Page 47 of Truth or More Truth (Throwback RomComs #3)

forty-three

. . .

M y plane is touching down at LAX, so the countdown to seeing Bobby again has almost ended.

While I thought I’d be anxious about the conversations to come and about how all three of them are feeling, I’m oddly calm.

Now that we’re all being open and honest about our feelings and our fears, I know we’ll figure out what’s going to be best for all of us.

The only slight anxiety I’m feeling is about meeting Nanette.

I’ve chosen to trust Bobby when he says there’s nothing romantic between the two of them, regardless of the fact that she lives in his backyard.

But what if I get a different vibe from her?

What if she’s secretly pining for him, and he has no clue?

And what if she and I don’t get along? Will she be jealous of me or resentful that I’ve taken her place in Bobby’s life?

For that matter, will Kelli end up feeling jealous or resentful?

There are so many unknowns in this situation that it’s impossible not to feel a little bit of stress.

When I step off the jetway into the gate area, the first face I see is Bobby’s.

Even though it’s only been five days since I last saw him, I’ve missed him terribly, and putting eyes on him is like coming home.

Which is ironic, since our future home is what we’ll be discussing.

But I’ve just now realized that wherever he is will be home for me from now on, no matter the location.

I drop my bag and jump into his open arms, and he swings me out of the way of the passengers behind me so he can kiss me soundly.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers when we come up for air.

“It’s only been five days since you saw me and four since you talked to me.” I smile up at him.

“Feels like a lifetime.”

“Agreed. Let’s not go that long without talking ever again.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “It was your idea!”

“I know, and it was a smart one, but not necessarily an easy one.”

“True. Now, I have something I need to tell you.”

My stomach drops at his serious tone. Is he about to tell me there’s no way they can move to Chicago? If that’s what they decided, that’s fine. I can move here. But I really, really want us all to live in Chicago.

“O–OK,” I stutter.

He takes my face in his hands and swipes one thumb over the corner of my mouth, making me tremble. “I love you, Melissa Imogene Teague.”

I don’t know whether to cry with happiness or laugh at his guess at my middle name. So I do both as I squeeze him tightly. “I love you, too, Bobby Joe.”

“Does my declaration of love earn me the right to finally know your middle name?”

I’ve been holding out on him because it drives him crazy, but he’s right. It’s time to give in. “It’s Helen. That was my grandmother’s name. She died just before I was born.”

He gives me a sad smile. “I’m sorry you never got to know her.”

“Me, too, but let’s not dwell on that.” I do a silly little dance in his arms. “Because you love me!”

He laughs and pulls me in for another kiss. Then he slings my duffel bag over his shoulder and clasps my hand in his as we make our way through the concourse.

“Did you check a bag?”

I laugh. “Oh, you’re funny. Of course I did! ”

“You’ll only be here for thirty-six hours! How could you need more than what will fit in this bag?” He jerks his head toward the decent-sized duffel hanging off his shoulder.

I shake my head at him. “It’s like you’ve never met a woman before.”

He shrugs. “Nanette never liked to travel much, and whenever I take Kelli somewhere, it’s usually for a week or two, so multiple bags are warranted.”

“You’re such a man.”

“I sure am.” He squeezes my hand. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Not likely to happen.”

“Almost there,” Bobby says nearly an hour later as my eyes are starting to droop. It’s past 11:00 California time, which means my body thinks it’s after one in the morning.

I rub my eyes. “Good. I’m ready to sit somewhere that’s not moving.”

He chuckles. “Before we get to the house, I have a question to ask you. I know we said we wouldn’t talk about moving at all until we were at the house with Kelli and Nanette, but I need your answer on something first. Please don’t get mad at me for asking, because I think I know the answer, but Kelli asked me this question that’s actually meant for you, and I’ve never asked you since I assumed, but you know what can happen when you assume, so now I’m asking. ”

I blink a few times. “That was very convoluted, but I think I get what you’re saying. Go ahead and ask.”

“If you were to move here, or even if we move to Chicago and get a similar setup, would you be OK with Nanette continuing to live in the backyard and Kelli splitting her time between the two houses?”

I smack his arm with the back of my hand. “Of course I’m OK with that! What kind of person do you think I am?”

It’s obviously not ideal to have his ex living on the property, but it’s a unique situation and is what’s best for both Kelli and Nanette.

It would be petty and cruel of me to object to those living arrangements, and I’m neither of those things.

Now, if I determine that Nanette still has feelings for Bobby, we’ll need to revisit this conversation.

But I don’t think that’s going to be necessary.

“Ouch!” He rubs his arm. “I told you not to get mad and that I already knew the answer. But I had to officially ask you so if Kelli asks again, I can give her your answer instead of either answering for you or giving a non-answer, which I did the other day.”

“Ah, the ol’ non-answer lawyer trick. You’ve tried using it on me a time or two.” I smirk in the darkness.

“Didn’t work, did it?”

“Nope. Because, as Diego says, I’m a smart biscuit.”

Bobby barks out a laugh. “He’s a pretty smart biscuit himself.”

He turns onto a street that winds up and to the left.

Over the past few minutes, the houses have consistently gotten larger, and now we can’t even see the homes.

They’re hidden behind thick hedges and gates, with only a few lights twinkling through.

Bobby turns into one of the drives and pulls up to a keypad mounted on a terracotta pillar.

He punches in a code, and wrought iron gates swing open.

My mouth gapes a few seconds later when we follow a curve in the driveway and the Mediterranean-style home comes into view. The white exterior appears to be glowing due to the uplighting spaced around the perimeter.

I knew Bobby had money, but I didn’t realize he had this kind of money.

Coming from a wealthy family, I’ve been in plenty of homes like this, but I doubt many are fully paid off, like Bobby said his home is.

The place is both massive and gorgeous, and I’m sure we’re only seeing a portion of it from this angle.

He presses the button on his garage door opener as we circle around the side of the house to the four-car garage.

As we pull inside, the door into the house flings open, revealing a pretty teenager with French-braided dark-brown hair. The smile on her face could not be any bigger, and I think I spy a dimple in her left cheek. She rushes to the car and opens my door before I can reach for it .

“Hi, Melissa! I’m soooo glad I finally get to meet you!” Kelli leans in and flings her arms around my neck. Her exuberance is as heartwarming as it is surprising. Bobby told me her personality is nothing like his, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Kelli, give her some space, will you? You don’t even know if she’s a hugger,” her dad chastises as he climbs out of the car.

As Kelli lets go of me, I assure her, “I’m a hugger. You can hug me anytime you want. Let me get out of the car, and we can do it properly.”

After another hug, we make our way into the house, which is even more stunning than the outside. I’m surprised by the amount of color, but I expect most of the bright, colorful touches are due to Kelli, who’s wearing a color-blocked shirt that’s undoubtedly from United Colors of Benetton.

Kelli claps her hands together and asks, “Are you ready for the grand tour? Wanna see my room first?”

“Baby,” Bobby says, but then pauses when Kelli glares at him. “Sorry. Kelli, it’s late, and Melissa’s internal clock is on Central Time, which is even later. You can give her the tour in the morning. We all need to get to bed, so we’ll be rested and ready to talk tomorrow.”

Kelli pouts and tries to argue, but Bobby holds a hand up, and she presses her lips closed. It seems they’ve had this conversation more than once already. She gives us both a tight hug, tells us good night, and then heads to an outside door off the kitchen, which surprises me.

With a grin, she says, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, and make sure to do a few things I’m not old enough to do!” And then she’s out the door, slamming it behind her.

I turn to Bobby with a questioning look. “What was that about?”

“She informed me she’d be sleeping at her mom’s while you’re here so you and I can have some privacy.”

My cheeks heat. “You’re kidding.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Nope. She’s incorrigible, that one. ”

“I guess so. But I’ll admit I’m not opposed to doing a few things she’s not old enough to do.”

Bobby chuckles as he grabs my bags and tilts his head toward the stairs visible through the entryway into the living room. “I’m opposed to not doing those things. Up the stairs with you, Pookie. No dawdling.”