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"No I wasn't aware of that" Catherine avoided looking at Royce

Kelly took another couple of ether?"

"Kelly Lynn" Royce used a tone Catherine had heard often in the office It brought trained sailors to attention, and it worked just as ith his daughter

"I was only asking"

"Then don't"

"All right, all right, but I didn't hter returned to her pizza, took a bite and cheo or three ti to the movie with us, isn't she?" The question was directed to Royce, who once hter

"I'll let you choose the movie if you want," Kelly offered Evidently the choice of which fil battle between them, and that she'd offer to let him pick was a major concession

Catherine didn't knohat Royce aiting for He shouldn't even be entertaining his daughter's suggestion The fact they were having lunch together was one thing, but sitting in a ether would beshould be out of the question

"Dad?" Kelly probed

Royce looked to Catherine, and his hard blue eyes held hers for the long, drawn-out moment Tension thickened the air until she was convinced neither of thes to do," Royce inforhter

Catherine was quick to reassure Kelly "I really do, sweetheart Perhaps we can all go another tihter accepted Catherine's decision with a quick nod, but it was apparent the girl was disappointed She wasn't the only one Catherine's heart felt as heavy as concrete She'd never felt closer to Royce than this tih for her to gli man shielded behind the thick wall of pride and tradition

After wiping her hands clean with a napkin, Catherine reached for her purse and slid from the booth "Thank you both for lunch, but I really should be going"

Kelly slid out of the booth, too " wish you were going to the movie with us"

Her eyes found Royce's as she whispered, "So do I"

Catherine was halfway to the door when Royce stopped her For a , but stared down at her His face revealed none of his thoughts, and briefly Catherine are of what a talent he possessed to hide his emotions so well

His eyes continued to hold hers and seemed to scorch her with their intensity before he spoke, listing the e your hter

By the time Catherine was inside her car, she'd started to treonewhat they were both risking, see her he wanted her to co the decision in her hands God help them both, she wanted it, too

A movie wasn't an affair, she reminded herself If they both happened to show up at the sa connotation on that The rule book didn't say they couldn't be friends If friends just happened to ether Would it?

Catherine didn't knohat to do Her head was telling her one thing, and her heart another Both their careers could be jeopardized It was far toonext to each other in a matinee

Yet when the time approached, Catherine was behind a line of preteens Her heart was ha so loudly, she was convinced everyone around her lanced over her shoulder, thinking the shore patrol was on her tail The thought was ludicrous, which only went to prove the state of herin the last roith Kelly in the seat next to hiirl noticed Catherine ih she'd been sitting on a giant coiled spring She hurriedly scooted down the aisle and enthusiastically hugged Catherine

"I was hoping you'd coetically led her to the seats

Catherine didn't look at Royce She feared what she'd read in his eyes

"Missy's here," Kelly cried, and waved h the fate of the free world depended on how quickly her friend recognized her "Can I go show her reed, and Kelly raced away

Catherine sat down, leaving an eht ahead as though he'd never seen her in his life "Are you crazy?" he hissed under his breath after an exaggeratedtoo much, directed at himself as much as at her

"Are you?" she came back just as heatedly She was equally furious and for all the sa to take the blame for this She'd made her decision and her excuses at the restaurant They both had He was the one who'd dropped the anchor in her lap byher knohichHe'd blatantly asked her to coret she was there