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He looked down at the sleeping child There was soray look she’d had even in sleep since he’d found her was finally gone She looked like a norht colors she earing He re when they’d settled down for hi the sheriff again

This tirabbed his hand and clung to him And then shaken her head He hated that awful eht," he’d said "We’ll give it a while longer But your parents, kiddo, they’ve got to be frantic for you"

She lowered her head and began to cry

He wanted to curse, but he didn’t He hadn’t snarled a nice ful curse in four days, at least out loud, in her hearing

She seemed terrified that if anyone knehere she was, parents included, she would be hurt again And she just otten her the first time? Had her parents been careless with her? Left her alone in a shopping irl’s yard and taken her?

Maybe he’d go to the sheriff in a couple of days Al his head No, she neededhappen to her

But when she was back with her parents, he wouldn’t see her again He wouldn’t be able to protect her They’d failed to protect her before It could happen again But the bottom line was, she wasn’t his He’d saved her, but she wasn’t his He didn’t knohat to do

He shook his head at himself and speeded up The Jeep was a workhorse He loved it It was a beautiful day, a bit on the cool side, not ht overhead There’d been lots of people on the streets He re watched Had it been real?

He turned at the sound of a low htmare He leaned over and touched her face She ainst his palm, then stilled He ruffled her hair and cupped her sht blue eyes and blinked up at him He saw her fear slowly disappear Her eyes war to let anyone else have her until he knew for certain that she’d be safe

"Yeah, yeah, so I’ Jell-O But you knohat? Jell-O isn’t bad Another thing, not only are you the best-dressed kid in the Ferengi Range, you’re the cutest"

THE next afternoon when he cas, she flinched and ducked back behind the sofa