Free Outside The Lines (Love Beyond Reason Book 2) by Beth Rhodes Page B

okay,” David said to Lena. He’d never met her older sister, because she’d been deployed when he was in California. Now she was in Washington State at Fort Lewis while her fiancé, Zack remained in Red Bluff.
    David paused, listening. “No. We can’t do that.”
    Lena’s voice came over the line, and Maria could tell she was yelling, in Spanish.
    Shaking off the pain of her sister’s disapproval, Maria held out a hand for the phone. She would face it. Lena had made her choices, joined the Army, become a doctor. She’d found a man to love, one the whole family loved, one who was a good friend of hers as well. “Lena. Please—”
    “What are you thinking? You can’t marry this guy…even if you did have a fling with him! You’re supposed to be at a nursing conference. That’s what you told mama. You’re lying? Did he tell you to lie? I swear, Maria, I am going to come out there and—”
    “Lena!” She spoke sharply. “I’m fine. It’s okay. I know what I’m doing.”
    “No,” she said, a tad hysterically. “No, you don’t, Maria. Zack, get over here.”
    “Lena. No, not Za—”
    “Maria?” The calm in her long-time friend’s voice made the tears come back. “Are you okay?”
    She sniffed. “I’m fine, really. I know I’m crying, and it seems like that can’t be true, but it is.” She looked to David who had begun pacing the length of the kitchen counter and ran a hand through his hair. She might as well admit she was making a huge mistake. David might have said he wanted to marry her, but he was unsettled, as if he too, wondered if they were doing the right thing. They were quite a pair. Maria sighed. “Tell Lena not to worry, okay? I’m getting married in two days. I want to. We want to give this baby a family.”
    “Will you come home and tell Mom and Papi?”
    She nodded, lifting a tissue to her nose. “I promise. As soon as we’re settled. Soon,” she added for emphasis. “Please, don’t say anything.”
    He was silent for a moment. “Okay.”
    He’d met David a few times. They’d all hung out and had a beer or two. And Zack had liked him. Or so he’d said. “We love you, Maria.”
    She blinked as her throat closed.
    “If you need anything, anything at all, call.”
    “Thank you, Zack. Tell Lena goodbye for me. I’ll see her…when I see her.”
    She hung up and needed to sit. David came up behind her and put his agile fingers to work on her shoulders.
    “We’re in this together, Ree, okay?”
    She nodded. “I know.”
    “As soon as the wedding is over, we’ll fly to California to tell your parents.” His fingers stilled. “Why haven’t you told them, Maria?”
    She let her head fall back. “Guilt? Shame? Disappointment.”
    “They raised you.”
    “Yes, and they taught me better than to sleep around…before I was married,” she added, even though a discussion on morals was hardly what she wanted. She felt better saying it out loud. He had to know where she was coming from, even if he hadn’t in October because she’d acted so out of character.
    She’d pursued him with stubborn determination, wanted him—the man who’d made her fall in love.
    David frowned. “Sleeping around implies more than one. I’m just one person, Maria. You never slept around. I loved that about you.”
    “But you’re still not what my parents expected of me.”
    He crouched next to her.
    “I’m going to hurt them.” Her hands fell to her lap and covered her stomach.
    “We’ll hurt them together then.”
    She snorted a laugh. But it turned into a sob.
    “Hey, I’m just kidding. Don’t cry. I—”
    She threw herself into his arms, and he brushed at the length of her hair.
    “It’s okay. Remember? You said so. Come on.” He touched her chin and she lifted her gaze to his. “Let’s go plan a wedding.”

7
     
     
    She stood at the back of the courthouse, her hands shaking.
    She couldn’t believe it. She was getting married. A nervous giggle escaped, and when her