Beyond Promise Read Online Free PDF Page A

day and I enjoyed who I
did at night. Corny to say? Yeah. But I’d been around the Rhodes
men far too long not to allow some of their humor to seep into my
blood. It was inevitable. His jokes I used to roll my eyes at in
college, were now highlights of my day.
    “Love ya,” I called into the gym as I passed
by.
    “You too, babe,” he yelled back, wiping the
sweat from his brow.
    Ever since the weekend at Mason and Tori’s,
I’d been concentrating on the positives. It would be his last
fight. He was undefeated. He had an entire software program on his
side. He would win. He always won. He had a great trainer. And he
had more to lose than his opponent.
    The last thought nearly took my breath
away.
    He had more to lose than his opponent.
    But what if he didn’t win? My hand
unexpectedly caressed my stomach as I walked down the stairs and
into the kitchen. I got a glass of water and took a few swallows to
calm my nerves. We would get through this. I glanced at the clock,
noticing Gabby and Brandy were late. Trying to get my mind off the
fight, I trundled over to the crockpot and lifted the lid. The pot
roast smelled delicious, and by the looks of it, we’d have plenty
for leftovers, which was good because in spite of everything I’d
read about not eating for two, I swore I could now eat for ten. I
placed the lid back on the pot and leaned against the counter,
debating whether or not to tell Brandy and Gabby. Or maybe they
already knew about Ayden’s opponent. If Jason developed the
program, there was a high chance Gabby knew why.
    So much for not thinking about the
fight.
    I turned on the television and watched the
news with depressing event after event flash across the screen.
This wasn’t helping me to get over the fight. I clicked on the
channels determined to stay far away from news today. Landing on a
DIY show, I placed the remote down right when the doorbell
rang.
    I’d been looking forward to seeing Gabby and
Brandy all day. Ayden and I weren’t planning to tell anyone other
than Tori and Mason about our pregnancy until the wedding rehearsal
dinner, but I was pretty sure they already knew.
    Yeah, they knew.
    I yanked on the front door and was surprised
to see Ayden’s trainer staring back at me instead of Brandy and
Gabby.
    “Hey,” Derek said, giving a slight wave and
tweaking his duffel bag.
    “Come on in.” I motioned him in and took a
step away from the door. Derek was very tall and imposing to most,
but inside he was a big teddy bear. I’d gotten to know him over the
last several months and often enjoyed his company at the dinner
table. He was in his mid-forties, divorced, and his dating stories
always made for a fun night. Not that we got enjoyment from others’
pain but his stories were pretty hilarious.
    “He’s upstairs. Staying for dinner?” I
asked.
    “Not tonight. I’ve got a date.” He let out a
sigh and sheepishly grinned. “I don’t know why I keep trying.”
    “What? What aren’t you telling me?” I
pried.
    “Nothing.” He closed the door behind us.
    I folded my arms and furrowed my brows. He
was hiding something.
    “Is it serious?” I asked. “Have you found
someone?”
    Derek’s laughter boomed through the air and
he shook his head. “Not at all. Alright. I’ll tell you, but you
can’t judge.”
    “Why would I judge? I don’t judge. No way
sir-ee.”
    “It’s my first match.”
    “Match? You met her while boxing?”
    Derek focused mostly on training others, but
every once in a while, he was known to step back in the ring.
    His jaw tensed and he glanced around the
room.
    “No. My first online match.” His voice was
almost a whisper.
    I clapped my hands together. “Oh. My. Gosh.
I’m so excited for you. Those services are supposed to do
wonders.”
    “We’ll see about that. I might have another
great story to add to the dinner conversation next week.” He
grinned.
    “Way to stay positive,” Ayden’s voice came
down the stairs. He glided into the entry