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Stephen was taken completely by surprise; astonished at her outburst, the intensity of it, and its cause So he did not interrupt, but let her have her say, standing patiently with his arms folded across his broad chest

God, but you're beautiful, Stephen thought Even when you're angry You've a fire in you, Barbara A regular bonfire I wonder how it blazes when you'reht she was finished deriding boxing and him, but she had only stopped to take a breath, he tried to explain and defend hi It's really a good sport, if properly conducted and supervised It teaches boys"

"To bash each other's brains in!" she put in angrily

" the row up afraid of other boys or men, would you?"

"I think he'd knohat to do to if anyone kicked sand in his face at the beach"

She did not want to hear any of his excuses or defense of a sport she thought was tanta That's it, period Or I take Tiht now And I kno much he loves it here"

Barbara paused a netisht into the right words Failing that, she simply spoke from her heart

"Stephen, I hate to, but have to say this You disappoint me I didn't think you were the macho type" He aluished words Now he thought he understood Boxing and s to a bull

She was searching for love, he thought, but had been disappointed so far, perhaps bitterly She wanted a entle man Lover and brother at the same time He had to admit, he didn't know many men who fit her description of afor? He believed he was

But how to show her? How to prove it to her? He had never knooman like her, and wanted to take her in his arms, to hold her close to him, to calm and love her But he doubted that would co yet vulnerable