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Rafe reached across the table to curl his hand over hers He expected her to pull away, but she didn’t “It couldn’t have been easy, growing up without your father”

“My ht words to convey her emotions “She did her best, but…”

He continued to hold her In his peripheral vision, he saw the waiter heading in their direction Then, noticing their body language, he instead walked toward another table “Go on”

“She didn’t recover…spent a lot of her time lost in the past She worked as a nurse at an ar care of soldiers, as if she could maintain so to clear the memories? “Sorry You didn’t need to hear all that”

“She didn’t remarry?”

“No She believed that she and my dad were soulmates”

“And you? Do you believe in fate that way?”

“I’ terrifies me”

The server returned, and she tugged her hand away and picked at her roll After consulting Hope about her preferences, Rafe ordered an appetizer

Before he could ask another question, she leaned forward “What was it like to grow up in luxury as the heir of a lomeration?”

“Not as exciting or as coht think Loaded with expectation I went to nursery school at age three, then boarding school” How did he describe an upbringing that was silent, at tiid? “When I was horandfather, instead of with eneral errand boy at the Sterling Don the moment I turned ten On my thirteenth birthday, I became a bellboy I was allowed to keep tips, but my paychecks went to pay for h school, I worked as an assistant concierge And then in college, when others slept late or went on vacation, I worked as a er for several different properties I did an intern year in Asia”

“What was his rationale?”