Welcome Home, Bobby Winslow

by Christyne Butler

  As he’d expected, they found no one home but a hungry Daisy and a note from Zip stating they were on their own for any camp discussion and to play nice together.

  Words to live by.

  He started the fire in the great room as darkness fell. Then the skies opened up and the rain came down in buckets. When Leeann suggested they eat by the fire, picnicstyle, using a tablecloth she’d found in a kitchen drawer for a blanket, he thought it was a great idea.

  Grabbing a bottle of wine, he clicked on the stereo and found that same oldies station they’d listened to in the car. They split the pizza, with an ever-watchful Daisy sitting nearby, and talked. About the weather, how much Destiny had grown and changed over the years, her collection of teapots and his art collection, anything but the camp.

  Or their past.

  Did he want to go down that road? Was it necessary?

  He liked being with Leeann again, adult to adult. She was smart and beautiful and passionate about what mattered in her life. All the same things he’d fallen in love with as a boy, he appreciated in her as a woman.

  A woman who had a secret.

  He didn’t know what that secret was—hell, he hated to speculate what it might be—but he couldn’t ignore the signs.

  Like that day in the Youth Center when her deputy friend had grabbed her and she’d put him down with ease.

  “Come on, come and get it.”

  Leeann’s persuasive tone cut into his thoughts.

  She held out a piece of pizza topping. “Oh, come on, Daisy, I can tell you want this.”

  He grinned at her continued attempts to get along with the dog, who stood stiff-legged as she stared at the offering. “Of course she wants it. But I think it’s a battle of wills, and Daiz is a stubborn girl.”

  “Here, you give it to her.” Leeann sighed and handed over the offering. “Is it strange that I want her to like me?”

  “I like you. Does that count?” He tossed the pepperoni at the dog, who gobbled it up. “Besides, she plays with the toys you’ve brought her. Just not when you’re around to see it.”

  “Really?” Her face lit up with that fabulous smile of hers. “So, this is all just for show?”

  He leaned back against the couch and laid his arm across the bottom cushions, his hand almost touching her shoulder. “I guess she just needs time to trust you.”

  Lee’s smile faded. She didn’t look sad exactly as she watched Daisy leave the room, but more like she understood where the animal was coming from. “So, where is she going now?”

  “Hear that?” Bobby paused, and the sound of Daisy’s nails on the hardwood floor slowly faded. “She’s gone downstairs to Zip’s bedroom to wait for him to come home.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  Bobby turned his wrist and glanced at his watch. Knowing Zip, and the fact he’d been out with Katie twice already this week, the dog probably had a pretty long wait.

  His cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. Digging for it, Bobby looked at the screen. Speak of the devil. He pressed a button. “Hey, Zip.”

  Leeann rose, taking their plates and the almost-empty pizza box with her. “I’ll take these into the kitchen.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “That’s okay. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Bobby watched her walk away, missing everything Zip said until he heard him mention something about a wash-out. “What—wait a minute, is the storm that bad?”

  Bad enough that Zip was staying in town.

  Leeann came back into the room and sat again as Bobby ended the call. He refilled their wineglasses and handed Lee’s to her. “Looks like this storm is wreaking havoc out there.”

  A crashing boom of thunder proved him right.

  “Oh!” Leeann jumped, her wine sloshing in her glass.

  Bobby slid closer, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. She flinched and he didn’t know if that was from his touch or a second barrage from the storm. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re safe here.”

  “Is Dean on his way home?”

  Was that panic in her voice? “He’s staying wherever he is. The roads are a mess and there’s no way he’s going to try to drive.” Bobby pulled in a deep breath, resting the hand holding his wineglass on his bent knee. “So it looks like you’re going to be crashing here tonight.”

  That news caused Leeann to take a quick sip from her glass.

  “Don’t worry. There are three guest bedrooms for you to choose from. I’ll even loan you a T-shirt to sleep in.”

  Amazed at how calm his voice sounded, compared to the wild thumping of his heart at the idea of him and Leeann having the rest of the night together, Bobby paused to take a healthy swallow of wine.

  Leeann stared into her glass for a moment, then gently placed it on the nearby coffee table before scooting even closer to him. “Can I…can I ask you a favor?”

  Her voice was soft, her words hesitant.

  Anything.

  She could ask him anything and he’d move heaven and earth to make it happen. “Of course.”

  “Would you kiss me?”

  Her request ratcheted up the sensual awareness he’d already had going on, of her scent, of the warmth of her skin. A need curled deep inside as he looked down at her upturned face. He lowered his head an inch, and watched her eyes widen and her lips part.

  Would he kiss her?

  Would he take the checked flag at the Daytona 500?

  Maybe that was just wishful thinking but this kiss wasn’t…

  He had to do this right. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but this moment meant something to Leeann. To them.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  Asking her that, giving her the chance to back away took all the control he possessed, but she nodded, her gaze locked with his until his lips brushed hers.

  Then her eyelids fluttered closed, her mouth hesitant and awkward beneath his. He closed his eyes, too, angling his head to fully claim the kiss, his hand rising to the silky smoothness of her hair.

  Leeann stiffened and a soft cry escaped.

  Dropping his hand, Bobby backed off and opened his eyes to find her chin trembling as she captured her lower lip in her teeth. A tear escaped from her still-closed eyes.

  His gut twisted and he feared his assumptions about her secret were right.

  “Lee…what is it? Tell me, please.”

  Chapter Ten

  “S-six years ago, I was a-attacked on a photo shoot.”

  Leeann kept her eyes closed, her words hollow and soulless. There was no gentle lead-in, no protesting that she didn’t know what Bobby was asking of her.

  His only reaction to her statement was a swift intake of breath and a low mutter of a single curse.

  People grew and changed while they were apart. Life and experience shaped who they were as adults. Somehow, Bobby had figured out there was something more to her history than just career changes and new relationships.

  But spending time with him again had led to the reawakening of naive emotions from a first love and the unexpected transformation of those feelings to what she was experiencing now.

  Leeann covered her face with her hands. A deep shuddering breath filled her chest as she fought to rein in her scattered thoughts and strewn feelings.

  Here and now.

  Concentrate on what is happening right here, right now.

  She brushed away her tears, dragged her fingers over her cheeks until they curled into fists, one hand wrapped over the other, both pressed against her mouth.

  Had she wanted Bobby to kiss her?

  More than her next breath.

  The longing had swelled from deep within her the moment he’d touched her shoulder to sooth her reaction to the storm. The sudden need surprised her, and she’d hoped the wanting would be enough to allow her to move past her emotional scars.

  It wasn’t.

  She’d known that the moment he’d touched her hair.

  Leeann’s hands fell to her l
ap. Another deep breath, this one smooth and more controlled. If she ever wanted to be close to someone again, to be in a relationship again, the sharing of her past was a necessity.

  Never had she dreamed it would be with Bobby.

  “Lee, if you don’t want to talk about this—”

  “I do.” Her voice was strong, even as her eyes stayed closed. “I want—I need to tell you if you’re willing to listen.”

  “I’m right here.”

  She knew that. She could feel his presence, his strength as she started to speak. “It’d been a long day, the shoot had lasted for hours. Even though it had gotten dark outside, they…they still needed a few close-up shots of my mouth and hands. Most everyone was gone, including the photographer, who had another call. Just his assistant was there to take the last photographs, and a couple of the crew…and me.”

  The need to see Bobby, to know he was there, even if she couldn’t look at him directly, made Leeann force her eyes open.

  He wasn’t touching her, but had placed his wineglass on the table, his hand wrapped around the stem, knuckles showing. His eyes were locked onto the fireplace, but other than a slight muscle tic at his jawline, there was no reaction from him.

  “It was an international ad for some kind of alcohol. I had to keep pretending to drink…it was only water in the glass, but they kept refilling it….”

  He turned to her and she paused, lowering her gaze to his leg. The tiny rip in his jeans at his knee commanded her full attention.

  “To this day I don’t remember leaving the studio that night. I learned later that the taxi driver had pulled up to my building and told the doorman he had a drunk in the backseat. They got me into the elevator and I must’ve had a moment of lucidity because I got inside my apartment. Took a shower… Hot, scalding water…my skin was so red. Then I passed out…for a second time.”

  The events of that night flashed in front of her eyes like a bad movie, but she watched and recited the details. The years and her recovery acted as a buffer between then and now.

  “A few days later I started to remember…I realized what had happened. It came back in small flashes. Hands grabbing me, touching me…”

  Tucking her legs tighter beneath her, she pressed against the warm leather of the couch, liking the security of its weight at her back. Her shoulders brushed against Bobby’s arm, still lying across the bottom cushions. His unintentional embrace also felt safe and secure.

  “I didn’t want—despite how out of it I was, a part of me didn’t like what was happening to me. I remember trying to push him away, to get away….”

  This time she looked up at Bobby’s face. A bright sheen of tears shined in his eyes. What did they mean? What did he see when he looked at her?

  Right now that didn’t matter. The only important thing was finishing her story. Get to the end, to where and who she was today. Then she’d deal with whatever came next.

  One step at a time.

  “You remember my long hair, right?” she asked, unable to stop herself from tucking the now short strands behind one ear.

  He nodded.

  “My hair was my trademark. It set me apart from the crowd. The long length could be manipulated in so many ways.” She averted her gaze again, but kept her head high, staring at a spot on the wall over his shoulder. “He…used it to hold on to me. At one point I freed myself, but my hair was so long. He grabbed it and twisted it around his fist…I couldn’t get away.”

  The helplessness she felt that night, and for months afterward, started to form inside her. Leeann pulled in several deep breaths and reminded herself of where she was and who she was with.

  She was with Bobby, in his home. Safe. She was here because she wanted to be. Telling her story because she wanted to…needing to share her past with him.

  No matter how it affected the future.

  “I went to the police and they investigated. The conclusion was that I had been slipped Rohypnol, a drug used often in these kind of cases, but there was no medical proof because so much time had passed—I wasn’t even positive who my attacker was. Eventually the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.”

  She sighed. “News that I didn’t take very well. I turned into a recluse, not leaving my apartment. Things were bad…until Ursula found me. My folks had died in a car accident about six months before all this happened and my aunt worried when she couldn’t reach me. She came to New York, rescued me and took me out of the city.”

  “You came home?” Bobby asked, his voice low and warm and so familiar it wrapped around her like a warm blanket. “You came back to Destiny?”

  She shook her head. “No, this small town was the last place I wanted to be. Ursula understood that. She took me to stay with a professor friend of hers who lived outside of Chicago. I was quite a mess, but they got me the professional help I needed. I left my career behind and concentrated on healing and finding a way to live my life.”

  “And you’ve done that.”

  She nodded, looking at him again. The tears were gone from his eyes. In their place was a calm acceptance that encouraged her to go on. “Knowing I was in good hands, Aunt Ursula returned home. She had a business to run. But even the fire that destroyed my family’s house a year later couldn’t get me back to Destiny. I stayed in Chicago and concentrated on finishing my degree. Then four years ago—partly because of what happened to me—I made the choice to go into law enforcement, so I attended the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy.”

  “But you said you didn’t want to come home?”

  “Ursula got sick.” She dropped his gaze, her fingers tugging at the hem of her sweater. “It turned out to be cancer. She needed me to help her this time, so I completed the training, moved back home and applied for a job as a deputy sheriff in town. This is where I’ve been ever since.”

  She stopped talking, allowing the sounds of the room to fill the air: the soft ballad from the radio, the steady rain beating against the glass and the man next to her, breathing deep and low.

  “Can I ask a question?”

  Refusing to let the fear of whatever Bobby might say stop her, she nodded. “Of course.”

  “Can I hold you?” His arms remained open as he straightened his legs, creating space between them. “Would that be okay with you?”

  Tears threatened again. Leeann had to bite hard at her bottom lip to hold back a sob. She jerked her head in a quick nod and flew into his arms. Clutching at his shirt, she willed back the tears as his heart pounded beneath her ear. A deep inhale filled her with his clean scent.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you. The words echoed in her head, her heart. Thank you for not turning away from me.

  “You’re amazing, do you know that?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not—”

  The gentle pressure from his arms tightening around her stopped her protest.

  “For once don’t argue with me.” His tone was teasing yet tender. “You are an amazing woman.”

  “Because of all I’ve gone through?” she asked.

  “Because of all you’ve accomplished.”

  Leeann relaxed her grip on his shirt and settled fully into his arms. The strength of his embrace, warm and solid, enveloped her as she buried her face in his chest.

  She had more to say, but for now she let the rise and fall of his breathing provide a steadying rhythm she clung to, her gaze centered on the dancing flames of the fireplace.

  They sat in silence and listened to the rain, listened to each other breathing, and for the first time in a long time, a sense of peace settled over her.

  The gentle chimes of a clock sounded twice before Leeann realized she had no idea how long they’d been sitting there.

  “Oh, your back.” She pushed away from him. “Why didn’t you say anything? You must be in so much pain.”

  He released her with a smile. “Not so much. Just a bit stiff and sore from being on the floor.”

  She scrambled to her feet with a groan. “Do you ne
ed any help standing up?”

  “You better back up a few steps.” Bobby waved her off. “In case I end up flat on my face.”

  He didn’t even sway as he got to his feet.

  Daisy trotted into the living room. She circled Bobby’s legs before continuing to the glass door and sat, looking up at him expectantly.

  “It looks like someone needs to go outside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Bobby disappeared with the dog and Leeann cleaned up the remains of their dinner. She quickly washed the few dishes they’d dirtied, straightened the coffee table and folded the tablecloth. Except for the fire, the room looked as if nothing profound had happened here tonight.

  But Leeann knew that wasn’t true.

  “Well, Daisy is damp, but happy.” Bobby returned alone, his hands full. “Here, I brought you something to sleep in. I’m sure you’ll find a toothbrush and whatever else you might need in the guest bathroom.”

  Taking the clothing, she guessed their evening together had come to an end. It was probably for the best. Emotionally exhausted, she could only guess what must be running through Bobby’s head. “Thanks.”

  He walked her to one of the bedrooms at the opposite end of the house from his room. She tossed the clothing on the bed, not surprised when she turned around and found he hadn’t stepped over the threshold.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Not really, but she’d unloaded enough on him tonight.

  Leeann crossed her arms over her chest and walked back to the doorway. There was still something she needed to say. “I owe you an apology.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Please.” She waved one hand at him. “Let me say this.”

  Bobby nodded and remained silent.

  “I realized…even before tonight…that part of my recovery from—well, from that event—occurred because I could compartmentalize my life into before and after. Before being everything connected with my life in New York and after being…everything that came after.” She dropped her hands. “Even in the few years I’ve been back in town I was able to separate my life here in Destiny into before and after.”