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Cliff s, isn’t it? I can’t pretend to knohat a woman experiences, but as a man I can tell you that we feel utter astonish, too"

"I think David ," Mary Jo whispered He really had seemed happy Very quickly, however, that happiness seemed to be compromised By fear, perhaps, or resentment She wanted to believe he’d loved her asanyone She now realized that his capacity for feeling, for empathy, was limited Severely linant with his baby, David had become emotionally absent He continued to call and to see her when he was in town but those calls and visits came less and less frequently, and the instant she started asking questions about their future, he closed himself off

"It’s not all that different with

His words broke into her reverie "I beg your pardon?" What did heabout horses, had they?

"I’ve bred a nunancy I feel such a sense of hopefulness Which is foolish, perhaps, since even the best breeding prospects don’t always turn out the way you expect Still…"

"I htened when she mentioned the mare "She’s my sweetheart," he said

"She seems very special" Mary Jo remembered the moment of connection she’d felt with this horse

"She is," Cliff agreed "She’s gentle and affectionate--a dreao, she was a disappointment"

"No" Mary Jo found that hard to believe

"She’s sht she’d be and she doesn’t have the heart of a show horse"

"But you kept her"

"I wouldn’t dreah she didn’t turn out like Cal and I expected, we still considered her a gift"

Mary Jo released a long sigh "That’s how I feel about nant and I know David certainly didn’t want it, yet despite all the probleift"

"He definitely is"

"He?" She grinned "Now you’re beginning to sound like my brothers They’re convinced the baby’s a boy"

"I was using he in a generic way," Cliff said "I ied lightly "There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll just leave it up to God" She was so she would’ve said as little as six un to reconsider her relationship with God When she was involved with David, she’d avoided thinking about anything spiritual In fact, she’d avoided thinking, period The spiritual dimension of her life had shrunk, become aled in the past few ht she’d knelt by her bed, weeping and desperate, and poured out her despair, her fears and her hopes It was nothing less than a conversation with God That was probably as good a definition of prayer as any, sheof peace She liked to iht, too

"You’ve got everything you need?"

She realized Cliff had spoken "I’ Cliff to repeat hi if you have everything you need for the baby"

"Oh, yes…Thanks to rateful for her brothers’ generosity to her and the baby Their excite them--had heartened her, even as their overzealous interference dismayed her

Linc, who tended to be the practical one, had iht down the crib that had once belonged to Mary Jo He’d decided it wasn’t good enough for her baby and purchased a new one

Mary Jo had been overwhelhtfulness She’d tried to thank hih it e boy around--or a girl, as she’d reminded him, too--to coach in sports She’d returned fro shoes and knew instantly they’d come from Mel

And Ned Her wonderful brother, Ned, had insisted on getting her a car seat and high chair

Mary Jo had knitted various blankets and booties, and her friends froht have been one of the largest baby showers ever organized at the insurance company Other than her best friend, Casey, no one had any inkling who the father was, and if they speculated, they certainly never asked Regardless, their affection for Mary Jo was obvious and it made a difference in her life

Grace returned just then and Mary Jo heard the sound of a car door closing The front door opened a irl of about five ran inside "Grandel tonight!"

Grace knelt down, clasping the child’s hands "You’re going to be an angel in the Christirl’s head bobbed up and down "In church tonight"

Grace hugged her granddaughter "Oh, Katie, you’ll be the best angel ever"

The girl bea Mary Jo, she immediately walked over "Hi, I’ to have a baby, aren’t you?"

"Yes, I a couple cae, quilted diaper bag

"Merry Christ her mother’s cheek She turned to Mary Jo

"Hello, I’ us," she said, s broadly

Mary Jo senuine acceptance Tonight would be one of the most memorable Christmas Eves of her life

Now, if only her back would stop aching…