Read Online The Fighter's Secret Child (The Burton Brothers Series Book 3) by Leslie North - Free Book Online Page B

fighting, I’m broke.”
    She stood up and walked to the edge of the patio. When she turned, she found Beck standing next to her. Her pulse quickened. Silly that him just standing there could make her feel just as she once had—all shivery inside. “It doesn’t have to be you. You said Mason’s a trainer now—he could be a match. Or Bryant.”
    Frowning, Beck shook his head. “My son. My problem. We’ll start with me. But…hell, a year off. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it. And I still…dammit, Rachel, why didn’t you contact me after he was born? I…I’m still trying to figure that one out.” Rachel braced one hand on the iron of the patio railing. The sun beat down on her, hot now.
    She wanted to scoot away, but there was no place to go. Beck leaned in closer. His shadow fell over her and his scent wrapped around her. “Come on, Rach. Answer me. Why didn’t you call me, or come see me with him before now? Were you really that scared of me?”
    Rachel turned to face him. “You never met my dad. He was a great guy—sometimes. He’d take me to the park, buy me dolls, and then…I wish I could blame it on him drinking, but he didn’t drink. He just…just lost it at times. It was worse when he wasn’t working—he was a carpenter and work was seasonal, and when he wasn’t working.” She shivered. “He’d hit my mom…hit me.”
    Beck’s hand curled tight around the railing. “Good thing I never met him.”
    “Beck, you punched out a wall. That’s how it started with my dad. Walls first. Faces later. And every time he was sorry. He’d be so very sorry. And he’d buy me more dolls, and be so nice…until the next time. And the next time was always worse. And finally—my mom had enough. She left him. She figured out how to disappear so he wouldn’t find us.”
    “Dammit, I knew she knew where you’d gone—she helped you disappear from me, didn’t she.”
    Rachel lifted her chin. “We heard years later that my dad died of a heart attack. Fell right over during one of his rages. Do you have any idea what it was like growing up with that?  I swore…swore I’d never stay with a man like that. And I won’t have Chaz growing up with a guy who has those kinds of issues.”
    Turning, Beck put both hands on the patio railing. He stared out at the Utah desert and mountains. Rachel turned as well.
    He glanced at her. “I’m sorry for that. I know… I was out of control.”
    She shook her head. “Don’t you get it—my dad was always sorry, too.”
    “But he didn’t change. I get that, Rach. I know nothing I can say can take away the hurt I caused you. I just want you to understand that I reacted. I didn’t think. And I’m a different guy now.”
    “Really? How do I know that’s true? How can I trust that, Beck? How can I trust you?”
    Beck cupped her cheek. “You give me a second chance. It’s a risk, but what isn’t. You owe it to me—to Chaz to try—don’t you? Hell, you owe it to yourself, Rach.”
    She stared at him, her heart quickening and her breath caught in her chest. Just being this close to him was tempting her. She wanted to lean even closer. She wanted to rest her head on Beck’s chest the way Chaz had. She wanted to close her eyes and have everything be okay again.
    But she knew she had to face this with her eyes open. “I want to believe you, Beck. Really, I do. I just don’t know…my dad may have beaten the trust out of me, Beck. I’m not sure I can get past that. I don’t want you walking on eggshells for me—and I don’t want Chaz growing up in a house full of tension and uncertainty.”
    Beck dropped his hand to hers and took her fingers in his. “Let’s focus on just making sure Chaz does grow up—and then we’ll deal with the rest.”
     

Chapter 15
    Rachel’s cell phone rang. She dug it out of her purse and sat down on the couch in the den. Next to her Chaz was sitting on a giant recliner, a game controller held in both pudgy hands as he