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‘What do youI’ a child?’

‘Are you?’

Coive it a chance—give us a chance You’re as bad as s too, and if they creep up on you you tell yourself it’s another of your fantasies, and that makes them easier to deal with’

‘Maybe,’ she accepted ‘But how can we give this a chance? How can it work between us? You and your six-star hotels, and your lavish etable plots?’

Xavier’s face warmed ‘You don’t know my plans’

‘Then why don’t you tell ether’

‘Do you think that’s what ?’

Hope was a fragile thing, and she wasn’t ready to commit fully yet ‘Maybe Doña Anna expected ive’

‘No’ Xavier shook his head decisively ‘I don’t believe that for a moment Everyone has doubts It’s what drives us forward You’re stronger than you know, Rosie’

‘So you believe in me?’

‘Isn’t that obvious?’ Cupping her chin, Xavier made her look at hi she needed to see ‘You’re the strongest wo you down, Rosie Isn’t that what you’d like to tell me? I know you love the island—everyone knows it—but what about soive all the tis for you, and sometimes you have to let them’

‘Forgiveher eyes ‘I know you had a lousy childhood, just as I knoe both owe Doña Anna’

‘Do you trust ht you said you did’

‘I did I do,’ she said, staring that trust into Xavier’s eyes

‘Tell me what you hat you really want’