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"I plan on doing that for a very long while Thanks, Grandain When her back was turned, he reached around her and grabbed a second cookie

Joy yawned as she locked her purse in the bottom desk drawer She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this tired After the literary tea, she could relax She straightened, and her gaze collided with that of Ted Griffin He stood in her doorway, taking up nearly the entire space He crossed his arrin

"Ted?" She resisted the effort to rub her eyes First she was hearing voices, now she feared shevisions as well

"Yup, it’s me" He moved into the room and sat on the chair across fro year on the corner of her desk, and he reached for that After flipping several pages, he looked up at her "What are you doing April twenty-seventh?"

"April twenty-seventh?" she echoed "I don’t know Why? Stop Before you say another word, you’d better tellrequired so effect upon her

"First answer my question"

Theher hands in the air "April Nothing I’et married that day?"

"Sure, do you have anyone in er off the street and ask if he’d be interested inthat drastic The fact is I was counting on youthe chair She toppled straight onto it "You?"

"The way I figure it, April should give you plenty of ti Talk to your mother, and if you need ed an entire sentence had her life depended on it "Blythe?"

"Ah, yes, Blythe I suppose we’d best clear up that subject once and for all She canant"

Joy sucked in her breath

"Not to worry, I’h to lie about it and then had a change of heart For all her faults, Blythe isn’t a bad person She’s made a few mistakes, but then we’ve all done that"

Joy nodded repeatedly

"She kneas in love with you"

"You love enerally don’t propose to women I don’t love, with the one exception of Blythe Now o on?"

"Please"

"To her credit, Blythe realized she couldn’t continue with the lie It took a tree for her to break ?" Joy asked

Ted’s gaze grew sober "She’s decided to have the baby I ith her to a couple of local adoption agencies yesterday She isn’t sure what she wants to do yet I was pleased that neither agency pressured her She’s agreed to counseling, which will help I told her we’d help her any e could"

"We’d help her?"

"Do you enerous to the other woman in spite of the probleh, "what’s the verdict? Are you willing to put up withhabits, love me for the next fifty to seventy years, and bear e to cry Nodding enthusiastically, she reached for a tissue "I love you so damn much," she choked out between sobs, and then noisily blew her nose

Ted’s grin was slow and sensual "Yes, I know"

She waved her hand at hiot up first, but soon they were in each other’s arms Their kiss was deep and heady By the time they broke apart, Joy was convinced April wouldn’t be soon enough to suit either of the on the crown of her head

"I wondered if you’d notice And of course I’ it Not only is it the most beautiful piece of jewelry I own, but it was the only thing I had of you"

"You had my heart"

"I…but I didn’t know that"

"Do you know it now?"

"Oh, yes" She had the distinct impression that it would take the rest of their lives for her to fully appreciate thisin the distance, but with such enthusias like a fire alarm Several of the office staff stood in the doorways and looked into the foyer

"What in the nahed and linked her arms around his waist "That must be Charles Someone just made a donation to the library fund"

"Are you sure you’ll be all right here by yourself?" Karen asked Maureen She stood in front of the living-roo for her father

"I’ll be perfectly fine"

"What are you having for dinner?" Karen asked, as if this were of major importance

"I don’t know yet, but don’t you worry, whatever I eat will be fabulous"

"Cordon bleu," Karen suggested

Maureen laughed "Just where did you hear about that?"

"From Paula That’s what she and her dad have every Christmas Eve You take chicken breast and pound it out real thin and then you add a slice of ham, but it has to be a really thin slice, and then you add the cheese and you roll it all up and bread it"