Welcome Home, Bobby Winslow Read online

  She was babbling. Unusual for her, but she couldn’t stop.

  The way she’d talked to Bobby this morning, in his own home no less, still made her cringe. Even as the words had flowed from her mouth, she couldn’t believe what she’d heard herself saying.

  He’d invited her into his house and what had she done? Torn him up one side and down the other for making a hard-won success of his life.

  Would she feel better if he’d turned out to be a bum?

  Her two best friends sat across from her in one of the circular booths at the Blue Creek Saloon, a legendary bar in Destiny, and had let her blather nonstop since they’d arrived a half hour ago. She’d told them everything, from the surprising reunion yesterday on the side of the road, to her mouthy critique of his log mansion, to his surprise appearance this afternoon during her volunteer stint at the Youth Center.

  “Can you believe that? Then before he leaves he pulls out his checkbook and just like that—” she snapped her fingers “—we have the cash to take the teens on the previously-canceled-for-lack-of-funds ski trip scheduled for the Christmas holidays.”

  A deep breath, another chug on her margarita, then one more deep breath, this time released with an audible sigh that signaled she was done. Finally.

  Eyeing Racy and Maggie, her confidants since grade school, she waited for them to agree with her.

  “Boy, what a jerk.” Racy Steele tried but failed to hide her grin behind her glass of iced tea. “I’ll have Gage lock him up the next time he dares show his face in town.”

  “Oh, I totally agree,” Maggie Cartwright added, cracking open a peanut shell for herself. “One hundred percent, grade-A slime.”

  “Sorry I’m late.” Gina Steele, Racy’s sister-in-law, slid into the booth next to Leeann. “Justin and I had a heck of a time finding the video Jacoby wanted to take with him on his sleepover with Anna. I swear that little boy is as messy as his father, but I’ve got to tell you, Maggie, he is so excited about spending time out at your ranch with your little girl. So, what’d I miss? Who’s slime?”

  “Bobby Winslow,” Racy and Maggie said in unison.

  Gina blinked. “Bobby ‘Sexy as Sin, Sweet as Candy’ Winslow? Hometown hero and stock car driver extraordinaire?”

  “Hey, don’t let my brother hear you talking like that,” Racy said, then grinned. “Justin might get jealous.”

  “I’m taken, not dead,” Gina shot back. “And if you all can look at Bobby’s Wrangler-encased butt and not sigh, then you’re stronger than me.”

  “He probably wears Wranglers because he gets paid to,” Leeann said.

  “So?” Gina replied. “I guess the female population of Destiny will just have to suffer with the hardship of a great-looking backside.”

  “Speaking of backsides…” Maggie paused, a twinkle in her blue eyes. “Check out the cowboys at the end of the main bar.”

  Gina and Racy immediately did as Maggie requested, but Leeann resisted. Or at least she tried to.

  She knew what she would see.

  She didn’t know how, but she did.

  Bobby was here.

  Unable to stand it any longer, she turned and scoped out the area, easily locating the group of men through the growing crowd. Even from the back she identified Landon, Maggie’s husband, the only true cowboy in the bunch.

  Next to him stood Gage, Racy’s husband and Gina’s brother, and as the sheriff of Destiny, Leeann’s former boss. Also with them was Racy’s brother, Justin Dillon, who happened to be Gina’s fiancé, even if she still wore the engagement ring he’d given her last spring on her right hand rather than her left.

  Walking up to join them with hearty handshakes and a few backslaps was Bobby. He looked right at home in his jeans, boots, brushed cotton shirt and Stetson. He was doing without the cane he’d clung to earlier today. He greeted the bartenders and shook a few hands before grabbing an offered beer.

  Damn. Leeann had to admit that he did indeed fill out his Wranglers to perfection.

  “Hey, who’s that walking wall of muscles behind Bobby?” Gina asked.

  Wearing a T-shirt that hugged his massive arms and chest and a battered Mets cap instead of a Stetson, Dean fit right in. He quickly took the beer Bobby held out and soon shook hands with the others when introductions were made.

  “Jeez, he must be Winslow’s bodyguard,” Racy said. “Look at the size of those shoulders.”

  “That’s Zippy—I mean, Dean Zippenella. I met him when I pulled them over yesterday. He’s Bobby’s…friend.” So why did she feel the need to protect Bobby’s privacy all of a sudden?

  Turning back around, Leeann waved down their passing waitress, more than ready to order another round. Margaritas for her, Maggie and Gina, and an iced tea for Racy, who at only four months pregnant looked as big as a house. Still, she was a beautiful, glowing image of motherhood.

  “’Ritas all around and another iced tea for your boss,” she said to Becky, a waitress who Racy, as the owner of the Blue Creek, had recently hired. “I’ll make it easy for you, all frozen, all with salt.”

  “Ah, no, not for me.” Maggie waved a hand at Becky. “I’ll just take another ice water.”

  “Hey, we’re supposed to be celebrating tonight.” Gina reached for a handful of peanuts from the bowl in the center of the table, then gestured over one shoulder. “Didn’t you tell your hubby he’s the designated driver?”

  An angelic smile came over Maggie’s face, a perfect match to her wavy golden hair. “That was the plan, yes, but…things changed this afternoon at the doctor’s. I’m pregnant.”

  Silence filled the air for a long moment, then peanuts went flying as the table erupted with shouts of joy, hand clapping and hugs.

  Leeann’s gaze instinctively went to Bobby at Maggie’s announcement, then jerked away as she scooted across the space and wrapped her friend in a strong hug.

  “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered in her friend’s ear, blaming the sting in her eyes on Maggie’s curls in her face.

  “Thanks, sweetie, I know you are.” Maggie pulled back, her gaze sharp as she caught Leeann’s. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She brushed her hair back from her face, using the moment to wipe the wetness from her eyes. “This is so exciting. I know how much you wanted Anna to grow up with brothers and sisters.”

  “How far along are you?” Racy gave Maggie’s hand a squeeze. “Did they give you a due date?”

  “April of next year.”

  “Just a couple of months after me.” Racy caressed her swollen belly. “The babies will love having a playmate so close in age.”

  “Yeah, imagine us pregnant at the same—wait a minute.” Maggie’s eyes grew round. “Did you say babies?”

  Racy nodded, her smile wide. “Being this big at four months isn’t just because of the Blue Creek Burger, extra pickles and special sauce that I can’t seem to get enough of. Gage and I are expecting twins.”

  More excited squeals, especially from Gina, who Leeann guessed was hearing the news about being an aunt twice over for the first time by the way she jumped from her seat to hug her sister-in-law.

  “Does all this family expansion give you any ideas?” Racy returned Gina’s eager embrace. “Not that I’m pushing you in the baby department, but helping you plan a spring wedding would certainly keep my mind off stretch marks and swollen ankles.”

  “Justin and I are busy with work, both of us getting our teaching credentials and raising Jacoby.” Gina smiled as she took her seat again, looking at her ring. “That’s more than enough plans for our future, for the moment anyway. Besides, planning a nursery for two babies with plenty of input from my mom, is going to keep you very busy.”

  Their drinks arrived and Leeann quickly grabbed hers. She didn’t know why, but she felt like a total loser compared to her friends, who all faced their futures with such purpose and happiness.

  Leeann, on the other hand, didn’t have any plans for what she was going
to do tomorrow, the next six months or even next spring. And like earlier, not having a reason to get out of bed in the morning, other than to run, burned a hole in her gut. A fire she was determined to extinguish in tequila, triple sec and lime.

  “The way you’re tossing back that drink, I’m guessing you’re not driving tonight.”

  Leeann froze, the salt from her glass burning her upper lip as Bobby’s voice poured over her shoulder. She took another swallow, barely holding back a gag as a splash of booze went down too fast. Placing her drink on the table with a loud thud, she noticed the guys had joined them while she was hosting her internal pity party.

  Landon and Gage had moved in behind their wives, elbows resting on the back of the booth, while Dean now sat in the empty spot next to her, Gina and Justin having disappeared to the dance floor. That left Bobby standing behind her in the space between their booth and the next one.

  “No—” She coughed, not turning to look at him as she finally answered, “No, I’m not driving.”

  “Hey you, how’s it going?” Dean leaned toward her, but before he could bump her shoulder with his, Leeann scooted farther inward, squashing the panic that automatically rose.

  When would she ever get over that?

  “Ah, good, it’s good.” She forced the words from her throat as she waved at her girlfriends. “Have you met everyone?”

  More introductions were made with Dean taking some good-natured ribbing about his accent. He assured them he was enjoying Wyoming, but while one could take the boy out of Jersey, it was darn near impossible to take Jersey out of the boy.

  Racy and Maggie peppered him with questions, asking if the MTV reality show was anything like real life, and Leeann found herself relaxing a bit as Dean shared stories of growing up in Point Pleasant Beach on the Jersey Shore.

  Suddenly, warm heat brushed against her right shoulder. Her breath caught, then disappeared entirely when that heat moved from her shoulder to her elbow and down the long sleeve covering her skin. She froze, tightening her grip on her glass, and resisted the urge to crush her arms to her sides in an attempt to make herself as small as possible.

  Bobby set the empty beer bottle on the table next to her margarita glass. His head was so close to hers as he leaned over the back of the booth she could feel the brim of his Stetson brushing her hair.

  “Do you mind if I put this here?” he asked, his words slightly raspy.

  She shook her head, mortified she couldn’t find the strength to put voice to words. She saw Racy and Maggie watching her, concern in their eyes. She offered a quick wiggle of her fingers, hoping it conveyed that she was okay.

  But she wasn’t okay because her fingers unwittingly swept over his. Her heart raced and she couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. Learned behavior dictated that she maintain distance between herself and—well, everyone, but now Bobby’s hand was a hairbreadth away from hers.

  “So, did you see our homage to you and your racing career when you walked into the lobby, Bobby?” Racy asked. “Everyone in Destiny is so proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

  “Not everyone.”

  His whispered words, meant for Leeann’s ears only, rushed hot against her skin as he straightened and drew his hand away. Leeann released her glass and tucked her hair behind one ear, surprised she didn’t find the smooth locks on fire from the heat of Bobby’s gaze on the back of her head. She straightened her shoulders, but when she bumped up against his hands resting on the back of the booth, she instinctively leaned forward.

  “Yes, I noticed the display,” he continued. “It’s not necessary, but thanks. What I liked even more was the wall honoring the residents who are serving in the military with their unit flags and insignias. There must be at least two dozen photographs hanging there.”

  “Between those on active duty and the ones serving with the National Guard units, we’ve got quite a few people overseas,” Gage said. “We’ve lost a couple, too, including Scott Coggen, just this past summer. He was with the Air National Guard out of Cheyenne. I don’t know if you remember him? He was a few years ahead of you in school.”

  “The name sounds familiar.”

  “His wife—well, his widow, Fay, is the local florist,”

  Maggie added. “They owned Fay’s Flowers on Main Street.”

  “I remember hearing about his funeral. Mom often read the local paper online while she was with me in the hospital.”

  “You know, you do look pretty good for someone who—well, for—I mean, that was a hell of a crash back in May,” Landon observed. “Hope you don’t mind me pointing out the obvious.”

  “No, I don’t mind. It was pretty impressive.”

  “That’s one way of describing it,” Dean added, his fingers busy peeling the label on his beer bottle.

  Leeann would use another word.

  Horrific.

  The first photo of the crash had captured Bobby’s car in midair, him still behind the wheel, the front end a twisted mess of crushed metal and the hood flying free overhead.

  Of course, the news and the internet allowed people to watch a video of what happened next, the car flipping end over end a half-dozen times before it came to a stop upside down with Bobby’s prone body lying motionless on the grass beside it.

  Leeann’s fingers tightened around the stem of her glass.

  She remembered walking into the break room at the sheriff’s office to find her coworkers huddled around the television the morning of the crash. She’d stayed and watched the video because she knew everyone expected her to walk away. It’d taken all her strength to maintain her well-known, unflappable expression with the eyes of the entire room upon her.

  Later, alone at home laying in the dark, she’d watched it again, just to prove to herself she could. It’d taken a week of daily five-mile runs to ease the stone-cold ache in her gut.

  That and the news he was going to survive.

  “It wasn’t too much fun from inside the car either.” Bobby’s rough voice cut through her thoughts as he paused to clear his throat. “I’m not back one hundred percent yet, but I’m very lucky.”

  “Speaking of lucky.” Dean tilted his bottle to his lips and drained the last of his beer. “How do I find someone willing to show me the fine art of two-stepping?”

  Moments later, Dean was in the arms of a bubbly blonde with Maggie and Landon joining them on the dance floor. That left Racy, Gage, Bobby and her at the table. Soon people started to flock around their booth once they realized the hometown hero was there.

  Leeann slid out of the seat, refusing to be blocked in.

  Except Bobby managed to do just that by moving from behind the booth to stand next to her.

  With one hand braced on the seat’s edge, he caged her between him and the table as he smiled and talked, catching up with old friends from high school and meeting new people who’d moved into town since he’d been gone.

  He handed out autographs when asked, glossing over any details of the accident as if he’d merely run a red light or had a flat tire.

  She couldn’t believe it.

  A moment ago, the tone of his voice was totally different while admitting he’d been lucky to survive, and now he acted as if what had happened to him was just another day at the office.

  When she’d seen the workout area in his home she could tell the equipment was state-of-the-art. Dean had hinted that Bobby still had a long way to go with his recovery. Hell, the man wasn’t even allowed to drive.

  “Honey, I think I need to go to the ladies’ room.” Racy latched on to her husband’s arm as she inched her way out of the booth. “You want to come with me, Leeann?”

  “Gladly.”

  “And since you all interrupted our girls-only party—” Racy poked a finger at her husband’s chest “—you get to buy the next round.”

  “Hey, it wasn’t my idea,” Gage protested.

  “It was mine,” Bobby said, pausing in the midst of signing his autograph for one of the wa
itresses on her order pad. “I saw your table of pretty faces and just couldn’t resist.”

  The waitress giggled as Bobby offered her a quick wink.

  Leeann rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, Racy.”

  They crossed the bar and entered the crowded ladies’ room with only one open stall available.

  “Do you mind?” Racy inched toward the door. “My ability to wait has dropped considerably.”

  “Go ahead. I’m just here to keep you company.”

  Racy grinned and closed the stall door. One by one the other ladies left the bathroom until Leeann and Racy remained, but the only sound was the running water as they stood side by side washing their hands.

  “Go ahead, girlfriend.” Leeann caught her friend’s reflection in the mirror. “I know you’ve got something to say.”

  “I’ve got a lot to say, but we can’t lock ourselves in here all night.”

  “And Maggie would never forgive us for excluding her.” Leeann yanked a paper towel and dried her hands. “We’ve probably got seconds before someone walks in on us, so make it quick.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Leeann sighed and tossed the towel in the trash. “I did say quick, right? Not sure I can answer that in thirty seconds or less.”

  “Look, I listened to all your ramblings before Bobby showed up tonight.” Racy dried her hands, then gently laid one on Leeann’s arm. “And I’ve just watched you being—well, being with him again for the first time in fourteen years.”

  “I’m not with him. Not like that.”

  “Okay, hanging around him. Is that better?”

  Leeann nodded, wondering why she was making such a fuss over her friend’s words.

  “And while it’s easy to say it’s all so familiar, seeing the two of you together…it’s not anywhere near the same, is it?”

  “Stop trying so hard to be polite about all this craziness,” Leeann replied with a smile. “You’re not making much sense, but I get what you’re saying.”

  “And what am I saying?”

  “That I’m a withering mass of confusion and uncertainty. But it’s fine.” Leeann yanked the door open and waved her friend out. “There’s always another margarita waiting out there with my name on it.”