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"He’d been drinking heavily"

"That’s not like Steve"

"I know," Lindy said heatedly "I didn’t knohen he’d eaten last, so I fixed hi in his stoain and wantedon the corner of herhiry I soon learned you were a subject best avoided"

"I can iine"

"After a while, he fell asleep on the sofa and I stayed around and cleaned up the apartht at first he was in the middle of a bad drea roo on the end of the davenport with his hands over his face He eeping, Carol As I’ve never seen asobs that came from the deepest part of his soul I can’t even describe it to you"

Carol lowered her gaze to her hands, which had begun to tremble

"This is the first tihI wanted to comfort him and find out what had hurt him so badly I’m his sister, for heaven’s sake – he should be able to talk to me But he didn’t want me anywhere near him and ordered me out of the apart about it since"

A tear spilled out of the corner of Carol’s eye and left a ot ho, too I don’t knohat to do any you can do This is so Steve has to work out himself"

"Can’t you talk to hi hiood" Carol spoke from bitter experience

"How can two people who obviously love each other let this happen?"

"I wish I knew" Carol’s voice dropped to a whispered sob

"What about Steve and the baby?"

"He doesn’t want to have anything to do with this pregnancy That’s his decision, Lindy"

"But it’s the wrong one! Surely you can get him to realize that"

She shook her head sadly "Once Steve decides on so, his mind is set He’s too stubborn to listen to reason"

"But you love him"

"I wish I could deny that, but I do care about hie a thing"

"How can you walk away from him like this?"

Carol’s heart constricted with pain "I’ve never left Steve Not once He’s always been the one to walk away"

Chapter Eleven

"I’d do anything I could to ht between me and Steve," Carol told Lindy, "but it isn’t possible anymore"

"Why not?" Lindy pleaded Carol kneas hard for Lindy to understand when her own recent"You’re both crazy in love with each other"

The truth in that stateh Steve believed her capable of breaking her wedding vows and the worst kind of deceit, he continued to love her For her part, Carol had little pride when it came to her ex-husband She should have cut her losses thean affair, walked away from her and filed for the divorce Instead she’d spent the next year of her life in li the emotional scars had healed It had taken Christet over loving Steve Kyle

"You can’t just walk away from him," Lindy pleaded "What about the baby?"

"Steve doesn’t want anything to do with hter"

"Give him time, Carol You know Steve probably better than anyone He can be such a stubborn fool sometimes It just takes awhile for hinize the truth about the baby"

"I have to forget him for lass to the kitchen and prepared to leave There wasn’t anything Lindy could say that would change the facts Yes, she did love Steve and probably alould, but that didn’t alter what he believed

Lindy followed her to the front door "If you need so at all, please call me"

Carol nodded "I will"

"Promise?"