she said evenly.
He let out a breath. "Sorry."
"You know, Burke, even if Leanne cheated and was pregnant with Mitch's child, that doesn't make what happened to her anything more than an accident, because you didn't hurt her. Mitch is wrong about that. Maybe he's wrong about the other stuff, too."
"He has to be wrong. I should talk to his investigator."
"That might be wise. His words won't be clouded by jealousy and rage."
"True."
"But you still need to breathe through this a little first."
Maddie had a point. There was too much adrenaline running through his body, and he felt pinned in by the four walls of his apartment. The freedom and happiness he'd felt a few hours earlier had completely vanished. Now he felt restless, angry and confused. He needed to take some action, but he didn't need to go off half-cocked.
"I have to get out of here," he said, standing up again. "I need to go for a run."
"That's a good idea," she agreed, relief passing through her eyes. "Do you happen to have an extra key to this place, to your car? I need to get something out of my bags in your trunk."
"Of course." He grabbed his extra set of keys out of the top drawer of his desk and handed them to her. "Get your stuff, spread out, hang your clothes up in whatever space you can find. Don't worry about crowding me."
"Thanks."
"I'm going to change."
He went into his bedroom, put on shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes, then headed out the door. He broke into a jog as soon as he hit the sidewalk, and he didn't stop running until he reached the walkway directly under the Golden Gate Bridge.
By then his breath was coming short and fast and his legs were aching from the speed of his sprint across town. He put his forearms on the railing and stared up at the majestic bridge. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, but there was no fog on the horizon. The sky was clear. He just wished his brain was as clear as the view.
The run had calmed him down a little. He knew there were still things to figure out but he didn't have to race to the truth. Whatever Leanne had done or not done didn't really matter now. He couldn't change it. She was gone. Her baby was gone. Maybe that child had been his—maybe not. He should let it all go. That would make the most sense.
On the other hand, he couldn't just forget what he'd heard. He hated the idea of Mitch spreading rumors about Leanne that might not be true. She wasn't here to defend herself.
But how the hell was he going to find out the truth? Mitch would only share his version, and he was acting crazy now, leaping to conclusions Burke knew weren't true.
He needed to talk to other people, the Parkers, Leanne's friends. He didn't want to stir everyone up, but what other choice did he have?
He supposed he had the choice to do nothing, but just because he didn't talk didn't mean Mitch wouldn't have a lot to say.
He looked up at the sky and murmured, "Why didn't you tell me, Leanne? Why didn't you talk to me if you were unhappy, if you wanted out, if you wanted someone else? What were you afraid of?" He paused. "I'm going to try to find out what happened. Maybe you wouldn't want that, but I need to know. I need to move on."
He let out a sigh, then turned around and ran back home.
* * *
While Burke was gone, Maddie grabbed some clothes out of Burke's car and took a long shower. It had certainly been a wild twenty-four hours and not just for her, for Burke, too. Her shocking eviction was starting to pale in comparison to the secrets his fiancée had kept from him. She didn't know exactly what was going on. She'd been trying to piece together the facts from what both Mitch and Burke had told her, and so far the picture was very fuzzy.
One thing she did know was that Burke was stunned, completely knocked off his feet. He'd always been a man to have control over his emotions, his situation, everything. But that had been shattered today. The pain in his eyes when he'd learned about the baby, about
He let out a breath. "Sorry."
"You know, Burke, even if Leanne cheated and was pregnant with Mitch's child, that doesn't make what happened to her anything more than an accident, because you didn't hurt her. Mitch is wrong about that. Maybe he's wrong about the other stuff, too."
"He has to be wrong. I should talk to his investigator."
"That might be wise. His words won't be clouded by jealousy and rage."
"True."
"But you still need to breathe through this a little first."
Maddie had a point. There was too much adrenaline running through his body, and he felt pinned in by the four walls of his apartment. The freedom and happiness he'd felt a few hours earlier had completely vanished. Now he felt restless, angry and confused. He needed to take some action, but he didn't need to go off half-cocked.
"I have to get out of here," he said, standing up again. "I need to go for a run."
"That's a good idea," she agreed, relief passing through her eyes. "Do you happen to have an extra key to this place, to your car? I need to get something out of my bags in your trunk."
"Of course." He grabbed his extra set of keys out of the top drawer of his desk and handed them to her. "Get your stuff, spread out, hang your clothes up in whatever space you can find. Don't worry about crowding me."
"Thanks."
"I'm going to change."
He went into his bedroom, put on shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes, then headed out the door. He broke into a jog as soon as he hit the sidewalk, and he didn't stop running until he reached the walkway directly under the Golden Gate Bridge.
By then his breath was coming short and fast and his legs were aching from the speed of his sprint across town. He put his forearms on the railing and stared up at the majestic bridge. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, but there was no fog on the horizon. The sky was clear. He just wished his brain was as clear as the view.
The run had calmed him down a little. He knew there were still things to figure out but he didn't have to race to the truth. Whatever Leanne had done or not done didn't really matter now. He couldn't change it. She was gone. Her baby was gone. Maybe that child had been his—maybe not. He should let it all go. That would make the most sense.
On the other hand, he couldn't just forget what he'd heard. He hated the idea of Mitch spreading rumors about Leanne that might not be true. She wasn't here to defend herself.
But how the hell was he going to find out the truth? Mitch would only share his version, and he was acting crazy now, leaping to conclusions Burke knew weren't true.
He needed to talk to other people, the Parkers, Leanne's friends. He didn't want to stir everyone up, but what other choice did he have?
He supposed he had the choice to do nothing, but just because he didn't talk didn't mean Mitch wouldn't have a lot to say.
He looked up at the sky and murmured, "Why didn't you tell me, Leanne? Why didn't you talk to me if you were unhappy, if you wanted out, if you wanted someone else? What were you afraid of?" He paused. "I'm going to try to find out what happened. Maybe you wouldn't want that, but I need to know. I need to move on."
He let out a sigh, then turned around and ran back home.
* * *
While Burke was gone, Maddie grabbed some clothes out of Burke's car and took a long shower. It had certainly been a wild twenty-four hours and not just for her, for Burke, too. Her shocking eviction was starting to pale in comparison to the secrets his fiancée had kept from him. She didn't know exactly what was going on. She'd been trying to piece together the facts from what both Mitch and Burke had told her, and so far the picture was very fuzzy.
One thing she did know was that Burke was stunned, completely knocked off his feet. He'd always been a man to have control over his emotions, his situation, everything. But that had been shattered today. The pain in his eyes when he'd learned about the baby, about
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