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She didn’t tell hied He used to wonder why she’d waited But now he understood that if she’d told him before, she’d never be sure whether his proposal had been offered out of love--or guilt and regret Waiting until she was utterly convinced of his love e

Roy leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk His best detective as done in this old chair, a relic from his police days The department had wanted to toss it, but Roy had saved it froht it ho in this chair ever since Corrie hated it, pleaded with hiet rid of it He wouldn’t

The office door opened and then closed "Dad?"

Roy let his feet fall to the floor "In here," he called out to his daughter

Linnette walked into his office and threw herself onto the chair opposite his desk "Where’s Mom?"

Roy had exactly the sauess that’s what I get for hiring family," he joked

"Oh" Linnette looked as if she wanted to weep

"You need to talk to her?"

His daughter nodded "Dad," she said, straightening, "did you always love Mom? I mean, was there ever a time you had questions about the way you felt?"

"Sure," he admitted, a little taken aback by the question, so close to his own recent thoughts "Just the other day," he teased, trying to lighten theadvice That was Corrie’s specialty

"Dad, I’m serious"

"I know you are," he said, soed "I screwed up"

Roy hated to turn his daughter away, but he wasn’t comfortable with this heart-to-heart stuff "You’d better talk to your mother"

"She isn’t here You are"

"In other words, it’s any port in a storave hiht" He tried not to sigh "Tell loves, Linnette stood up for a ret," she said bluntly

"What?"

"Mo and Bachelor Auction last summer Cal, his name is, and he’s a horse trainer We went out, mainly because Moreed"

"Was it so bad?"

"Not at all I enjoyed dinner and later, I went out with hiain I had an even better time, and then he kissed me and--"

"Hold on a minute" Roy raised one hand "I don’t want to hear any of that Otherwise, I ht be tempted to bash his teeth in"

Linnette looked up and smiled "You’re such a father"

"Sorry, can’t help it You’re irl"

"I am not a baby"

"All I can say is wait until you have your own children and then decide" He gestured for her to continue

"I liked the way Cal kissedto say any ot scared"

This got Roy’s attention "Did he try any funny stuff?"

"No, nothing like that He didn’t scarethis badly What Iain, and I couldn’t because there was someone else I liked better"

"Hmm?" That was about as profound a co all this a bit difficult to follow So she liked this horse guy but she didn’t? And as the "someone else"?

"I wanted to be available for Chad," she elaborated, "and I didn’t want to get sidetracked"

Okay, now he got it Sort of "This is that doctor fellow?"

Linnette nodded "The problem is, it didn’t work"

"You mean the doctor fellow isn’t interested? Or you’ve been thinking about Cal?"

"Both But I was incredibly rude to Cal, and I keep wondering, you knoould’ve happened if we’d continued dating I wonder if I ers--and all for nothing"

"What’s happening with Chad?" Roy needed all the facts, logically presented

She shook her head "No movement there He’s handsoiven o out with him, but he’s never asked I doubt he ever will, and you knohat? That’s fine I’m pretty much over him It’s Cal who interests me now Except I’m not sure what I should do"

Okay Scratch the doctor But Roy had no idea what he was supposed to say next He was clean out of roize or just let it go" She raised expectant eyes to him "What do you think?"

That was the ht "What do I think?" he repeated slowly "You an, "but your mother and I dated for a while and then split up" He paused "After alain I’ve always felt fate put her in my path that day"

"In other words, if it’slike that"

Linnette see over his words She stood up, her expression thoughtful, and reached for her coat "Thanks, Dad"

"You’re welcome" He leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on the desk once again, crossing his ankles "Any other problems you want me to solve?"

"Not this afternoon Tell Mom I came by, okay?"

"Will do"

Linnette left and Roy was settling down to a short nap when the door opened and Corrie burst into his office Roy took one look at his wife and dropped his feet to the carpet for the second ti?"