Joshua grabbed her hand. "But, haven't you been hiding me? You only brought Nicole back to him, but you didn't bring me because you were afraid that the Wood family would snatch me away… Why do you want me to be exposed now?"

Joshua understood the stakes here.

He was willing to stay at Lefting's house and call Shawn his uncle because he understood Gale's concerns.

He did not want her to have any of her children left.

Therefore, from beginning to end, no matter what happened, Joshua would alw