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Ty pushed out of the armchair and walked to the black telephone on the desk With the receiver in one hand, he started to dial the operator, then hesitated The approach of footsteps rimly replaced the receiver

“There you are, Ty I thought you were still upstairs,” hisuntil you came down to open the presents” When he turned to face her, she noticed his hand come away from the telephone “I’m sorry Were you on the phone?”

“No” The quick negative response sounded false “I was going to call soed my mind” He picked up the brandy snifter and swirled its contents, studying the action with grim interest

There were only a few things that could put that troubled look on a person’s face, and Maggie took a irl?”

His head lifted, wary and aloof; then a sudden, slanting sirl”

“If you were considering calling her on Christe of apprehension, mixed with a little bit of amusement

“She is” His smile lost its wryness to becoh hi to marry her”

“What?” Maggie stiffened in vague alarm

“Not to worry, Mother” Ty laughed softly at her “It won’t be any tie to finish”

“What’s her nairlfriend in his letters home Of course, his letters had been few and far between, and typically short epistles at that “I suppose she’s one of those Texas beauties EJ is always bragging about”

“Yes, she is,” he adhter He downed the slass, then set it on the desk and crossed the room to put an arm around his mother’s shoulders “Do you know she’s just about your size? Her hair is dark, too, the color of reen like yours She’s darn near as pretty as you are, too”

“That last part I don’t believe” She laughed, finally put at ease by his flattering colibly froard hirown male He would always be her son, so she would probably always see the child in him With a ie reached up and sy ends of dark hair at the back of his neck where his shirt collar had pushed it up “You need a haircut”

“It’s right in style, Mo wink “Soth”

“You’d better not co, or your father will have a heart attack” It was e a sainst college

“Speaking of Dad”—Ty tactfully changed the subject—“we’d better go into the living roo the presents without us”