Page 71 of Nothing to Beat

“Your life doesn’t have to be,” she said, attempting to withdraw her hand.His fingers clamped around hers, proving he wouldn’t let her go anywhere.“You never have to wait.I’ve never asked you to wait and if you’re done—”

“I’m with you now,” he said.“I’m not waiting to be with you, I am with you, whether you accept that or not.”That was sweet.He sure didn’t make it easy for a woman to uphold her resolve.“But you want something, now, and I don’t want you to wait.Not for the sake of a family who never deserved you.”

“A child was a good idea…” in her head anyway, “when I thought we’d be the only ones to know its parentage.But someone…” Her eyes widened as she bowed a little his way.“Someone went around telling everyone.”

He remained impervious.“Do you really think they wouldn’t have known?”

“Maybe they’d have suspected, but if we’d stuck to concealing the truth…”

“I could never have lied about something like that.”

“I didn’t ask you to lie, just not offer anything.”

“My mother would’ve asked.”

“Like you’ve never tap-danced around your mother’s questioning before.”

“Do you think she would be a bad grandparent?A negative influence?”

“No.”This time she did take her hand away, regardless of his fight to keep it.“I love your family, but I can’t keep them safe, not while my father is free to walk the streets.”

“They can keep you safe—”

“No, God…” Climbing off the bed, she took a few breaths before stopping at the bottom.“We’ve had this argument.”

“I don’t want your needs to be on hold, to leave the future up to strangers.”

“Yes, I want to have children.That is my need.But it’s also my need that they live safely.That’s the priority, the safety of our children.”

Something she couldn’t yet promise him.

“Okay,” he said on an exhale.“I’ll do it your way.”

He always did.In the end.

Good.

Now maybe they could forget their stresses for a minute.

“Are you going to take me out to dinner now?”she asked, ready to move on from the topic of her father.

“If you’re paying…”

“Oh, that’s right,” she teased.“You’ve taken a vow of poverty.”

“It’s not a vow.”

“But, wait, how did you get here if…”

Her suspicion didn’t come to fruition; his next words gave her the answer.

“We’ve been invited to Carolyn’s for dinner.”

“Ca—Bastian’s mom?How does she know you’re in town?”Her lips quirked until her cheeks bulged.“Your momma brought you here, didn’t she?”Carolyn Hunt and Alice Breckenridge had been friends all their lives.They’d grown up together.“Aww, that’s so sweet.”

“She was coming to LA this month anyway.”

“Aww,” she mocked in her swoon.“That’s adorable.Your mommy gave you a ride.”