Trouble in Texas by Barb Han

Author:Barb Han
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-07-18T15:16:12+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The seriousness in Darren’s tone had Reese grabbing hold of the back of a chair to steady herself. “Absolutely. Ask anything.” She had no idea where this was going but prepared herself for something deeply personal.

He stared at her for a long moment. After a deep sigh, he said, “First of all, this stays between you and me. I need your word.”

After everything they’d been through, she was honored that he would trust her again. “You have it. Whatever you tell me never leaves this room.”

He nodded as his lips pressed into a frown. Whatever was coming was going to be big based on how long it was taking him to get to the point. “There is a question as to whether or not I’m the biological father of the twins.”

This was a bombshell she never would have expected in a million years. She needed to take her time to formulate a response, because he didn’t need to be judged for whatever had happened in his marriage. She could also see why he couldn’t talk to anyone else about this. His own parents were gone and he had no siblings. Stacie would most likely freak out and her parents might hire a fancy lawyer and file for custody.

“Have you thought about taking a test?” she asked, then realized he would have thought of that first. She held up a hand. “Forget I asked that. Of course, you have.”

“Over and over again.” He explained the situation with Hazel, and why he suspected the girls might not belong to him. “I’m at the point with them now that we’ve gotten through the first year without their mother, which, believe me, there were moments when I didn’t think any of us would survive from lack of sleep.”

“There wasn’t a choice because you would never let them down,” she pointed out. “It’s easy to see that you would do anything for those girls. Period.”

He nodded with a look of appreciation. “There was no way I was going to let those girls suffer in any way.”

“It’s also a big part of the reason that you put up with their aunt,” she said. “You try to see the best in her because you need to keep her close for their sake.”

“I won’t argue that point even though I never really think about it,” he admitted.

“When do you have time?” she asked. “You’ve been in survival mode for the past year. I can see it in your eyes.”

Her comment might have gone too far and been too personal because he dropped his gaze to study the rim of his coffee mug. “That’s a fair assessment.”

She was relieved that he wasn’t upset by the comment. Before she’d disappeared, they had been able to have honest conversations. Not only was he a boyfriend, but he had also been her other best friend.

“You’re doing a great job with them, by the way,” she added.

His gaze came up to meet hers as he cocked an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“Kids need unconditional love,” she pointed out.

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