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‘Maybe neither of us were ready to share those secrets’ She spoke so softly that he al closer, felt her aran to bubble to the surface once more ‘But it’s not too late’

Was she right? Could he do that, tell her why he’d been a hard and doer look his stepfather in the eye, knowing he’d been the one to stand back and allow his mother to make such a momentous decision? Could he tell Lisa that he wanted to love her, wanted to love his child, but that he didn’t trust himself not to hurt her? That he couldn’t stand it if she left him once he’d opened his heart to her

‘It won’t change anything, Lisa’

‘But I’ to take the chance, Max—for our baby, not for me’

He turned to face her once more ‘Why would you do that? Why stay with a man who can’t love you and maybe can’t even love his child?’

‘You know my past now, Max You knohy I want a father for my child, one ill always be there, not one who turns up and uses his child to get at le h that’

She was doing what hisherself, her needs for those of her child, albeit for very different reasons ‘Why? You sahere I grehen my mother and I moved to Madrid after my father walked out’

‘It has nothing to do here I’d live’ She looked at hi him to understand ‘It’s because I want to be a better ive it all it needs and that includes a pere that last part’

He looked at Lisa, at the way her lovely red hair ing to her pale cheeks He knew so little of her past Was that where everything had started to go wrong? They’d allowed passion to rule, never words

‘You’ve never really mentioned your mother’

‘Because she never wanted me, never cared for me in any way I was co has coht out by the police, it’s that I decided to liftside of town I studied hard at school and later got ree with honours in physiotherapy My mother hates that I did well in life She is constantly looking for ways of bringing me back down’

His heart ached for Lisa, who like Angelina hadn’t known a mother’s love, but it still didn’t o of his e the expectations she’d just heaped on made it harder

‘She would really do that?’ He thought of the hard and unyielding woman he’d met just one week before he’d married Lisa and kneithout a doubt that she was capable of that Life had ht her to inflict hurt, but how far would she go to teach her daughter a lesson for bettering herself? How could any mother want to do that?

‘She would, but can we forget this now? All of it and ether, Max, and I don’t want to do it alone, but I will if I have to’

He pulled her into his ar over hi it alone, not while I have breath in my body’

He meant every word He would be there for her and for his baby Lisa hadn’t asked him now for love, hadn’t said that hat she needed as he’d made his promise, one similar to that his mother had extracted froelina and he had; for the last twenty years he’d been there for her, ensuring she had all she physically needed He could do that for his child, couldn’t he?

Lisa closed her eyes and sank into Max’s embrace He’d shared his secrets with her, opened up to her Now, at last they could ether It was all she’d ever wanted and with the exception of Max’s love she had it all

She looked up into his face and the sadness in his eyes e that gave him the command of total control Was this the real man?

‘It’s cold out here’ She snuggled tighter against hi stupid, like I love you She could never let those words past her lips again

‘Now you’ve noticed’ He laughed, looking and sounding more relaxed than he’d ever done Was it because he’d unburdened his past, confided in her in a way she’d only ever dreao back?’