Offside (The Barker Triplets 1)

Except that it wasn’t [i]that[i] particular Barker triplet he’d made love to.

It wasn’t [i]that[i] particular Barker triplet that he’d shared an incredible night with.

Nope. It had been her. Billie.

He’d been a little drunk and it had been dark. And she’d wanted him for so long that when it came down to it, she’d let him believe she was her sister, because up until that night, Logan Forest hadn’t even known she was alive.

When he’d come around the house looking for her sister Betty the next day, she’d waited for a spark of recognition. She’d waited for that moment, breath held, her heart pounding so hard she could still feel it. How could he not know it had been her in the dark? How?

But there’d been nothing in his eyes and when she’d told him that Betty had left for New York hours earlier, she’d pretended not to see the hurt in his eyes. Or the questions that were never asked.

He’d stared at her for several long moments, then he’d turned around and left without another word.

She’d shut the door, leaned against it, and she’d cried her heart out.

Then Billie had packed her bags and left for Europe a full day before her sister Betty headed to New York.

Chapter Sixteen

It was dark outside when Billie rolled out of bed and glanced toward her window. Dark and rainy.

Wonderful.

She slipped her feet into a pair of old slippers she’d claimed when she’d come home. They had large bunny heads on the end and the ears flopped around when she walked, but they were warm so she was willing to overlook the fact that t

hey looked ridiculous.

An overly large sweatshirt lay on the chair at her desk beneath her window. She pulled it over her T-shirt and shivered as another wave of rain blasted the side of the house. It sounded like ice pellets and she peered out once more but couldn’t anything beyond the fog from her breath.

Already the now familiar knot of, what—fear? apprehension? shame?—burrowed inside her gut and she’d give anything to climb back into bed, throw her old, wool blanket over her head and sleep until she could forget everything.

She glanced once more at the clock and winced as another volley of rain hit the window. It was five in the morning—Monday morning—and she needed to be ready and on the ice for her one-on-one with Logan, which gave her less than an hour before she’d have to leave.

“Yay for me,” she muttered.

An entire hour to be spent with the one man in New Waterford she wanted to avoid at all costs. Her stomach rolled crazily as she let her hair out of the clip on top of her head and ran her fingers through the tangled mess.

Maybe Logan would be a no-show.

[i]Sure, because he was the type to back down.[i]

She knew better. He wouldn’t let her off so easy.

He had been more than pissed Saturday night and she didn’t blame him. He was right. The Barkers [i]were[i] screwed up and Billie might be the worst out of all of them.

She’d flirted with Logan. She’d kissed him. She’d done the hot and cold thing just as he’d said.

But how could she go home with him even though it pretty much was all she thought about? How could she when she wasn’t sure whether or not she was nothing more than a replacement for her sister, Betty? She’s the one he’d wanted all those years ago. She’s the one he thought he’d already had.

And how could she entertain any type of relationship after what she’d done? He’d never believe that night wasn’t planned. He’d kissed her first, thinking she was Betty and she’d just…gotten too carried away.

“Crap, Barker, you’ve really done it this time,” she murmured, rubbing her eyes as she tumbled down the stairs. She rounded the corner as she stepped onto the worn, wooden planks, “and then some.”

Billie took a few steps down the hall and paused, curiosity piqued when she spied soft light emanating from the back of the house. Someone was up. For a moment she considered turning around because it was probably Bobbi—no one else had reason to be up at this God forsaken hour, but her tummy rumbled and she shivered.

Hot coffee and a bowl of cereal was what she needed to get her going.

[i]A one way ticket to Belize is what she really needed, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.[i]