Outside The Lines (Love Beyond Reason Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

method of operation, because you liked her.” He shook his head, tisking. Raphe knew his story, had been his closest friend since they were five, and when he shook his head and clicked his tongue like that irritation flared inside his gut.
    “Don’t fucking do that,” David bit off, even though he knew Raphe was just playing with him. Because this time, it felt real. This time, having a friend know him so well didn’t make the situation easier.
    Raphe raised his hands. “Look man, it’s been a long time since that day when your mom walked away.”
    “Almost twenty years now.”
    Thrown back to that time at the mere mention of it, David frowned. The weather had been ass-biting cold. His nine year old body had ignored it and run, just run after the woman who’d been his everything for so long.
    But she’d left, without even looking back.
    “It’s time to let that go,” Raphe said, more quietly than his usual gregariousness. “You’ve got your mom close by now, even if you do ignore her.”
    Raphe had lost his mom two years ago. And the sorrow of that moment weighed on David’s mind. “I’m sorry. God. I really am a douche.”
    “You can be as angry as you want for as long as you want.” Raphe stepped back up to the switch and turned the pitching mechanism on. “Just don’t throw something good away over it.”
    The pitch came and Raphe swung, hitting a line drive, straight down the middle. “Not all women are the same.”
    David swallowed against the tightness in his throat.
    He loved Raphe, and just as much, loved the wife his friend had chosen. He’d never thought, in a million years, that Rebecca would be like his mom. He’d never tried to talk Raphe out of marrying her.
    Well, except for that once…but that had been alcohol induced.
    “Shit.”
    Raphe’s grin came back then and he hit three more balls, dead on.
    David sighed. He was going to have to do something.
    He just didn’t know what yet.

3
     
     
    David’s exit in a cloud of anger and frustration had left her breathless. The easy-going man she’d known ten weeks ago…this wasn’t that man. Phew. He still made her heart pound. How could it be? Even after his rejection of her and the baby.
    She scowled. At least he wasn’t married, though.
    She wasn’t sure she could take that kind of knock to her esteem. Her guilt at having sex before marriage and ending up pregnant had been enough. She blinked back tears. She’d made a choice in October. Now was her time to fix it, make it right.
    Stand up and do something for herself, and for her baby, who needed her, needed a mom and dad. Maybe, down the road, brothers and sisters.
    David’s life did not look like hers, not anything like she expected after knowing him for that too-short month in Red Bluff.
    Even though a man didn’t seem necessary in this day and age, she’d hoped, in finding him, her child would have a chance at the kind of life she’d had growing up. She was going to have a baby. Hard work and love. The only two things she needed. Her stomach churned.
    And food. Time to eat.
    She made her way to the kitchen. One step through the doorway was heaven. Rosemary and thyme wafted through the air, and the smell of warm stew made her almost light-headed. “That smells so good.”
    “Sit!”
    She did, and Nan set a plate of what could only be homemade bread in front of her along with a bowl of the stew.
    “So, you know my David.” It wasn’t really a question.
    Maria shrugged. “Kind of.”
    In the biblical sense, anyway. The stomach churning got a little worse and she soothed it with another bite. “We met a few months ago while he was in California.”
    “He’s such a good boy. Always helping out.”
    “Hmm.” So, he was a hometown boy. Great. Good thing she was leaving first thing in the morning. She could just see it now… marked as a hussy. A gold-digger. No way. Not for her. She would take her unplanned pregnancy with her and leave him to his earldom, or whatever