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But that didn’t explain the new habit of her heart to skip or stutter whenever she saw a dark-haired man in a crowd It didn’t explain why, led around her legs and herdreamed about him

As Mark stood up froie was filled with a terrible, giddy rush of infatuation Hectic color spread everywhere, right up to her hairline Her heartbeat throbbed in every limb She couldn’t look directly at him, couldn’t look fully away fro in hand

"Hi, Holly," shechild, whose hair was plaited in two perfect blond braids "How are you?"

The child surprised her by darting forward and hugging her Maggie automatically closed her free arie’s waist, Holly tilted her head back and smiled up at her "I lost a tooth yesterday," she announced, and showed her the new gap in the bottoie exclaimed "Now you have two places to put your strahen you drink leave ot fifty cents for hers" This coaries of such a pricing systelance at Mark She kne he felt about encouraging Holly to believe in fantasy creatures

"It was a perfect tooth," Mark said "Obviously a tooth like that deserved a dollar" His gaze swept over Maggie "We were heading to your shop after lunch"

"Anything in particular you’re looking for?"

"I need fairy wings," Holly told her "For Halloween"

"You’re going to be a fairy? I have wands, tiaras, and at least a half-dozen different pairs of wings Would you like to walk to the shop with erly and reached for her hand

"Let ie gave hi the walk, Holly was talkative and lively, telling Maggie about her friends’ Halloween costuet, and about the Harvest Festival she was going to after the trick-or-treating Although Mark said little and walked behind theie was intensely aware of his presence

As soon as they entered the shop, Maggie guided Holly to a rack of fairy wings, all beribboned, glittered, and painted with swirls "Here they are"

Elizabeth approached thes? How lovely"

Holly stared quizzically at the elderly wo tulle skirt, and carried a ic wand "Why are you dressed like that? It’s not Halloween yet"

"It’s my outfit for e have birthday parties at the shop"

"Where?" Holly asked, casting an eager glance all around the shop

"There’s a party room in the back Would you like to see it? It’s all decorated"

After looking to Mark for permission, Holly went happily to the back with Elizabeth, skipping and hopping

Mark looked after her with a wry, affectionate grin "She bounces all the ti I don’t want to keep you from your lunch"

"Oh, that’s no problem How…" It felt like she had just taken a spoonful of honey, having to s repeatedly against the sweet thickness "How are you?"

"Fine You?"

"I’ie said "Are you and Shelby…" She had intended to say "engaged," but the word stuck in her throat

Mark understood what she was trying to ask "Not yet" He hesitated "I brought this for you" He set a tall, narrow-bodied ther cup Maggie hadn’t noticed hi it before

"Is that coffee?" she asked

"Yes, one ofpleased her more than it should have "You’re a bad influence," she told him