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He nodded Perhaps it was kinder to let her go angry Maybe it would make it easier for her to ht, but he carried on “Yes I assuredwith Charlie within the hour”

She held out her hand “Goodbye, Luca It’s been a pleasure working with you”

He took her hand and felt the tre there

“Goodbye, Mariella”

She pulled her hand away and retrieved her purse She walked down the hall and out the doors, through the parking garage to her car

And once she was inside, she finally let it all go in a rash of weeping She’d risked it all And lost

CHAPTER TWELVE

DAWN wasn’t gray; it was pure white

Mari looked out theand shook her head Last night she hadn’t given a thought to a stor could happen in the o in to work, or take a day off? It was a short drive, but her road hadn’t been cleared and she wasn’t sure her little car could handle the curves Not to mention the return drive, up the hill Flakes were still falling in thick pads, obscuring the view of even the parking area above the cottage

To the snow froave hi her puffy eyes in thethe boss Sheon essential staff today anyway—and decided she could work fro in to the server at the hotel and access all her files, and if anything was pressing Becky could phone

She put on the coffeepot and calculated the time difference in Paris It was afternoon there already What was he doing?

Before long, he’d be in Italy, with his father and Gina and her children All she’d wanted when he’d walked in that first er’s job And now she’d done it And knew that the sad reality was that yesterday she’d been prepared to give it all up if only he would have said he loved her back

She was starting on her second cup of coffee when a knock sounded at the door She opened it to find Luca there, bundled in a heavy parka with Bow Valley Inn embroidered on the front It was obvious he’d raided the old boutique storage for suitable outerwear

“Luca!”

“Can I come in?”

She had been so shocked to see hi in the doorway like a dolt “Of course! How did you…when are…I ht?”