Collide (The Barker Triplets 2)

“Just tell me how much and I’ll get you the cash. You can do whatever the fuck you want. You always do.”

“That’s it?” she asked between shudders and hiccups.

“You tell me.”

But she didn’t say another word. Bobbi had left him there, standing in his garage like an idiot and he hadn’t laid eyes on her until nearly a month later when she’d shown up at his place with the unfortunate Jane Lawson beneath him.

His cell phone buzzed. Shane exhaled and retrieved it from the bathroom where he’d left it. The cabinet door beneath the sink was open, the garbage tipped over and he was about to toss the First Alert packaging back inside but something stopped him.

He glanced at his cell. Ur late. U all right?

The text was from Bobbi. He stared at it for a long time, so long in fact that the words blurred. So long that Pia began to whine, sensing her master’s distress.

“I’m not alright,” he muttered. “I’m far from fucking alright.”

Shane shoved the pregnancy stick back into the packaging, stuffed it into his jeans and grabbed his cell.

He hoped he could keep his shit together, because at the moment something hard and mean was bubbling beneath the surface. He needed to keep his cool and let her come to him. He didn’t want to think about the past or where her head was at in the now.

Maybe she didn’t his kids. Or anyone’s kids for that matter. Or maybe she was just scared to say anything to him. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

There was nothing final and solid in, maybe. All that he knew for sure was that he wasn’t alright. But he had to hold on and keep his temper under control. He had to have faith that things would turn out the way they were supposed to. Because without it, at this point, Shane had nothing else.

Chapter Twenty-six

“Where’s Gerald?”

Bobbi set the mashed potatoes onto the already full dining room table and rested her hand on her father’s shoulder. She tried to keep the sigh from her voice but wasn’t all that sure she succeeded. “I don’t know, daddy. I’m sure he’s spending it with his lovely mother.”

“Sure,” Betty interjected. “Or the floozy he brought back from his honeymoon.”

“Wait, what?” Billie asked. “He got married on his honeymoon? What kind of rock have I been living under?”

Bobbi’s gaze was on Betty and she knew her sister wouldn’t answer, Billie.

“He didn’t get married on our,” Bobbi stumbled a bit, “on his honeymoon. Though I heard some woman he met on the island showed up a few weeks ago.”

“Maybe she’s the one who convinced him to get the piercings and the fake tattoo,” Betty added.

Billie giggled. “Really? Gerry got his ear pierced? Oh wait.” A horrified look crossed her face. “Don’t tell me it was his nipple or anything else because that would just be gross.”

Betty acted as if Billie hadn’t said a word. Instead she leaned forward and grabbed the basket of buns, plunking one on her father’s plate before passing it to Logan.

“Daddy,” Betty said softly. “Bobbi is dating Shane Gallagher.”

“Gallagher?” Travis’s eyebrows rose and he glanced down the table where James sat beside, Herschel. “Huh,” he said carefully. “I was wondering why you were here.”

Bobbi said nothing, even though she’d had a conversation with her father the night before about Shane, and again this morning.

James cleared his throat and yanked on his tie, loosening it. “Your daughter was nice enough to ask us. I’m sorry that Celia couldn’t be here. She’s pretty tired from yesterday and her appetite is…”

“Celia,” Travis said carefully. “That your new wife?”

James nodded slowly.

“Huh,” Travis said again. “I’m sorry she isn’t feeling well.” He glanced up at Bobbi and frowned. “It would seem that your boyfriend doesn’t think an invite to our table is terribly important.”

Bobbi gave her dad a quick hug. “He’s just late. He’ll be here.” She gave James a reassuring smile. She had explained to both him and Eden, the nuances of her father’s illness. Sometimes he was as lucid as anyone and other times his confusion was heart breaking.