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She shook her head slowly ‘It doesn’t have to be like that, Max It can be good, so very good’

Moveht her attention and in the ever-growing crowd she saw Lydia, hands clasped in front of her and pressed firainst her chest, and the look in the other woht thing, that, no matter itnessed it, she had to make him see he orthy of love Even if it wasn’t hers

‘But it can’t mend the past’

‘It can ease the pain, but you have to let it into your life It can’t penetrate toughened barriers of steel It can’t reach dark and cold places—unless you want it to’

‘I know that now When I thought you weren’t coain, the pain of that was too ently pulled her closer and she ly to him

‘You hurt e was over, that you couldn’t give ht a fewyou’

‘But you don’t now?’

Max inhaled deeply as Lisa looked up at hi at his senses, flashing all they’d shared together in front of hisman Maybe he was If he didn’t have Lisa, didn’t have her love, then life would

‘Say so, Lisa’ He couldn’t do this, couldn’t bear to hear her say she didn’t love him any more ‘I’m sorry I’ve been a fool’

‘It’s not your fault All that happened, all thatyour eive me, Max—for me and our baby I want unconditional and honest love’

Now she’d touched that raw nerve he’d always kept guarded That he wasn’t fit to be a father; that, just like his own, he wouldn’t be capable of love Raul aze o of the past and he was going to damn well do the same His present and his future ith Lisa

He opened the hand that had been holding the earrings and offered them to her ‘These are yours They were a token of the depth of e I was just such a danise it as love’

Lisa looked down at the earrings, then up at hi in her eyes mean there was hope? That it wasn’t too late? If she took theain