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"I wanted to stop and see you before flying to Michael’s house Also wanted to see this falamour existed in the heart of the desert, no?"

"Yes Hopefully I’ll get to show you around But I have so news for you first"

"Yes?"

"Max and I are getting married"

Carina handed it to her mama The woman was a practiced poker player Her face lit up and she clapped her hands together in pretend joy "No! I did not realize you and Max were seeing each other I am so happy, my dear Wait till I tell your sisters"

"Should ait to et married here?"

"Oh, definitely here Look at this place--it is a perfect place for a wedding!"

"Mama, stop it"

The older woman never flinched Just stared at her with those steady dark eyes without a shred of remorse "Stop what?"

"I knohat happened, Maether and you forced Max to ask me to marry him How could you? How could you force a man to take me on like sohed and pushed away her plate She took her ti espresso "I did not ht it would beit had anything to do withto do with you Let ether, but we don’t want a long-terht for one another By threatening hi him to make a choice he does not want We can work this out If you keep the whole thing to yourself, no one ever has to know No one will get hurt"

The woman who raised four children and built an eaze and leaned in Carina tre stare "You do not understand You slept with Max I have not raised you or Maximus to run away from your responsibilities Just because you come to America does not ht"

Carina’s heart beat so loud the sound roared in her ears She breathed deeply and tried to treat it as a business deal she had to win at any cost Unfortunately, her est opposition she’d ever faced "Mama, I never meant to hurt you, but this is my life now I cannot marry Max You must understand that"

"Why?"

"Because! Because we don’t care for each other like that Because when two people have sex it doesn’t necessarily mean a lifetime commitment"

Mama Conte nodded and crossed her arms in front of her Her voice turned cold "I see Then youto hurtI did to raise you, every ethic and moral Papa and I believed in, you must promise to tell me the truth when I ask you this"

Shaers and nodded "I promise Ask me"

"Look me in the eye, Carina Conte, and tell me you honestly do not love Max"

The breath whooshed out of her body like she’d been clubbed Carina stared at her mother with a combination of horror and relief Just say the words Tell her very simply she did not love Max and she’d be off the hook Sure, there’s be guilt, and her mother would be disappointed, but there would be no forced e No false relationship or phony vows of affection they both didn’t feel

I Don’t Love Max

She opened herup under her mother’s care flashed before her After Papa died, her world collapsed on its foundation and it was hard to find her footing Michael helped But her ether An iron fist and a heart that beat pure gold, she stood beside her every night while she cried and told her stories of Papa, never afraid to talk about the rief with honesty and a courage Carina swore she’d duplicate in honor of her ue, her heart screa point

Herher to be real with herself and never act the coward

She still loved Max

The realization slammed her back Grief and hopelessness flooded her body like a tsunami hell-bent on destruction

Her voice broke "I can’t"

Her mother reached over and took her hand and squeezed it "I know You have always loved hie, and you s for you, my sweet Carina I will not allow hiree to this, I will call Max’s , and you will do e than you can ever know Because you will break htened and suddenly, she was coht slid from her muscles and she slumped on the chair Like a child, she wanted to cry and crawl into her ro, and had to face her own consequences and decisions

There was no longer a choice

She had to marry Max

But she didn’t have to like it

• • •

Carina knocked on his door