“What’s going on?” Abigail and Harper came into the kitchen as if drawn by mischief.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Bernie said airily. “Del here just hasn’t told Justin and the kids his real name.”
Abigail giggled with evil delight.
“What is it?” Justin asked, getting into the spirit of things, and Harper looked curious, too.
“Delbert Leonard Abbot the Third,” Bernie enunciated clearly.
The kitchen was quiet for a moment, and then Abigail, Bernie, Harper, and Justin began to laugh.
“Delbert? Seriously?” Justin hiccupped as he clutched his side, the pain spiking through his insides as he laughed.
“It’s not that funny,” Del grunted, but the corner of his mouth twitched as he pointedly turned away from them. “You have fun, I’m going to check on the grill now.”
He headed outside, and Wyatt scurried after him.
Bernie came to stand beside Justin at the counter, and they both wiped their eyes, grinning like maniacs. The girls left the room, probably to go get Scarlett and go outside.
Bernie watched Justin as he shredded lettuce for the salad, holding the lettuce head awkwardly in the saran-wrapped bandages of his right hand while he worked with his left hand. They’d both gotten serious again, and she suddenly asked, “Are you worried about Emily?”
Justin jolted, unaware he’d been that transparent. “Um, not just her.”
Bernie raised her eyebrows.
Justin swallowed. “Del…Del is always so calm. And I’m not sorry that he cracked Uncle Steve in the head, and I know he’s not sorry either, but I wish he hadn’t had to do that. I think it upsets him more than he lets on.”
“I know it does,” Bernie said frankly. “And you get to call him out on that, Justin. “ She smiled slightly. “My brother’s an idiot. Always has been. He puts other people in front of him all the time, and assholes like his ex take advantage of that. Del wants to be your rock, Justin, and he thinks that means you can’t be his at the same time because he was married to a selfish little prick for so many years who just took and took and took. It’s going to take him a little while to unlearn that.”
“I’ve relied on him for so much already,” Justin said, his voice hitching. “I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, honey,” Bernie said. “But we’re your family now, and we’ll make sure that nothing happens to you or those kids, okay?” She smiled, looking exactly like Del for a moment. “Even if I have to adopt the lot of you myself. Don’t think that I won’t!”
Justin was surprised at the laugh that bubbled out of him at that idea. “Wow. That would take some explaining, wouldn’t it? Del and I would have to move to Alabama.”
Bernie threw back her head and roared with laughter. “Oh, Justin!”
She was still laughing when Del came back inside to see what was going on.
* * * *
The cookout was a success. The food was excellent, although Justin hadn’t expected anything less, and the company was good. Emily only spoke to Justin and Del briefly in her capacity as a social worker. She told them that they had nothing to worry about, and then announced that she was off duty for the rest of the evening.
Justin sat on a folding chair in the middle of the lawn and slowly relaxed as the stars came out and the conversation drifted around him. Harper and Wyatt ran and played, Scarlett screeching unhappily every time she failed to keep up with them, and Abigail took over at bedtime and herded the kids inside for showers. Justin tried to get up to help, but Abigail waved him away.
He stood up a little while after anyway, just to stretch carefully. He found himself wandering away from the circle of chairs, heading for the edge of Del’s yard. From here he could see across the empty patch of land and down into the tree-lined gully he’d stumbled along that first night after Harper, with Scarlett screaming in his ear. He remembered the light on Del’s porch, and how he’d thought of it as a beacon. Remembered how desperate and scared and close to breaking down he’d been. And what a miracle it had been that Del had opened the door.
What a miracle it still was.
He smiled slightly as Del slid his arms around him from behind. “Hey.”
Del rested his chin on Justin’s shoulder. “Hey. You okay?”
“I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found you,” Justin said. “I’m really glad I did. I love you, Del.”
“I love you too,” Del said, and he sounded just as quiet and sure as always, like there was nothing in the universe that could ever shake his conviction. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Justin O’Dwyer, and I hope you know that.”
“I’m working on it,” Justin said with a smile. He drew a breath. “Del, are youokay?”
He felt Del’s arms tighten around him reflexively, as though he was surprised by the question, and then he pressed a kiss to Justin’s temple. “I’m working on it too.”
“Good,” Justin said. “That’s good.”
They watched the night together for a little while longer. 20
Del was dealing. He was. He’d decided that as soon as they got out of Oregon, he’d start going to therapy. He just didn’t have the time right then, not with still planning the whole YouTube thing and Justin’s recovery and the things they needed to figure out.