Dream Keeper (Dream Team 4)

There were murmurings of greetings at the door as Auggie ushered the cops in.

“It’s Thanksgiving!” Dana shouted at them, apropos of nothing. “What mother’s son doesn’t make plans with her for Thanksgiving? He didn’t even call!” She was still shouting. “I know it was an extreme way to get his attention, but you don’t know. With him, that’s the way it has to be.”

One cop was studying the broken window.

The other one was watching the Dana Show and he didn’t appear impressed.

“Ma’am, can you step outside with me?”

“This isn’t that big of a deal!” she yelled.

Aug came to me.

“You wanna take my car, go home, check on things, come back in a while and get me?” he offered when he got close.

“We’re staying with you and helping you with the window,” Juno answered for me.

“It isn’t that big of a deal!” Dana screamed.

Instantly, like a switch was flipped, the officer went from handling-a-situation mode to alert-and-ready-for-anything mode.

I was impressed.

“Ma’am, calm down,” he warned.

I saw Auggie’s eyes move beyond me before I felt someone there.

I turned.

“Tod! Stevie!” Juno cried and ran to them.

Stevie got the hug first.

Tod did a mental-health scan of Auggie before he looked to me. “Hey, girlie. Nice cutout cowl.”

Only Tod could walk into a situation involving police and his first comment would be about my sweater.

“Thanks,” I replied, feeling a hysterical bubble of laughter rising and it was a nice change of focus to make the effort to tamp it down.

“You do look pretty, Momma,” Juno said, going in for a sideways hug from Tod, who gave her one right back and one-upped her with a big jostle.

“Thanks, honey,” I replied.

“Augustus! Are you honestly going to go through with this?” Dana demanded loudly.

Auggie didn’t reply.

He turned to the cop who’d been surveying the window. “What do you need from me?”

“Quick statement, Aug,” he replied, moving our way.

I hiccupped, which was actually me swallowing a laugh.

Auggie knew these guys.

“Are you…friends?” Dana demanded incredulously.

“Ma’am, please step outside with me,” the one who picked the figurative short stick of having to deal with her requested.

“This is ludicrous. He’s my son!”

“Ma’am, again, please step outside.”

“Do you have a board, Aug, or you want me to ask Dean and Matt next door?” Stevie queried.

“You don’t have to—” Auggie began.

“He’s trying to get away from my family,” Tod explained. “And not only because they’re over there watching men tackle each other on our TV, this because we lost when we pulled out of a hat, and we’re both still upset we’re not watching Brandy’s Cinderella. So help him out. And me. Even though I intend to do nothing but cheer you on when you wield hammers, I’m not returning to our home until I’m certain the tryptophan has set in, they’re all passed out and we can switch over to Disney Plus and get our Thanksgiving dose of Whitney.”

“You don’t like your family, Mr. Tod?” Juno asked.

He looked down at her. “I love them with all my heart, baby girl. I just sometimes love them better when they’re asleep.”

That did it.

I couldn’t control it.

I burst out laughing.

Juno looked my way and laughed with me.

I felt Auggie kiss my cheek, I turned to him, and he was smiling.

“Be back, baby,” he whispered.

He went out front with an officer, which fortunately was where Dana now was, with the other officer.

I turned to Tod. “You made him smile so you’re my hero today, Tod.”

“I’m someone’s hero every day, girlie,” he replied.

“On that, so I don’t have to wade through it as it rises, I’m going to Dean and Matt’s. Juno, you wanna come with?” Stevie asked.

“Sure, Mr. Stevie!” she cried, and jumped to him, taking his hand.

They went out the back door.

“It’s gonna be okay, Pepper,” Tod said quietly.

I turned to him. “I know, honey. Somehow, some way, it always is.”

“Do you want wine?” he asked. “I’ll brave a return to grab you a glass.”

“That’s sweet, but I’m good. We’ll be home soon, and it’ll be just us. Then, I can look after my peeps.”

“That’s where it’s at. You can get through anything, just as long as at the end of it, you’re with your peeps,” Tod replied.

“No truer words were ever spoken.”

“You may not have noticed this, though I’d be amazed you haven’t, but when I’m not being a hero, I’m a sage,” he drawled.

And again, I burst out laughing.

Chapter Twenty-Five

I Choose Them Too

Auggie

Aug stood on Pepper’s back patio, not seeing her excellent yard lighting because he was focused on what was coming through the phone into his ear.

“She can be a lot, son, but she’s your mother and it’s Thanksgiving,” his dad was saying.

Which gave Auggie the clue as to who Dana called after she’d been taken in for processing.

She’d committed a B&E.

He was pressing charges.

She’d been arrested.

The cops explained there was no getting around that.