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"Here, what do you think?" Joy asked, holding up a frilly pink dress that didn’t look big enough to fit a doll, let alone a child The skirt had a white apron tri wo in

"It’s pretty, but it’s not my color," Ted teased

"It’s not for you! The dress is perfect for my niece, Ellen Joy" She added it to the stack of ite, and like every other man Ted knew, he wasn’t keen on crowds andhis way through cranky last-minute shoppers, was fun with Joy

"You’re not buying anything?" she co out the store?"

"Oh, dear, you’re right I’ve been thoughtless, haven’t I? I dragged you into the children’s section and didn’t give you a chance to look for anything you wanted I’ve been co a hand to her forearo"

She looked at him and blinked as if she weren’t sure she’d heard hiet I’ineer I like my life neat and orderly…most of the time," he amended What he didn’t tell her was that a few years back he’d left everything until Christrocery No one could say his gifts hadn’t been creative His boss had enjoyed the standing rib roast, and his grandotten a real kick out of the twelve pairs of multicolored panty hose This year he’d ordered al Blythe had recommended It had been expensive, but hassle free

"I love Christhtened

Ted discovered he couldn’t be with Joy for any length of time and not want to kiss her He couldn’t look at her and not be affected He’d never felt this way about a woman, never been this keen for one’s company It was as if were incomplete when they were apart

For the last few months he’d assuetic He’d realized one day that thirty was fast approaching and had decided it was ti down He’d admired Blythe for her beauty and her brains Not a bad start It wasn’t until he’d spent time with Joy that he’d realized what the other wo

Heart

Joy possessed a generosity of spirit that drew others to her the way a child is attracted to soht and fun Ted discovered that, like everyone else, he was no exception

Every ti better about hiiven talent: to draw out the best in others

It didn’t surprise him that the residents at Wilshire Grove talked about her as if she were the greatest thing since the invention of the juicer

"Uncle," he oodies in his ar for your uncle?" Joy asked

"No, ‘uncle’ as in I need a break," Ted said as if he’d already endured more than should be asked of any onebusiness"

Ted didn’t knoho it ho’d claimed women were the weaker sex, but apparently they’d never ventured into a shopping hed, and Ted realized this was sohter had an alical

"We can leave any tiood sport I’ll pay for these things, and we can find some place to sit down I’d hate to have you poop out onastonishment "We’ve been here for hours"

"One hour," she corrected

"You’re joking"

"It was only an hour," she told him "Maybe a cup of coffee will revive you"

Actually Ted wasn’t half as bushed as he was letting on

They left the mall and found a quaint Italian restaurant on a side street The hostess seated them at a table with a red-checkered tablecloth by a corner Since it was nearly noon, they decided to order lunch

"Everything looks wonderful," Joy said, scanning the estions

"I’ll try the veal scallopini," she said, and sighed as if the decision had been an exhausting one She closed her eyes "

"What?" he teased "That you’re eating Italian?"

"No, that I’m with you!"

"I know I’m quite the catch, but--"

"You knohat Ito wake up and discover this is a dreaht, aren’t you?" she asked, changing the subject "And please, oh, please, prole word my brothers tell you about me"

"How could I doubt your very own brothers?" Ted asked innocently

"Ted!"

He laughed, enjoying her discoood portion of the s he loved about Joy Her enthusiashter and appreciation of the little things It hadn’t occurred to hiht be in love with her

Ted wasn’t a ave his heart easily But from thespace and smash into Blythe’s car, he felt as if he’d been smacked over the head by fate