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Life could be a cruel hoax, Royce sharply reain He wasn't about to lose everything that was important to hiht through hienerally was on weekends, especially now that folks were gearing up for Christ hi of the ordeal The jacket she was so keen on had sold out in her size The helpful salesclerk had phoned three other stores and there wasn't a single one available Even the catalog had sold out

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Royce told her She was bitterly disappointed and trying hard not to show it

"Do you want to look around for a different coat?" Surely there was a father-of-the-year award for hioose chase already, and Royce's patience had worn paper thin

Kelly sat on the wooden bench outside the department store, her head bent low Royce was about to repeat the question when she shrugged

"How about so to drink?" Royce was half an hour overdue for a cup of coffee

Kelly nodded eagerly She stood and slipped her suessed she did so now needing his reassurance

Royce bought her a Pepsi and himself a cup of fresh, hot coffee while Kelly scouted out a place for them to sit Since it was close to noon, the tables were mostly occupied They found one and sat down in the white wire chairs

"Dad," Kelly whispered excitedly, "look at that pretty lady over there"

Hell, as far as Royce could see, the entire mall was filled with pretty ladies "Where?"

"The one in the pink-and-green-and-blue jacket Over there" Knowing it was ier back and forth in the general direction of where she wanted hi toward us Hurry and look before she turns away"

As he'd mused earlier, life could be filled with cruel hoaxes, and it was about to play another one on hi, Royce was on his feet "Hello, Catherine,"

"Royce" Her dark eyes were bright with surprise as well, and frankly, she didn't look any more pleased than he felt

"How are you?" he heard hied on the hem of his leather jacket "I like her coata whole lot"

Royce watched as Catherine's eyes ain surprise registered in the dark depths, but was quickly replaced by a gentleness and war cords around his heart He'd never hter, and it was apparent she hadn't known he'd been ht he was hter, Kelly," Royce said, his voice low and throaty

"Hello, Kelly I'ed her eyes away frohter "Your dad and I work together" She said this, Royce was convinced, as a reminder to them both Hell, he didn't need it

"Your jacket is real pretty," Kelly said quietly She continued to tug on Royce's sleeve until he was convinced she'd pulled the armhole down to his elbow

"What Kelly would like to knohere you bought it," Royce inserted dryly

"And if they have kid sizes?" the ten-year-old asked excitedly

"I got it right here in the- aside her drink, "let's go look, okay?"

Royce glanced longingly at his coffee He'd barely had ti at him as if to say Jacobson's was sure to sell out in the next ten et there

"I don't know if they have kid sizes," Kelly stated urgently, as though another five or ten minutes was sure to make the difference "I know it's a ladies' store and everything, but you can wait outside if you want and I'll go in by ested

It took a fair amount of self-control not to leap up and kiss her "You don't mind?" He had to ask Pride demanded that much, at least

"Not a bit Go ahead and enjoy your coffee," Catherine suggested, her gaze returning to him "We won't be more than a few minutes"

He should refuse Royce knew it theup at hiue with hihter, Catherine hter Catherine had worked with him for five weeks, and no one had bothered toKelly The child was incredibly sweet, with long dark hair and eyes so blue they reentle and cute as Royce was remote and indifferent

Catherine had noted how closely Royce had watched her when he introduced Kelly His eyes had darkened into a brittle defiance as though he expected her to do or say so about the fact she hadn't known about the child She found herself staring at hiaze had hter There was no doubt in her mind the tere related Kelly possessed the sah her face was heart-shaped and feminine, she was clearly a Nyland

Until she'd walked into the shopping cory she was for the sight of Royce From clear across the other side of the uided by instinct to the hts for days on end

"We went to the J C Penney store," Kelly explained as they walked side by side down the wide concourse, "but all the jackets inreally low so Dad bought iant breath "Your jacket is just perfect"