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69: Breaking Bread And Backs
publish date:
2026-10-13 11:41:03
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DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 72: Breaking Bread And Backs
Ryder stood outside Bethany's bedroom for several moments after closing the door behind him.He could still hear her moving around inside, opening drawers and speaking to someone on the phone. She was getting ready for their wedding, and he was supposed to be doing the same.Instead, he stood with one hand pressed against the hallway wall, wondering how a man could make a decision he believed was right and feel so utterly destroyed by it.He closed his eyes, but all he could think about was Ruth-Ann.He had promised her the wedding wouldn't happen. He had held her in his arms and told her he would find a way to make things right. Yet he had just instructed Rachel to reinstate every arrangement he'd fought so desperately to cancel.Ruth-Ann deserved more than an explanation. She deserved to hear the truth from his own lips, however much it hurt them both.He pushed himself away from the wall and made his way toward her bedroom.As he approached her door, he heard movement inside. He ra
DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 71: Breaking Bread And Backs
"Ryder?" Bethany touched his arm.He finally opened his eyes."Please don't leave me," she whispered. "Not now. Not when we're going to have a baby."He looked at her.Her makeup had begun to smudge beneath her eyes, and her carefully arranged curls were coming loose around her face. She looked nothing like the excited bride he'd found when he arrived.For a moment, all he could see was a woman who believed she was about to lose the man she loved while carrying his child.He could survive the congregation's disappointment. He could survive his sisters' anger. Perhaps, with time, he could even learn to survive without Ruth-Ann, although the thought of never holding her again made his chest ache.But what if his child grew up believing that its father had walked away before it was even born?What if, years from now, that child asked him why he hadn't married their mother when he'd already promised to do so?What would he say?That he had fallen in love with someone else? Someone else wh
DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 70: Breaking Bread And Backs
On the other side of the door, Ruth-Ann felt the blood drain from her face.Pregnant?Her knees buckled beneath her. She reached for the wall, but her fingers slipped against the smooth surface, and she sank to the floor, her phone falling from her hand onto the hallway carpet.Inside the bedroom, Ryder stared at Bethany."What?""You heard me.""Bethany, what are you talking about?""I'm pregnant, Ryder."He shook his head in disbelief. "No."Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, no?""I mean..." He dragged a trembling hand over his mouth, struggling to collect his thoughts. "Are you sure?""Of course I'm sure!""But we've always used protection."Bethany's expression tightened. "And?""And you told me you were on the pill.""I am! The condom must have broken or something!"Ryder stared at her, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.He had never been careless about contraception. Not with Bethany, not with anyone. He had never knowingly had unprotected sex with a woman, and he'd b
DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 69: Breaking Bread And Backs
Ryder Blackthorn had never been a superstitious man.He believed in God, in the sanctity of marriage, and in the importance of keeping one's promises. But he had never believed that seeing a bride before her wedding could bring bad luck.And even if he had, he couldn't imagine anything more unfortunate than marrying a woman while being hopelessly in love with her daughter."No, you can't go in there!"Felicity hurried after him as he made his way down the hallway of the house, with one of Bethany's bridesmaids following close behind."Sir, please!" the bridesmaid exclaimed, stepping in front of the bedroom door. "You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.""Then I suppose it's a good thing I'm not particularly concerned about luck."The woman blinked. "But it's tradition!""Move aside, please.""You really shouldn't—""I said move aside."His voice wasn't particularly loud, but there was enough authority behind it to make the woman take an uncertain ste
DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 68: Breaking Bread And Backs
Another message followed, this time accompanied by a second photograph.Ruth-Ann's stomach twisted.Unlike the first, this picture showed Ryder's face clearly as he held her in his arms. There was no mistaking his identity, no possibility of convincing anyone that the man in the photograph was someone else.Then another message appeared.~Your mother can't marry this man. You have to stop this wedding. If you don't, I'll send these photos to everyone, including the dean of your university.~Ruth-Ann shot out of the chair."Ruth-Ann!" the hairstylist cried, nearly dropping her curling iron. "What's wrong?""I... I need some air."She hurried from the room before anyone could stop her, her heart pounding so violently that she could barely breathe.It wasn't merely the thought of the photographs being circulated that terrified her. Ruth-Ann attended St. Catherine's Christian University, a prestigious private institution where students were expected to uphold a strict biblical code of con
DIRTY, ROTTEN, ESCAPADES 67: Breaking Bread And Backs
Across town, Ryder was having an equally miserable morning."Absolutely fucking not."He stood in the middle of his father's old study at Blackthorn Manor, his phone pressed against his ear.On the other end, Rachel was practically shrieking."Ryder, have you lost your mind? The wedding is in a few hours! And don't use such language with me. You're supposed to be a man of God.""I know when the damn wedding is, Rachel.""Then start behaving like the priest you are! Daddy didn't spend his entire life building this family's reputation for you to throw it away."Ryder's jaw tightened. "Don't bring Dad into this.""Someone has to remind you of your responsibilities. You're the sixth generation of Blackthorn priests, Ryder. People look up to you. You can't just do whatever you please.""I'm well aware of my responsibilities, Rachel. And I'm not abandoning the priesthood, if that's what you're worried about.""Then what exactly are you doing?""Trying to prevent myself from making another m
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