Collide (The Barker Triplets 2)

Uncomfortable, Shane didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. He watched Bobbi lead her father back into the house, her expression pained. Betty was there. She waved—a half-hearted sort of thing—and the two of them disappeared.

For a few seconds, Bobbi said nothing, her eyes shiny and then she whispered. “It hasn’t been a good day for him. I think the trip to see Doctor Newley did him in, you know?” She smiled, tremulously. “But he’ll be better tomorrow. A good night’s sleep will do wonders.”

Shane held out his hand and when she took it, he tucked her into his embrace and they walked to his truck. He wanted to say something to her—words that would make her feel better—but he had nothing, mostly because he knew the outlook was bleak and Bobbi had always been a no bullshit kind of girl.

All he had was his warm hand and when he opened the door to his truck for her, she squeezed it, a small gesture but man, it tore at his heart.

They reached his father’s new condo less than five minutes later and after parking, Shane cut the engine and glanced out the window at the new homes. Linked, they were more like townhouses, though both Celia and James had referred to them as condos.

“I haven’t been down here yet,” Bobbi murmured following his gaze. The row in front of them backed onto the water and in the distance he saw the old mill.

“Which one is theirs?”

“Fourteen.”

He glanced at her. “Thanks for coming.”

“Thanks for asking,” she smiled. “So, are we going to do this?”

He grabbed the keys from the ignition and nodded. “Let’s get it done.”

Celia, wearing a soft green scarf around her head, greeted them at the door, opening it before he had a chance to knock or use the doorbell. If Bobbi was shocked by her appearance it didn’t show. He’d warned Bobbi about Celia’s illness and his heart swelled when, after Celia invited them in, Bobbi enveloped the woman in a hug.

“Your place looks amazing,” Bobbi said warmly as they followed Celia into the main living area. The condo was a spacious, open concept one floor plan, with a finished basement. The muted colors, sage green and creams, paired with espresso flooring and furniture, was both classy and welcoming.

The kitchen/family room/dining area faced the water and there was a hallway to the left that Shane assumed led to bedrooms. Gleaming stainless steel appliances, dark cupboards, creamy granite countertops and fancy crystal and silver lighting made the place look like a show piece, and Shane didn’t doubt that his had father spared no expense when he’d bought the condo.

Speaking of his father, Shane rotated his neck, the muscles stiff from stress as he glanced around. The dining room table was set for five—a centerpiece of coral roses and candles dressed it to the max.

Celia must have read his mind. She smoothed her hands over her hips nervously. “James had to take a call. He’s in his office which is in the basement.”

An awkward silence followed.

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes,” Bobbi answered at the same time he did.

“No.” He attempted a weak smile. “I’m driving so…”

Celia’s pale face stared at him for a heartbeat. “Of course. Let me take your coat.” He handed her his jacket along with Bobbi’s and shoved his hands back into the front pockets of his jeans. He had to do something with them. He couldn’t very well run them up and down Bobbi’s ass searching for those damn elusive panty lines.

The grin that touched her face told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking and when she accepted a glass of wine from Celia, she brushed past him, her hips swaying suggestively.

He needed a distraction because at the moment all the darkness he’d held inside for so long was right there, just on the edge of him mind and he didn’t want it to win. Not tonight. Tonight was a first step and he needed to make damn sure that he made it to step two.

“Celia, is this Eden?”

His head shot up when he heard his sister’s name and he wandered over to where they were looking at a table filled with pictures. It was weird, looking at the family in the photos. A family that looked happy. There were several of James and Celia but most of them were of Eden and surprisingly, there were a few of Shane.

Older photos of course—one from his high school grad, another taken out on the boat. His throat tightened as he gazed at the picture. He remembered that day vividly. His father had taken him out at dawn to fish. It had been warm even at that time in the morning. When the sun had come up his dad had plunked that dumb looking hat on his head and there he was, grinning into the camera as if he was the happiest kid on the planet.

Huh. He guessed at that time he was.

Seeing the pictures there among the others wasn’t something that he had expected and he stepped back, suddenly wishing he’d accepted the damn glass of wine. Screw that. He wished he had asked for something stronger. A lot stronger.

Bobbi asked Celia about the sculpture in the corner and as they drifted over, their feminine voices melting into one, he turned away and eyed the stairs leading to the basement. Before Shane could change his mind he was down them.

He entered a large space that sported high ceilings and because the condo was raised, there were several large windows that he assumed let in a ton of natural light during the daytime. The space was huge, open and again as inviting and warm as upstairs, though there was no hardwood to be seen, only neutral carpeting.