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"I appreciate your understanding, Julie At soht feel inclined to match me up, but it’s not what I want"

"Okay, Dad"

He nodded, apparently relieved

Julie scooped up a handful of popcorn and had just started to chehen her father glanced up again "You were ho okay between you and Roy?"

She sed quickly "It went really well"

"Are you going out with hiain?"

Roy hadn’t asked, but she’d come to the conclusion that he would "I think so," and then she added, because it was true, "I hope so Does that bother you?"

Her father grinned "It’s a little late to be asking me that"

"Yeah, I suppose it is I like hiuessed ason air for the last few days"

"Is it that noticeable?"

Her father chuckled and was about to say so

Julie stood, brushed off her jeans and hurried to the door Roy Fletcher stood on the other side She felt a surge of joy at the sight of him

"Hi," he said a bit sheepishly

"Hi, yourself"

"Doing anything special?"

She nodded and reached for his hand, pulling him into the foyer "Want to help?"

"Maybe" He wrapped his ar her neck with his cold nose, he whispered, "I woke up thisand realized I missed you By the way--" he dropped a kiss on her forehead "--I bought tickets for a Christmas concert, if you’re interested"

"I’d love it" Happy chills raced down Julie’s back and she sighed as he kissed her jaw,toward her lips They were deeply involved in a kiss when Julie heard her father behind her

"Yup," he said gleefully "I’d say my Julie likes Mr Roy Fletcher"

"I’d say she does, too," Mercy shouted, and exchanged a high five with Goodness "Just look at the two of the, Shirley stood back, arms crossed "It was too easy"

"What do you mean?" Mercy de hard to bring these two huood job"

Shirley shook her head "There’s trouble in theto happen that none of us will like"

"Well, don’t go looking for it," Goodness warned

"I’m not," the oldest of the trio insisted, "but I can sense it co both ears "Roy and Julie are perfect together They’re falling in love, exactly like we planned"

"I wish I could agree," Shirley said "But experience tells me it was too easy Mark "

"You’re just upset about that salmon," Mercy pouted

Goodness wasn’t thrilled about the fish free-for-all in Pike Place Market, but any chastisee Mercy to one a in all directions Staff and custo; chaos was raet her out of the fish ?" Goodness asked

"Yes, just look at them," Mercy said Roy and Julie had started to place the orna bauble, they’d pause and exchange kisses andher about Christmases he had as a boy We all know he doesn’t often talk about his parents"

"Speaking of parents," Goodness said, glancing around "Where’s Dean?"

"He ive them privacy"

"That’s very considerate"

Shirley continued to frown "I wish I had a better feeling about all of this"

So did Goodness, but she’d come to respect her friend’s premonitions She could only wonder ould happen next

Eighteen

It was beginning to look and feel like Christht as she walked out to her rural hbors, whose house could barely be seen in the distance, had strung atheir roofline A six-foot-tall Frosty the Snowman stood forlornly in their front yard Snoas a rare commodity in the Pacific Northwest, and a fake snoas all there was likely to be