Independence Day by Nia Farrell

Author:Nia Farrell [Farrell, Nia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Long Branch Books
Published: 2020-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“The last one?”

Her husband looked at her in shock and confusion, and who could blame him? Her sole focus earlier had been protecting Billy. She’d given no thought to anything beyond that. Certainly not the subject of whether or not he could expect children with her in the future.

“I’ve lost two,” she whispered, hoping they wouldn’t wake the others. “One before Billy and one after. The second time, it was so early on, I wasn’t sure that I was pregnant. All it took was a punch to the stomach, and a few kicks to end it. I ran a fever afterward. I nearly died. The doctor didn’t know whether I could conceive again. Grayson called me worthless and threatened to kill me. Divorce was out of the question. If he couldn’t have me, no other man would. He got meaner and meaner, especially when he drank. You saw him at the end. That’s what I’d been dealing with for weeks.”

He pulled out of her, rolled to the side, and covered his face with his hands. After a long, telling moment, he blew out a harsh breath. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s—I don’t know what else to say to you right now. Jesus, Becca.”

“I’ll understand if you want an annulment.” It killed her to say it, but she didn’t have a choice. No man could be expected to stay in a marriage like theirs, given the circumstances. “It should be easy enough where we weren’t married in the Church.”

He looked at her, incredulous. His hazel eyes held no humor. “It’s a bit late for an annulment, Becca. We’ve consummated our vows.”

Feeling raw and far too vulnerable, she sat up in bed. He did the same. This wasn’t the kind of conversation to have lying down.

“We know that,” she admitted, pulling up her chemise to cover her breasts, “but no one else needs to. We can wait until Francis West sees that he’s not getting Billy and file for an annulment once he’s gone.”

He narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing her. “And how are you going to explain all this to Billy? How is he going to feel when you let him think that I’m his new father, then rip me away and toss me like trash? You’d best think again, Becca, or he’ll end up hating us both.”

“He’ll get over it,” she said tightly, “although I’m not sure that I will. Getting married was your idea. You did it to help me protect my son. Tell me now, and be honest, Matthew. If you’d known before, would you still have asked me to marry you, or would you have withdrawn your offer and left us to fend for ourselves?”

“Of course, I’d still have married you!” he said fiercely, not missing a beat. “You’re a good woman, Becca. There’s a kindness in you that’s managed to survive despite everything that you’ve been through. You make this place a home for everyone under your roof. Blood ties or not, you treat us all like family.

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