Chapter 1
At one in the morning, the pregnant widow of my husband’s fallen teammate called. She said someone might’ve broken into her place and she was scared.
My husband had been on a three-day stakeout with no sleep. He didn’t think twice. He bolted out the door to be with her.
He didn’t come back until sunrise.
“It isn’t easy for Lena to live on her own, honoring his memory-especially with the baby
almost due. She can’t afford a scare.”
I stayed on the couch, silent. He sighed, slid an arm around my shoulders.
“Lena is a fallen officer’s widow, and she’s pregnant. As her late husband’s captain, I’m responsible for looking after her. I promise I’ll cut back, okay? Please don’t be upset.”
I pushed his arm away. For once, I refused to be understanding.
“I want a divorce.”
:
Reid’s cheeks were hollowed from long shifts. Bloodshot eyes. Even his breathing sounded unsteady.
His hands clenched, then loosened.
He leaned into me again, eyes turned up, all puppy-dog pleading.
“Babe, don’t say that just to hurt me. I won’t go over there anymore, okay? I’ll hand Lena off to someone else on the squad.”
No one would ever believe it-how the tough-as-nails captain turns into a golden retriever of a man with me, nuzzling close and sweet-talking.
That soft side is why I married him, even knowing his job could blow back on family.
But this time I turned my face away and stood up.
“I’m not saying this in anger. You can keep helping Lena.”
Chapter 1
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“But the divorce is happening.”
Reid’s brow drew tight, command presence snapping back into place-then it softened when he saw how hard my mouth was set.
Still on his knees, he shuffled forward until he was at my feet, rubbing his head against my stomach like a big, contrite dog.
“Babe, I messed up. I took that on without thinking about how you’d feel. I barely have time for you as it is, and now I’m giving pieces of it to someone else. And you are… well, you do get jealous.”
“I made my sweet, jealous girl wait up all night. That’s on me. But I’ve been awake for four days and nights. I’m dead on my feet. Let me crash, and tomorrow I’ll apologize to my little jealous gremlin properly.”
He couldn’t stop a yawn. He laced his fingers through mine and tried to lead me toward the bedroom.
Anyone hearing that would take his side-he could barely stand and he was still humoring a wife who was throwing a fit.
I yanked my hand free and said, slow and even,
“I said I want a divorce.”
He wasn’t ready for it. He stumbled, clipped the pottery vase we’d thrown together, and sent it crashing.
His eyes dropped, and the fog burned off. I’d asked for a divorce again and again; this time, his temper slipped.
“I apologized. I told you I’d see her less. Why isn’t that enough for you?”
“You’re the one who said divorce isn’t a word to toss around. You’ve said it twice tonight. What are you trying to do?”
He even remembered the throwaway things I’d said drunk, the jokes I barely meant.
“Reid Foster, I’m not jealous and I don’t want you to pacify me. I’m ending this marriage.”
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“I’m leaving you. For good.”
“Bang!”
His fist skimmed past my ear and slammed into the wall behind me. My lashes trembled.
Chapter 1
