Long Road Home (The Barker Triplets 4)

Bobbi nodded. “My sister-in-law. About a year or so ago. She recommended this place. She spoke very highly of it and mentioned a Miss Callie. She wanted me to say hello.”

Marybeth’s smile widened even more. “That’s my mama. This is her place, actually. I’m just helping out on account she was laid up in the hospital for a few days.”

“Oh no. I hope she’s okay?”

Marybeth snorted. “My gosh, yes. She’s fine.” Those fingers clicked some more. “More than fine, to be honest. Why, she cut her leg frogging in the creek out back with Mackie, my grandson, and it got infected, and, well, she ended up in the hospital. It was a nasty spell. But don’t worry about her. Miss Callie has the kind of backbone that was built to last. She’ll outlive us all. I don’t doubt that one bit.”

Marybeth stepped around the desk. “Do you have more luggage?”

Bobbi had only brought in one bag. “I have big suitcase and a smaller one in the car, but I’ll grab them later. I really just want to get to my room, if that’s okay?”

“Don’t you worry about that. Give me your keys, and I’ll get Marshall to bring them up in a bit. He’s my son-in-law and here doing some repairs to the gazebo in th

e back garden after the mother of all windstorms a few days back, and, well, as you know the air-conditioning needs his special touch as well.”

Bobbi gave the woman the keys to her rental car and followed her up the stairs to a large landing and then up another set of stairs that led to a spacious loft that had been converted into two rooms. Bobbi’s was on the right.

“Here you go, sugar. When you booked, you indicated you were staying the summer, so we gave you our largest accommodation. You have your own bathroom as well, so no sharing with anyone else, and a small kitchenette. Breakfast and luncheon are served in the dining room seven days a week. All the information you’ll need is in the pamphlet over there on the desk. I hope you enjoy the space. It’s my favorite.” She winked. “And don’t worry about Mrs. Adelaide. I put her in the lavender room downstairs, and I think she’s only staying a few weeks while she’s visiting her son. With any luck, she won’t bother you about those Adelaides from Charleston.”

Bobbi closed the door and leaned against it as she took in the room. It was beautiful. Soft creams and pale green hues, and a ceiling fan that slowly turned, stirring the air a bit. The furniture was antique, the main focus a four-poster bed complete with billowing sheer material that fell around it to the floor. There was a sitting area near a large window, with a table and overstuffed chair, and a few feet away, the kitchenette, complete with a small fridge and toaster oven. A tall, beautiful mirror leaned against the wall over by the dresser, as well as a large potted fern. The wood floors gleamed and smelled of lemon, and there were several area rugs strewn about that complemented the décor. A door to her left was open, which led to a good-sized bathroom with a shower and a large porcelain tub that sported claw feet.

This would be her home for the next while, and it was about as perfect as she’d hoped it would be.

Home.

Her chin trembled at the thought, and it took a lot not to cry. She’d cried more tears than she thought possible over the last few months, and damned if she was gonna give in to them now.

Swiping at the corners of her eyes, she walked over to the bed and parted the sheers, then glanced across the room and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Pale skin. Dark bruises beneath her overlarge eyes. Black hair down past her shoulders, thick and straight and shiny. Lips colored a soft pink.

She was too thin, and the simple pale yellow sundress was loose where it shouldn’t be. She smoothed her hands over her hips and sighed. She looked better than she should considering the overwhelming sadness that had filled her up for weeks. No, for months now. She lifted her chin and stared at her reflection. Could she find her way back to the woman she used to be? How connected was that person to Shane? Could she live without him?

She grabbed her purse and retrieved her cell phone. She had it to her ear in seconds and listened to the only saved voicemail she had. As always, his voice nearly broke her, but she wasn’t strong enough to stop listening. At least, not yet.

“Bobbi, where the hell are you? You gotta let me explain. It’s not what you think. Jesus, it’s not even close. I just…we need to fix this. We need to fix us, but I can’t do it on my own. You have to meet me halfway. I love you. Call me.”

“Oh Shane,” she whispered. “It’s too late.”

Bobbi slammed her eyes shut, but the images of Shane and that woman appeared, taunting her from the shadows of her mind as she tossed her phone in anger. She wouldn’t think about it. She’d come here to forget about everything, not relive the sad end to a marriage that, for the most part, had been perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

She slid onto the bed and grabbed her phone back, opening her purse so she could put it out of sight.

That was when she spied a small pink case, there at the bottom of the bag. She stared at it for a long, long time. Then she thought, and thought some more, and, confused, stared at it again until her eyes blurred. Slowly, she picked up the case and opened it—an emergency supply of tampons.

The blood drained from her face, and she fell back onto the bed, thinking back three months. To the last night she’d spent with Shane. A night when their explosive argument had turned nasty and, not unexpectedly, passionate. There was always so much fire between them. They’d had angry sex. Lots of hot, angry sex.

And the next night, they were over.

Shane Gallagher was the only man she’d ever love, and for the last three months, they’d been living apart. Officially separated because Bobbi was, if anything, the kind of woman who paid attention to details. And if they were no longer together in person, then they were no longer together on paper.

Of course, her sisters had a lot to say about the state of Bobbi’s personal life. Billie thought she was overreacting and needed to take a step back. Betty thought she was just plain crazy. And Gramps? Well, he just shook his head in that way he had, patted her on the shoulder, and said nothing.

She’d pushed for the separation, but then she’d had her reasons. Shane Gallagher owned her heart, but he’d been careless with it. And maybe she’d been careless with his. He wasn’t the only one to blame for the demise of their marriage. But the fact was, the last words they’d shared face-to-face had been awful, and those spoken barbs were nearly three months old. Was the result of those words and all that hot, angry sex growing inside her?

A sob caught at the back of her throat, and she shook her head. Was it possible? After all this time, was God finally giving her the one thing she wanted, when it was the worst possible time, ever, in the history of worst possible times?

Bobbi Jo rolled onto her side, exhausted. She couldn’t process any of it right now. She closed her eyes, and as the turmoil inside continued to grow, she somehow managed to fall asleep. But her dreams were haunted by a man with dark eyes, a wicked grin, and the kind of touch that melted her from the inside out.