Authors: Tymber Dalton
Tags: #Romance
Tom nodded. “Thanks, Dad,” he quietly said. Then he realized what he said and let out a harsh laugh.
“It’s okay,” John assured him. “I don’t mind if you don’t.” He opened his arms to Tyler, Kyle, and Jacob. “All four of you are like sons to me now. I couldn’t have asked for a better family.”
Despite Tom’s weak protests that he wanted to stay and help, John, Kyle, and Jacob, with Tyler leading the charge, finally overruled him and got him loaded into Tom’s truck. Tyler drove, and they slowly began making their way home.
“We need to get the house generator topped off for them before we leave,” Tom softly said as he stared out the passenger window. “Maybe call around and see if anyone’s delivering propane.”
“I will handle it, love,” Tyler assured him.
“You should stop and get gas somewhere, too, if you see any place that’s open and doesn’t have a mile-long line.”
“Neither option available right now. We have the portable cans we can use. I can siphon gas out of one of the other vehicles, if need be. We should leave this vehicle for Jacob and Kyle to use to help John and take my car.”
Tom finally looked at him, one eyebrow arched.
“Right, well I’m sure you could show me how to siphon gas, couldn’t you? I’m not a total moron.”
Tom slid a hand across the seat and gripped Tyler’s tightly. He didn’t want to lose it now.
If he did, he was afraid he’d never stop crying.
He thought back to when he was maybe eight. Em had been charged with babysitting him and April one night while their parents went out with friends. Cheryl, Katie, and Karen had gone out with their friends from school.
Em had put the TV on a movie, made them popcorn, and helped them build a fort out of blankets in the living room. They’d had a blast.
He looked out the window again. Once she hit high school, her self-righteous streak widened by a mile. By the time he’d graduated high school, he could barely stand her sometimes.
But she was his big sister, and he loved her. If she’d needed his help, he would have been first in line. Even after she wrecked his car and didn’t pay for it.
And up until the incident, he thought that despite her vocally disapproving of his relationship with Tyler, and then with Nevvie, no matter what, she would have been there for him, too.
He never would have turned on her the way she turned on them.
Never would have hurt her the way she hurt him.
At war with those emotions, his guilt that she died without them mending the fence. At least being able to tell her he loved her, even if he despised her.
Or her being able to apologize for what she did. Not that he’d held out any hope of her doing that, but still…
He looked out the window and took a deep, shuddering breath.
“Poor Momma,” he whispered.
Tyler squeezed his hand as he waited to be waved through an intersection by a deputy. The traffic lights were down. “Nevvie and Dad are with her. They’ll be there to support her.”
“I feel bad for Elle and Danny. I know they were mad at her, too, but they loved her. She was their mom.”
“We’ll all rally around them, love. And around you.”
He felt numb. The only thing it compared to was when Alex had attacked Nevvie and he and Tyler sat in the hospital, praying she’d pull through.
He squeezed Tyler’s hand. At least they weren’t at each other’s throats like they had been that day. He looked at his love. “Do you know how much I love you, buddy?”
Tyler smiled, casting a glance at him. “You are my life. You and our angel. Forever.”
They rode the rest of the way home in silence.
* * * *
Kelly was waiting for them when they returned home. She walked outside with a somber expression on her face that Tyler instinctively knew meant John had managed to get a call through to her. Without a word, she enveloped Tom in a hug. Tyler watched as Tom stiffened at first before he then finally relaxed into her embrace.
“It’s all right, Tommy,” she said. “I’m going with you guys. We’ll all be there for you.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” he mumbled against her shoulder. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“I do want to. Selfishly, it’ll take my mind off what little’s left of our house.” She looked up into his face. “I’ll bunk with Laurie if space gets too tight. I’m going to take her stuff up to her anyway. And I have the paperwork we’ll need to get her registered in school.”
Tyler hustled Tom inside to their bathroom. “Shower, love. Kelly and I will unload the truck. Then I want you to take a pain pill and go to bed. I’ll get your dinner ready for you shortly.”
Tom nodded and headed inside without argument.
Tyler sadly watched before opening the garage door.
“Is he going to be okay?” Kelly asked.
“He’s in a bit of shock right now, I believe.”
Kelly started washing Laurie’s clothes first before helping unload the truck. She also started packing things in her car to take up to Georgia. As she surveyed the pile, she ran a hand through her hair. “This feels surreal. Never thought I’d be moving again.”
“There have been a lot of changes in our family lately,” Tyler observed. “Up until today, I would have said all of them positive.” He sadly shook his head. “I never did have a particularly close relationship with Emily, but I never wished such a foul end upon her, either.” He wished for the comforting weight of the holstered gun. He hadn’t felt the need to carry it when they’d gone to help John. Now that they were home, and with the news about how Emily died, it felt like a phantom limb calling to him.
With the truck unloaded, Tyler went in to check on Tom. He found him in the shower.
“Are you all right, love?”
Tom nodded, but turned away. “I just need to be alone for a little while.”
“All right. I’ll go make your dinner.”
When Tyler returned to the bedroom with Tom’s food, he found him in bed and watching storm coverage on TV. From the look in Tom’s eyes, Tyler knew his pain pill had kicked in.
Tyler didn’t speak. He sat on the bed with Tom while he ate. When he finished his meal, he softly said, “Thank you.”
“If you need anything else, please let me know.”
Tom nodded. Tyler leaned in and gently kissed him. “I’ll try not to disturb you while I pack for us.”
“I…I guess I’ll need to take a suit.”
“I’ll take care of everything, love. Please, don’t fret.”
“Might need to take stuff for Nevvie and the kids. I don’t know what she packed.”
He caressed Tom’s cheek. “I will.”
Tom’s eyes slowly swiveled to look at him. He looked close to tears. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
Tyler wrapped his arms around him. “You don’t need to do anything. Let Nevvie and Dad and I take care of you and Mom and everyone else. Please? Just…just be. Lean on us.”
Tyler stayed with him for a few minutes. From the way Tom’s breathing slowed and evened out, Tyler knew he’d fallen asleep.
Without disturbing him, Tyler slowly extricated himself from Tom and took the dishes out to the kitchen. He’d already started a list of things to do. Everything Tom had mentioned, he’d already written at the top of the list.
As he stood there staring at the list, he heard John, Kyle, and Jacob return. Kelly followed him outside. Kelly went to John. He hugged her, and she started crying.
Tyler let them be and helped Kyle and Jacob. With Pete and Eddie home again, the brothers could move into the guest room. It was after midnight by the time Tyler had finished packing everything they’d need, helping Kelly with laundry and her packing, and preparing information for Kyle and Jacob to have ready for the insurance adjuster when they came to look at their roof.
Exhausted, he crawled into bed with Tom. In his sleep Tom instinctively rolled toward Tyler, snuggling against him.
Tyler pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’m here, love. I’ll always be here for you. Never fear.”
Nevvie couldn’t sit down Monday afternoon. She had to stay busy or she knew she would break down and start screaming. Despite the detective’s assurances to the contrary, she still couldn’t shake the irrational fear that Alex was somehow involved. She bounced from chore to chore, dealing with visitors and other issues without taking time to stop and relax.
After Nevvie reheated leftovers for Mikey and Adam, Laurie fed the boys in their bedroom before putting them down early for the night with a DVD of cartoons playing to keep them quiet. Nevvie started cleaning the kitchen even though it didn’t need it. Followed by the bathrooms.
I have to keep moving.
Maybe she was just avoiding dealing with her emotions, but she didn’t care. If she didn’t keep moving, she knew it would get really ugly really fast.
I wish Tyler was here.
Tyler could always calm her, soothe her nerves.
Laurie rejoined the adults in the living room, self-appointing herself in charge of answering the phone and taking messages for Nevvie and Peggy so they wouldn’t have to be bothered and constantly explain things. She also took charge of keeping the coffeepot full for everyone. Friends of the family and extended relatives trickled in, many bearing food.
As Nevvie tried to make room in the fridge for yet another bowl of potato salad, she couldn’t help mumbling under her breath, “I’m gonna freaking hate potato salad before this is over.”
Laurie, who stood next to her, trying to help between phone calls, smiled. “We’ll all be spuds.”
Nevvie couldn’t help the smile. She finally made the bowl fit and closed the door, then enveloped the girl in a hug. “You have been such a huge help today. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it.”
The girl’s face clouded. “Mom said that Dad told her our house is totally wrecked.”
Nevvie nodded. “I’m sorry. Tyler told me that, too.”
“I asked her if that meant I could stay up here with you.”
“Oh? What’d she say?”
“She said that was up to you and Grandma. That she’d have to talk to you guys. I guess the school I was going to go to next year got hit, too.” She shrugged. “I don’t want to go back there. I’d rather be here with you guys. Grandma and Grandpa are here. You all are here. I’d rather be here.”
Nevvie somehow managed to hold back the emotional tears that wanted to well forth. She sat at the kitchen table and patted the table next to her for Laurie to also pull up a chair. She had to deal with this and not blow the girl off.
“I need to sit down and talk with Mom and Dad,” Nevvie said. “John and Kelly,” she clarified. “I’m not going to promise you anything. But if they want to move up here, and they say it’s okay, of course you can stay with us.”
She didn’t miss how the girl quickly swiped at her eyes, which had turned red. “I’m used to moving,” she said. “Dad promised me we wouldn’t have to move again until I finished high school since he’s retired now, but this isn’t his fault.” She shrugged as she looked around the kitchen. “And it feels like home here.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. A lot. I never had grandparents or cousins before. And I love Mikey and Adam.” She smiled. “I’ll even throw in free babysitting for the twins.”
Another smile curved Nevvie’s lips as she patted her belly. “You might regret that offer.”
Laurie shook her head a little too vigorously. “They’ll keep me busy in a good way.”
A moment of clarity hit Nevvie. The bombshell about Emily had temporarily eclipsed Laurie’s situation in her mind. When she opened her arms to Laurie, the girl leaned into Nevvie’s embrace. “It’s okay,” Nevvie assured her. “We’ll all get through this. Every bit of it.” She kissed Laurie on the top of the head. “How about maybe you and I try to sneak out later tonight after everyone goes to bed? There’s a Walmart a few minutes away that’s open all night. It’s not a lot, but we can have a quick clothes shopping spree. We probably won’t be able to hit the mall again for a few days with everything going on.”
Laurie nodded without lifting her head from Nevvie’s shoulder. “I’ll pay you back,” she muffled against Nevvie’s shoulder. “Free babysitting.”
Nevvie laughed and made her sit up. “No, this is a gift from me to you. I think you and I both need the distraction. Do you think you can stay awake until after everyone else goes to bed?”
She nodded again. “I don’t feel like going to sleep right now.” She frowned. “And…” She looked down at her hands. “I’ll need something to wear to the funeral.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You didn’t know her. You never even met her. No one will be upset if you don’t go.”
“I want to go. For Grandma and Tom and Karen and everyone. I want to be there for them.”
Nevvie reached out and stroked her hair, hair the same color as hers. “You’re a really good kid. I couldn’t have asked for a better little sister.”
* * * *
Around eleven, Nevvie finally coaxed the last of the well-meaning visitors out the door and helped Andrew get Peggy to their room. The other sisters went home, and Clay and the twins went to bed as well. Andrew returned to the kitchen a few minutes later.