Renegade by Natasha Raulerson

Author:Natasha Raulerson [Natasha Raulerson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wild Obsidian Press, LLC
Published: 2022-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Reggie waited until Josh closed the door and sat down at the table before coming out of her spot in the hall. She saw the pain on his face, the slouch in his shoulders. Reggie knew she’d been the one to take a beating, but she thought maybe Josh’s pain was a little higher on the scale. Walking over, she put a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, looking up at her. Aching emotion swirled in them. She’d give anything to be able to take it away. Not even because of how kind he’d been to her tonight, but just because she cared about him. Leaning forward, Reggie winced before pressing her lips to his forehead, offering what comfort she could.

Josh sighed, putting his hand over hers. “You should be in bed.”

Reggie stood up, curling her fingers in his. “I’m a light sleeper.”

He nodded. “You heard.”

She shrugged, wincing from the pain that shot through her shoulder. “Not something I meant to do, but sort of hard to miss.”

Kissing her hand, Josh stood up. “Come on. You can relax on the couch. I’ll grab us a drink.”

He guided her over, still being strong even when Reggie could feel the pain rolling off him. She wondered how he’d done it for years, but then, seeing the pictures of the smiling kids in the living room, she knew. Josh would do anything for his kids, even turn away the woman who should be their mother. Even if they’d hate him for it later.

Reggie relaxed in the cushions, leaning her head back, trying to find a comfortable position. Josh disappeared into the kitchen.

“We fell in love in high school,” Josh said.

She turned her head, looking over. She only saw part of him as he moved around, grabbing glasses and a bottle.

“We were the original high school sweethearts. I was the jock. She was the cheerleader.” He walked back in, handing Reggie a glass as he sat next to her. “We didn’t intend to have sex the first time. By that, I mean it wasn’t planned. It just sort of happened in the heat of the moment.”

Reggie sipped the amber liquid, the heat of it warming her belly. “She got pregnant.”

“Yep.” Josh swirled the liquid in his glass. “We were scared, didn’t know what to do. I wanted her to have an abortion, but Sonja...well, she wanted to have them. Put them up for adoption.”

Reggie tried to step into their shoes, think about how terrifying it must have been to be so young in a situation like that. “But you kept them.”

Josh nodded, smiling as if lost in a fond memory. “When I saw them, they were mine. I was their father and if we gave them up, I wouldn’t know who had them or if they were okay. I knew I had to protect them. So, I asked Sonja to marry me.“ He paused, taking a large swig of the whiskey.

Sensing his discomfort, Reggie reached over, putting a hand on his arm.

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