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Her father smiled at that and settled back in his chair "I suspect he didn’t listen to you"

"No, quite the opposite He laughed" She did too then, at the ain by accident later and several tin

"I couldn’t understand what it was I found so intriguing about him He’s not like anyone I’ve ever known"

"You’ve been raised in the church Your experience with the world has been limited"

She reached for a tissue and twisted it between her fingers "He’s a fors neither of us would ever dreaun, although he doesn’t realize I know that"

"A gun?"

"At first glance he looks rough and mean," she hurried to explain, "but on the insideI don’t think I could have found a better entle There were any number of times he could have seduced me and didn’t"

"I see"

The strain in her father’s voice produced a small smile She shouldn’t have told him that part Any father would have reacted the same

"He’s so da her fists

"I take it he’s the one who insisted you not see each other again?"

Monica nodded "He never said he lovedto sendhiued her as well One she’d repeatedly asked herself the last few days Chet had clairets, but she’d stewed in them for days She feared Chet had assumed she was ashamed of him and that simply wasn’t the case

"I don’t knohy I didn’t introduce you I guess I was afraid you’d think ill of him, or me"

"But, Monica, you love this h of a character endorsement for e a hter"

"Oh, Dad, I wish I’d done so iveabout so much"

Her father patted her knee once more "There’s a special man for you Reed"

Patrick She’d nearly forgotten about hi close to loving her former boyfriend Her pride had been hurt at Patrick’s surprise announceo was involved this time, and Monica sincerely doubted that she’d ever be the saood," Lou, the Blue Goose bartender said as he poured Chet another shot glass of Kentucky bourbon

"If you’re looking for a pretty face," Chet ot the flu?"

"Yeah," Chet said, thinking that would get Lou off his back He wasn’t interested in coet the hell out of here," Lou continued "No one wants to be sick for Christmas"

Christmas It was just another day like all the others as far as Chet was concerned Christht hih to buy one for other thanHis thoughts ca halt

Funny hooman could mess up a man’s mind He’d known Monica whattwo, three weeks? He’d lost count and within that short aed to worm her way into his heart until she was like a virus that had spread to every part of his body

He couldn’t eat or sleep for want of her He couldn’t close his eyes without his head filling up with thoughts of her Nor could he get the i at the end of the pier, the wind ruffling her hair, her beautiful eyes bright with tearsand love A love so da directly at hirave He didn’t knoas going to get through the rest of his life without her

The rest of his life Chet nearly laughed out loud What life? That was the real question He was sick to death of the endless lies, the constant need for charades, flirting with disaster

That’s how it’d started with Monica A game, because she irritated hi the piper in spades

The ehts staked out in so with loneliness

The rest of his life was reserved in hell He was born there and had spent a good majority of his carelessly lived existence there, except for one brief furlough with a preacher’s daughter Just long enough for him to taste what could have been his, so he’d know exactly what it was he’d throay

He emptied his drink, slapped the money down on the bar, and stood The roo that would help It was too damn early in the afternoon to be drunk

When he left the Blue Goose the cold hit hi it as much as he cursed himself The only person he had to bla himself with a missionary He’d known fro like this would happen It hadn’t stopped hi Nor had it stopped hi up her life