The Last Thing He Needs (2 page)

He thought he probably looked suspicious in his tight jeans and heavy boots, with his dark hair hanging in his face and covering his clear green eyes, but that couldn’t be helped. Tommy walked up the candy aisle and down the chip aisle, back to the sodas and then the small automotive aisle. Trying to come off as indecisive rather than like he was casing the place, Tommy grabbed a can of soda—on sale for less than a buck—and then a small bag of chips—only a dollar there. Then he wandered over to the aisle with pain relievers and PMS relievers and pads and diapers. The guy behind the counter didn’t even bother to watch him, probably didn’t give a shit as long as no one pulled a gun. The little bottle of infant drops was over nine dollars.

The electronic sensor on the door dinged as it opened. Tommy didn’t look to see who it was but grabbed two boxes of the acetaminophen and hoped the clerk had glanced over at the new customer rather than in Tommy’s direction. Indifference would only go so far and lifting something in plain view wasn’t a chance he wanted to take.

As he slipped the boxes into his coat pocket, he heard a familiar voice and felt a warmth behind him.

“Put it back, Tom.”
McAlister.
Christ. Of all the stop-and-robs in this shitty town, he had to pick this one?

Tommy let out a sigh, shoulders dropping a bit. “I can’t.” He gritted his teeth, his cheeks flaming with heat, not over the fact he couldn’t pay for something like this, but because he’d been caught. And Bobby McAlister had just called him
Tom
in a husky whisper. His breath brushed against the skin at the back of Tommy’s neck.

“Why the hell not?” Bobby asked quietly, standing a little closer than he needed to.

Then he realized Bobby was blocking the clerk’s view of him.

“Zoe and Max are sick and they need this shit and I don’t have enough to pay for it. Till I get paid,” he added with a defiant tilt to his chin.

Bobby narrowed his eyes and stuck his hand out, demanding without a word that Tommy pass them over.

“Christ, are you gonna run me in for this?” Tommy bristled, feeling angry now. His little brother and sister were at home and in need, and this guy—this guy he thought was an angel fifteen minutes ago—was standing in his way.

The snort of laughter from Bobby was unexpected, and Tommy handed over the two little boxes. “Did I run you in when you beat the ever-loving shit out of the Hopkins brothers?” he asked, his lips twitching in a smile.

“Hey, those guys had it comin’ for what they did to—”

“To Colleen, yeah, I know. I looked the other way and didn’t push it when they didn’t press charges, right? Or the time I caught you and Mikey lifting spare parts off that dead guy’s car?”

“He was
dead
, not like he needed them.”

Bobby shook his head, but he laughed. He turned toward the front counter, the medicine in his hand. He stopped to grab himself a pack of beef jerky, a box of chocolate-covered doughnuts, and a pack of gum. Tommy thought absently it was probably what he’d come in for in the first place. With a little jerk of Bobby’s head toward the counter, Tommy walked up behind him, going to put the chips and soda back. “Those too,” Bobby told the clerk.

“Hey, no… I got enough for these, it’s cool.”

“My treat.” Bobby sounded amused, but at the same time he gave Tommy a look that made him put the things on the counter.

Once they’d paid for everything and headed out of the store, Bobby walked over to his car
—
not the cruiser Tommy usually saw him in, but a little black Mustang that shone even in the dark. “I’ll give ya a lift.”

“Nah, I’m good—just a few blocks.”

Bobby raised the bag, reminding Tommy he still didn’t have what he needed. “Suit yourself.” Bobby clicked the remote to unlock the doors. He smirked as he slid behind the wheel.

“Bastard,” Tommy muttered, rolling his eyes as he got into the car.

“Changed your mind?” Bobby’s tone was playful, teasing, as he buckled his seat belt before starting the engine.

“Did I have a choice?”

“There’s always a choice, Tom.”

Tommy didn’t want to respond to that. Other people had choices—he had got-to, need-to, and won’t-do. He expected the car to back up, for them to be on the road, but it sat there purring, as if Bobby was waiting for something.

“What?”

“Seat belt.”

“Yeah? I…. Oh, right.” He couldn’t help rolling his eyes again as he reached across himself and pulled the strap down, buckling up. “Safe and secure, Officer. Or did you have a helmet for me too?”

“Hey, you have no idea how many morons I find with skin and hair in the windshield, teeth in the dashboard, just because they were too stupid or drunk or
proud
to put on a damn belt.” He started backing up, then added, “I’ve seen you, ya know. You always make the kids wear theirs.”

“Yeah, well, Christ, they’re kids, I don’t want ’em to get—” Tommy cut himself off, not wanting to make Safety Officer McAlister’s point for him.

Bobby only lifted an eyebrow, but his expression was full of smug triumph. 

T
HE
HOUSE
,
normally dark and quiet at this hour, looked bright from the curb. Anxiety started to roil through Tommy’s system, knowing they couldn’t afford another doctor visit since Cheryl had been too high or too lazy—or both—to sign the forms to get the kids on medical and keep the food stamps. He’d filled it all out for her—all she’d had to do was sign the damn things.

“Looks like everyone’s still awake,” Bobby observed as he turned the car off.

“Christ, they shouldn’t be up this late, they all got school tomorrow. Davey’s got
two
tests and Carrie’s supposed to give a presentation in Science.” He was talking to himself, thinking out loud in his frustration, but Bobby looked over at him, his face unreadable in the dark.

“It’ll be fine, Tom. We’ll get things settled in there.”

Before Tommy could protest, Bobby was out of the car, bag in hand, and striding toward the front steps like he belonged there.

The front door opened before they were halfway to the porch. Colleen stood with a baby on one hip and another curled around her leg. Dutiful to her core, she never complained, never thought for a moment about herself. Two days ago when she turned seventeen, Tommy had wished her a happy birthday—which was the most any of them got when birthdays rolled around. She had only looked at him as if she’d forgotten and then responded with a smile and a shrug.

Now, with her straight auburn hair pulled back into a tattered ponytail and a strained expression on her face, Tommy could tell she was exhausted. “Sorry things aren’t settled yet, Tommy, just….”

He kissed her on the forehead as he passed, stooping down to lift up little Max on his way through the door. “Don’t you dare apologize, Col.” The house was messier than he usually found it after work, but he could understand why. Max let out a small whimper as he dropped his head onto Tommy’s shoulder. “He feels warm too.”

Colleen walked behind them, updating him on everything as she went. “Yeah, his just started to go up. Zoe’s been running one off and on all day, but it started to get worse about an hour ago.” When she noticed Bobby, she smiled at him over her shoulder. “Hey, Bobby, good to see ya.”

“Good to see you too, Colleen. Where’s the folks?” he asked, glancing around the house.

Tommy felt a small flash of embarrassment, knowing their home wasn’t exactly fit for company even on the best days. The TV stood precariously on a makeshift shelf put together with cinder blocks and boards, a DVD player Davey had “found” one day sitting under it. A short bungee cord held the TV to the wall in hopes it wouldn’t crush the babies if it fell. Cigarette burns and stains sprinkled the carpets. Nearly as bad, the couch had holes worn in the fabric and a tattered blanket tossed over the back. But it would take a white glove to find any dust and the windows were crystal clear. They might not have the nicest things, the house might be too small and rundown, but they tried to keep it clean. Tommy could be proud of that, if nothing else.

“Probably in a gutter somewhere, same as usual,” Colleen answered without spite, just a matter-of-fact statement as if it belonged to a simple set of truths in this world: the sky is blue, the sun rises and sets, Calvin and Cheryl O’Shea are good-for-nothing bums who pass out in their own bodily fluids on a regular basis.

Bobby didn’t laugh, but he probably knew it wasn’t a joke. He looked around the room for another minute, and Tommy realized he was doing a head count when Bobby asked, “Where’s Davey and Carrie?”

Colleen and Bobby headed into the kitchen and Tommy followed, noticing again how Bobby acted as if he lived there. It didn’t bother him, exactly, but it made him feel restless and frustrated in some way he couldn’t name.

“Sent them to bed. Mikey is getting ready to do the same. Can’t move Collin from the sofa, though. Says he wants to finish whatever movie he’s watching, and I don’t have it in me to argue with him any more tonight.”

Bobby dug into the bag and passed Colleen the medicine just as Zoe tried to squirm out of her arms.

“Thanks,” she said as she took the boxes and passed Zoe over to Bobby.

The baby reached for him. Tommy could have laughed then too. Zoe didn’t like strangers, but Bobby had made so many visits to their home—on official business—that she treated him like family.

“No problem,” he murmured, pressing a small kiss to Zoe’s hair just as Tommy had done when he picked up Max. He started pacing, bouncing the baby in his arms and whispering to her, “It’s okay, we got your medicine, you’re gonna feel better soon.”

Zoe was still whimpering, looking worn-out and uncomfortable, but she was settling under Bobby’s tender tones and gentle steps. The image made Tommy’s breath catch. It twisted and tightened something in his chest that felt like it might break now.

“I’ll go get Collin up to bed,” Tommy said, his voice a rough whisper, not sure what to do with himself with this new person in the mix.

Colleen nodded as she started reading the back of the little bottle, serving up a dose for each of the babies. He could feel Bobby’s eyes on him as he strolled back into the living room with Max still in his arms.

Collin was sound asleep, curled up on the couch with the remote tucked in his hand. Some old sci-fi movie played on the TV, black-and-white, with a girl screaming as she ran through the woods with a bright light chasing her down. He muttered a curse as he turned off the television before reaching to nudge his little brother. “Rise and shine, kiddo.”

All he got in return was a mumble and a slight stir before Collin shifted and rolled over. Tommy shook his head, smiling fondly and thinking Collin was a lot sweeter when he was asleep and not swindling classmates out of their milk money or filching something off the back of a delivery truck with Davey. The kid worried him no end. Collin was growing up to be either a genius or a thug. Tommy hated it, but he knew which direction he’d bet his money.

He quietly wandered back to the kitchen, sidestepping a small pile of toys on his way. “I got these for the kids tomorrow,” he heard Bobby say as he rounded the corner. Bobby was passing the box of doughnuts over to Colleen.

“Bad for their teeth,” Tommy pointed out, not even sure why he was being such an ungrateful prick.

Bobby looked bashful for a flash of a second, like a kid caught doing something despicable, but then he shrugged and twitched a guilty smile at Tommy.

Colleen shot her brother a glare and then turned to Bobby. “Thanks, Bobby. I’ll let ’em know they’re from you.”

Tommy could tell Zoe had already had her dose as Colleen came over to give Max his. The baby fussed in his arms when he saw the little dispenser filled with purple fluid, but Tommy stroked his back and shushed him, and the boy let his sister give him the medicine. “There,” Tommy whispered, pressing another light kiss to Max’s temple. “We gotcha.”

Colleen started to wipe down the counters. Mike had done the dishes, but things were still a mess. “Collin go up to bed?”

“Nah, he’s out like a light. I’ll carry him up after I get the twins to bed. You go on up, you look beat,” he told her, nodding toward the door.

“You sure?” Tommy knew from the look in her eyes she was grateful to the point of tears, but also willing to stay up and make sure everything was done if he wanted her to. It broke his heart a little.

“I’m sure I’ll kick your ass if you don’t get upstairs and get to bed.”

“Thanks, Tommy.” Pausing as she started to pass him, Colleen pressed a small kiss to his cheek, then to Max’s. The baby looked almost as tired as her, his eyelids drooping, then snapping back up, his thumb tucked between his lips. “Bottles are ready for ’em, if they’ll take anything this time.”

“I got it, you go on.”

She flashed him one more weary smile. “Night.” She looked at Bobby and added, “And good night, Bobby, thanks for stopping in.” She disappeared through the door as if afraid some new emergency would drag her back and keep her from her bed.

“Night, Colleen,” Bobby said too late; the girl already gone.

“You can go on, I got this.” Tommy cradled his brother in his arms.

“You kidding me? And miss out on these cuddles? No way.”

He grinned like it was a joke, but he held Zoe closer and settled down into a chair at the scrubbed pine table.

Tommy could only shake his head, wondering what was wrong with a guy who could be out getting laid but decided to stay in and feed a sick baby. “Either you party way too much,” Tommy told him as he passed one of the bottles over to Bobby, “or not nearly enough, if this is your idea of fun.”

Bobby laughed as he took the bottle. “There’s lots of kinds of fun.” He tipped Zoe into his arms so she could reach her bottle and smiled again when she took it greedily. “This is one of ’em.”

“If you say so.” Tommy had settled at the table with Max in his lap and was feeding him as well. Max’s hand curled around the bottle for a moment, and then he reached up to touch his brother’s face. Tommy brushed a small kiss to the tiny, pudgy fingers, rocking him without even realizing he was doing it at first. He’d never admit it out loud, and he didn’t find this
fun
exactly, but there was a certain comfort from it, as if these kids kept him just as safe as he meant to keep them.