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That,illusions she’d had about Stavros Minos being a decent hu
She’d, of course, heard stories about ined it would happen to her When he’d desired her, Stavros had been ro her with sords, passionate kisses and,a child together
But frootten what he wanted, he’d expected her to
disappear
Holly had known she wouldn’t let him make the baby disappear, too She couldn’t take the risk of seeing Stavros Minos again, even accidentally, or letting hinant
So she’d left New York
She’d been happy in Switzerland She was lucky All right, so Thanksgiving, the traditional American kickoff to the Christmas season, had felt a little quiet yesterday, since the holiday wasn’t celebrated in Switzerland Growing up, Holly’sturkey and baking pies that sirls stretched out in the iving Day parade on TV In the afternoon, during coa to sneak a taste of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, before their mother shooed him aith a playful smack of a Santa-decorated towel
Christmas had always been Holly’s favorite time of year At least until last year Noith her heartbreaking memories of Stavros last Christmas Day, she was almost afraid to face the holidays this year
Holly steadied herself She had so much to be thankful for now This warm, cozy chalet, her baby, her health And after nearly a year of estrangeiving yesterday, for the first time her sister had actually answered the phone
All right, so Nicole hadthe ten-minute call Apparently Oliver had been fired fro the needs to eles, then back to New York, where he was now unemployed Her sister blamed Holly
“It’s your fault,” Nicole had shouted “His bosses expect too s for him And for me!”
Feeling guilty, Holly tried to change the subject “I’ve been busy this year, too” And she’d finally told her sister the happy news about the baby
But if she’d hoped it would ive her, or have any joy at the news of a baby nephew, Holly was soon disappointed
Her sister had been shocked, then furious, then de her to secrecy, Holly had shivered as she’d whispered Stavros’s name into the phone It had been the first time she’d spoken his name aloud in almost a year
But knowing that secret only seee Nicole more