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"Please don’t say anything--it isn’t necessary"

A chill went through hiback together?" That seeical explanation

"Yes…no I don’t know… He’s been so wonderful and…well, I didn’t think it was possible, but after the past few days I’ive it a shot"

Max couldn’t bla "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"No…no Oh, Max, the minute I heard your voiceseehed "Try as I et you out of et you out of mine, either" He couldn’t lose her so soon after he’d found her "There’s no need to decide anything now," he said "You have tih " Her voice was frantic "I have to--"

"Bethanne" He murmured her name "Stop Take a deep breath and listen to me"

"Okay"

He heard her soft intake of air "Everything’s going to work out I’ to pressure you one way or the other This is up to you, and if you want to reconcile with Grant, then I’ll abide by your decision and get out of your life"

"You’d do that? You’d walk aithout a word?"

He would He hated the thought of it, but he would "Yes I’d respect your wishes"

"But…" She sounded hurt, confused

"Bethanne," he said "That’s what people do when they love the other person Your happiness is paramount to me"

"Do you love me, Max? Is it possible to love someone after such a short time?"

These weren’t questions Max felt qualified to answer "I don’t know" Anything less than total honesty would be wrong "What I do know is that I feel alive when I’m with you You inspire me to open my eyes and accept the past and not worry about the future"

"Oh, Max"

"If that’s love, then that’s what I feel If you think Grant’s the man who’ll make you happy, then I’ll remove myself from the equation"

"Max, hold on a minute"

She’d lowered the phone, but Max could still hear "Tell everyone I’ll be back in a h Max couldn’t tell who it was "I’ rude I’ll be inside when I’ood time He shouldn’t have phoned

"I’ht--I understand I’ll let you return to your h to remember the three-hour time difference, he would’ve realized it was the dinner hour

"I…want to see you," she whispered as though it was a weakness of character "I know I’ completely unfair and that you deserve soI’ll be able to think more clearly once I’m back in Seattle and Andrew and Courtney are ize that I can’t beto take whatever she illing to offer "Get through your son’s wedding and then we’ll talk I’ll fly up to Seattle and we can meet face-to-face"

"Does this ?" she asked

"I’ll leave that up to you"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it would be better if you phoned me instead of the other way around"

"Okay" She seemed uncertain "Do you want to hear from me?"

That was an understatement "Yes, very ht"

"Now go back inside that restaurant and enjoy your dinner"

"I will Bye, Max"

"Bye" He didn’t want the conversation to end, didn’t want to break the connection So he continued to hold the cell phone against his ear He heard the click and knew she’d ter Bethanne He felt it and was powerless to do anything more than hope

Twenty-Nine

Annie’s suitcase was packed, and while her randmother ran a few last-minute errands, she stayed at the hotel Her father would be picking the three of theht to Seattle

While she waited, she sat in the restaurant that overlooked the Atlantic and read through her emails Vance sent her asin each one

He was miserable

As he should be!

He wanted to coht of that before he took off without me