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CHAPTER TEN

HE FELT WRETCHED It was as if a huge cloud of misery had descended over his head in an air of permanence

He’d been miserable before He could buy the T-shirt and wear it But this was different

He hadn’t lost his wife That was an understandable misery

This ti, proud wo about his hotel on a daily basis She didn’t look in his direction—not once She didn’t try and engage in conversation His few ‘good nored

But that wasn’t the thing that made him feel wretched

It was the fact that when she thought no one atching, her shoulders would slump, her head would bow and she’d pull a tissue from her apron

Grace The girl with the sparkling eyes, gorgeous sest heart in the world

He’d done this

Thishe’d woken up and turned over in bed The empty space beside him hadn’t just felt empty—it had felt like a massive void

He’d never considered himself a coward But why had he retreated so quickly? Was he actually scared? He hated feeling like this And he hated the way he’d made Grace feel

The sunlight sparkled off soift that Mrs Archer had left hiotten to open it

He stood up and walked over It took a fewsilver ribbons and unwrap the silver paper Inside was a black box He flipped it open An engraved silver heart gleamed at him

Mele way,