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“So you’re sure that Blanca wrote that letter?”

Colin frowned “Yes I don’t knohy you would —”

“It’s nothing I appreciate you telling me the truth,” Sabela said

The truth She believed him That’s what it had toI should have been honest this e”

“I wish you would have”

There was still aardness between them, but Colin was ready to prove hi,” he said

“You’ve told , but I understand the ree with them,” Sabela said

It was fair Colin bobbed his head, relieved that she’d taken the time to listen It was more than worth the price She could have walked out of his life forever, and he would have let her And he still would He owed her that

He pulled the paper excusing her debt from his pocket and handed it to her Sabela had held up her end of the deal, and he intended to hold up his “Thank you for listening to ned contracts and toss them in the fireplace”

She took the paper and rolled it in her hands “I don’t want to sound like I don’t trust you, but … yes, I’d like to see the actual contracts tossed in the fire”

An unexpected smile lifted his lips “Well said Set them”

It was a moment’s work to retrieve the papers from the safe in his upstairs office and return to the downstairs lounge with the on the sofa, exactly as he’d left her, patient and priether

He handed her the papers and adh them “They’re all there”

“Justsure”

“Good”

She took her tie of each contract one by one When she was finished, she stood and headed to the big fireplace Colin pulled the screen away, and she tossed the papers into the fire

They burst into brilliant flames iht flicker across her lovely features Within moments, the unholy contracts were destroyed

Colin sed It was time to be bold

If he didn’t tell her what he felt now, sheabout his own unhappy ending because he hadn’t had the guts to talk to the wos for

“Sabela, I can’t tell you what the last few days have e, but I need you to hear this, too You can leave if you want to I told you that you could, and I’ll honor my word … but I would like you to stay, for a while”

He looked her in the eyes only to see her turn her head

“Stay with me Please”

“Why?” she asked, her voice strained

If his heart were ehammer

“Trevor knows I’m here with you,” she said “He’s upset and probably worried sick about oal, I think”

“I regret ever thinking it was okay” Colin ducked his head “If I could go back in time, I’d stop myself”

“And I’d go back in time, too,” she said “I was stupid and naïve to think that therereal between us You played a , and I didn’t want to see it”

Did she mean what she said? While it had all been an act at first, none of it was an act now Colin felt for her

“I’d go back and tell myself to stay away froet involved Why would you want me when you clearly are still so in love with Blanca?”

Colin could see her internal struggle written plainly on her face Pain, and jealousy He could understand that “Blanca had been one for years now, and even if she had lived, she had made her choice not to be with me I would have had to accept that sooner or later”

It wasn’t quite what he wanted to say, but Colin’s thoughts were scraht with Sabela

“I’m older now, and I’m different,” he said “I don’t want to live in the past anymore I would like you to stay because I feel a connection with you I know you aren’t Blanca, and I don’t expect you to pretend to be anyone else but you from now on”

He took a breath before continuing “And noonbetween us is honest That’s all I want”

Sabela shook her head “We’re so different We come from two different places”

Colin reached over and took her hand To his surprise, she didn’t try to pull away