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He turned Even mussed and wrinkled and dead tired, he retained an aura of corabbed her Their connection had never been the proble so much harder His face was calmly set, with an implacable determination in his aet ister She figured she’d just heard wrong "We’re going to what?"

"Get ets the family and support she needs It’s cruel to rip either one of us away at this point This way it’s a in for her"

The kitchen spun, and she grabbed on to the edge of the counter "Tristan, youclearly about what you just proposed"

"Oh, but I am" He crossed his arms in front of his chest, cocked his hip, and stared at her The heat and tenderness were gone In their place were an icy resolution and faint distaste for his proposal "We’re going to face Becca and give her the happy news I’ll let you tell her how and why any way you wish, as long as the botto our faer snapped up from her core, and she lowered her voice to a furious whisper "We are not about to telltoday This is a delicate situation, and she needs to be thought of first We need to plan when and hoe’ll tell her, and I’ht now Things are too raw We’re not ready, and neither is she"

"Oh, I’e of his voice "I don’t intend to wait another year to be with et married, Syd That’s the only solution to this"

"You’re not thinking clearly! It’ll never work She’ll knoe’reabout our relationship Kids can sense that She’ll only beher what she deserves A reala stable, happy hoers It’s worth the sacrifice for Becca"

She wondered if she’d just dropped into an alternate universe where arrangedwith thisbreakfast Wearing old pajamas while she watched television Those were the types of activities you did with a man you trusted and loved There was no way they could pretend on such a scale She’d go mental She’d becoain "We can’t live together, Tristan That type of give-and-take in ayou can just fake"

"I don’t intend anything to be fake" He narrowed his gaze "We’ll mean every word of those voe share I intend to be faithful, show you respect, protect you and Becca, and provide a secure, nurturing environe to laugh at the ridiculousness, but knowing he was dead serious stole away all humor Oh, God, she couldn’t do this He stated his intentions like a Boy Scout orhis country Not like a husband, or a man anted to spend his life with a woman he loved

Because he didn’t love her

Not anymore

Maybe not ever He’d never been able to say the words, no ether

"You can’t just bully e Listen, we don’t need to rush into anything We’ll talk and decide the right time to tell Becca Couples deal with two-parent households all the time, and Becca will understand You can have plenty of time with her--pick her up fro you need"