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Louisa shook her head “You were right all along I never loved Matthias,” she said in a low voice Lifting her head, she gave a shuddering breath “But Rafael…”

“You have to tell him,” her sister said “He has to know”

Louisa looked at Katie “It’s too late”

“It can’t be,” she whispered “It can’t be too late I need to do soive me…”

Six-year-old Madison, her blond hair in pigtails, reached her ar, Mo?”

It had been alirl already had forgotten al about her father

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie,” Katie said, wiping her eyes and trying to smile

But so ht She and Katie had had such a happy childhood in northern Florida, beloved and protected by both their parents Then, all too young, theirillness, followed by their father six months later when he simply seemed to lose the will to live They’d lost their parents Her niece had lost her father But that had been beyond their control

Louisa was deliberately choosing to deprive her baby of his father, and though she tried to remind herself why she’d had no choice, suddenly pain ripped through her She looked down at her baby What if she’dchoice?

“Can you ever forgive me?” her sister whispered

Reaching over, Louisa hugged Katie fiercely with one arive”

“I love you,” Katie whispered “And I want you to be happy Do the right thing while you have the chance Give your child a father”

“I can’t tell him,” Louisa said over the lump in her throat as she pulled away “Rafael would be furious He ht try to take Noah away from me…”

“He wouldn’t!”

“You didn’t hear hie and make my life hell as his wife If he ever knew I’d had his baby…”