from the stove with a big skillet in her hand, starting to serve eggs onto the plates. “I worked yesterday, remember? Ryan gave me the bread because it was too stale to serve customers, and I bought the strawberries and stuff with some of my tips.”

“All right.” Tommy pulled down two mugs for coffee. He poured a cup for himself and one for Bobby, adding cream to his and two sugars to Bobby’s. He rolled his eyes at himself when he realized what he was doing. He’d fucked Bobby McAlister last night, and now he was making his coffee just the way Bobby liked it. It should have been him in the kitchen making breakfast instead of Colleen. The idea put him in a bad mood. He grumbled, “Still shouldn’t waste your money on stuff like this. We don’t need to eat half this much for breakfast.”

Colleen narrowed her eyes at him but she didn’t comment.

He thought someone would have noticed Bobby was there by now, but then he remembered Bobby had become a frequent presence around the house.

Collin looked to Tommy with a hopeful expression and asked, “Since the twins could choke on the bacon, can I have theirs?”

“Don’t be greedy.” Tommy shot his brother a stern look. “We got company for breakfast, and Colleen and Mike worked their tails off to cook this for you, so if anyone gets extra, it should be them.”

He heard Davey mutter over his glass of juice, “I’m the one that found it.”

Bobby stepped over to Tommy and took his coffee mug with a smile. No one paid any attention to anyone else after that. All eyes were on Bobby.

Carrie grinned at him. “You can sit by me, Bobby.” She patted the rickety wooden chair next to her.

Bobby beamed. “Thanks, peanut.” After he put his coffee cup on the table, he tugged her ponytail and sat down. Zoe reached for him as soon as she spotted him, until Colleen distracted her with a scoop of eggs on her tray.

“When did you get here?” Collin asked, already digging in to his food even though Colleen was still passing it out.

“I, uh….” Bobby looked pointedly at Tommy.

Right.
His house, his family. He was supposed to take the lead here. “He stayed the night,” Tommy said casually, leaning against the sink and taking a sip of his coffee.

Tommy watched their faces. Carrie didn’t think anything of it, or at least she didn’t let on if she did. Collin shrugged and went back to his food. He should’ve known Davey would be the one to catch where the story veered off course. “Where?”

Clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders, Tommy said, “My room.”

Mike snorted a laugh. “You woulda been better off on the couch, Bobby.”

Bobby looked embarrassed as hell. Even his ears were turning pink, but he managed a smile at Mike before he avoided conversation by taking a bite of his breakfast.

Mike looked from Tommy to Bobby and then back again. Recognition seemed to dawn on him then. “Wait, so, are you guys like—”

Collin looked up from his plate and cut Mike off. “What?”

Davey spoke, though, God help them all. “Bullshit” was all he said at first, doing as Mike had done and looking at Tommy, then Bobby, then back to Tommy. “No way.”

“What?” Collin asked again, obviously confused.

When Tommy nodded at Davey, Mike let out a loud bark of laughter and said, “Nice. Since when?”

Tommy wasn’t sure if Mike wanted to know how long he and Bobby had been doing each other or how long Tommy had been gay. He didn’t have a chance to find out because Davey blurted out, “You guys are
fags
?”

If Tommy had been standing next to him, he probably would have smacked Davey on the back of the head and been done with it. Bobby looked like he was considering the same idea. Colleen was the one who took over, though. She was back at the stove and slammed the skillet down so hard it made everyone jump. She stormed over to their little brother and pointed a finger in Davey’s face. “He’s
gay
. Not a
fag
. The guy that keeps a roof over your head and keeps food on your plate and helps you with your homework and keeps you outta foster care is
gay
. And, so help me Christ, if I ever hear one
word
out of you about it, I’ll kick your ass and then throw you at family services myself.”

Bobby’s eyes were huge, watching Colleen lose control. Tommy wanted to laugh when Davey put both his hands up. “I was just askin’! Don’t get your panties tied up over it. Jesus.”

Colleen still looked murderous. “And I was just making sure you
understood
.” She said the words like she was thinking about knocking Davey on his ass just to make sure he got the message.

Tommy stepped up behind her, rubbing her shoulders and trying not to laugh. “Take it easy, slugger.” He pulled her back from Davey who gave him a thankful look.

Colleen pushed the hair out of her face. “It’s that goddamn skinhead he hangs out with.” She was still fuming as she jerked her chair back from the table and sat down heavily. “I’d like to wring that little bastard’s neck.”