Selena,” she said, “even after she broke up with you.”
He nodded.
“And now . . . ?” She blew on her coffee, took a sip.
“And now . . .” If Camille turned out to be Brad’s, how would Dru and her fiancé weather the shock? “You’re engaged. I’m happy for you, kiddo.”
Dru’s smile was just shy of believing him. “Brad said Travis had to drag you into the cafeteria this morning. Don’t be an asshat, Oliver. You’re going to have to do better than that.”
“I shook your guy’s hand. We cleared the air. It’s all good.” Or so Oliver had thought.
Dru took another sip of the coffee he wanted to drown himself in. But even decaf had enough stimulant in it to affect him. Then she smacked the back of his head with her palm, like when they’d bickered as kids.
“Hey! Careful, brat.” He lifted his half-empty water bottle to douse her. “Payback’s a bit—”
“Knock it off, you two.” A scowling Travis reappeared in the kitchen doorway. “Kill each other on your own time. Mom’s talking with the kids.”
The quiet in the other room registered. Blessed peace reigned for the first time since the kids had commandeered the house. Oliver’s gut clenched.
“Right,” he said.
Joe. Angioplasty. Keeping things at home on an even keel for his parents and for kids who’d already survived more insecurity and loss than anyone should have to.
He’d help his family through this. He’d deal with Selena, if there was anything to deal with. He’d deal with any fallout for Dru and Brad. His
take care of things at home
project list was growing by leaps and bounds. But the kids came first. It was Marsha and Joe’s mantra. And for as long as Oliver was back, it was his now, too.
Travis ducked into the living room. Dru held back.
“I can understand your work being a priority,” she said. “But don’t let being messed up about Selena or Brad or anything else take you away from us again. Not until you absolutely have to go. Promise?”
Oliver smiled down at her, not used to it yet. “You grew up while I was gone.”
“I got my dream come true.” She kissed his cheek. “Gives a girl clarity. I got cuter, too. I’ll give you a pass for not noticing. Butthat’s one you owe me. I’ll collect, if I’m ever in the mood to be particularly bratty.”
“
If?
”
He hooked an arm around her, the old and the new and the somewhere in between feeling right in that moment. They followed Travis into the circle of Marsha’s soft, steady voice.
“Joe’s going to be laid up for a while longer,” she was saying, holding Teddy in her lap and surrounded by the younger kids, Lisa and Fin and Boris, who’d piled on the sofa next to her. “He needs a procedure tonight the doctors are saying will take time for him to recover from. Which means I’ll need you older kids”—she looked at Shandra and Gabe, who each had taken over one of the chairs beside the couch—“to help pick up some of the slack around here. And you’ve all met Oliver by now, right?”
Marsha smiled at him, like he was the best part of her day. Then she smiled down at Teddy the same way and bounced him in her lap. The blue slipcover on the oversized couch used to be red. She’d sewn the new one, no doubt, like all the others.
“Oliver’s going to be staying here at night, in Joe’s and my room, while I’m at the hospital with Dad.” She sounded exhausted, no matter how upbeat she kept things. “I’ll have my phone with me. If you need something important leave a message and I’ll try to check regularly. I can’t keep it on when I’m in CICU. But for now, for everyday stuff, Oliver’s taking the lead. Travis and Dru will be around as much as possible. I know you’re just meeting Oliver for the first time, but he’s family. He’s been where you are. And Joe and I are so grateful that he’s home. The family’s lucky to have him, just like we’re lucky we have the rest of you kids.”
Like they’d be
Alex Lukeman
Debra Glass
Kate Stewart
Lisa Hughey
Donna Kauffman
Blake Bailey
Bianca D'Arc
Shan
Cachet
Kat Martin