The Trouble with Angels (Angels Everywhere #2)(45)

"Did I tell you about my brother Billy?” she asked instead.

He frowned. "No.”

"He dated Diana for two years. He bought her an engagement ring, and then the night before he was set to propose he met this cute girl in a bar. Overnight he was convinced he was in love. My mother didn’t know what to think. My father took him out for a father/son talk, which ended up in a shouting match. To make a long story short, Bill and Diana are married and have three beautiful children.”

"What happened to the girl he met in the bar?”

"I don’t know,” Joy cried. "No one does. That’s my point. Are you or are you not going to marry Blythe?”

It took him two lifetimes to answer. "I sincerely doubt it.”

"But you’ve considered marrying her?”

Another lifetime, then: "Yes.”

Ted Griffin was both honest and fair, that much she’d say for him. "I’m sure when Billy kissed—I think her name was Donna—he was convinced she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, that he’d found someone special.”

"I’m not Billy.”

"True, you’re older and more sophisticated than my brother, but it holds true, don’t you see? When a man is about to willingly surrender his freedom, something inside him resists. Something inside him fights against it. I’ve got two older brothers, and a dozen male cousins, and I’ve seen this phenomenon happen over and over again. So why don’t we both save each other a lot of grief and just drop it now?”

"Sorry, no.”

Joy should have known that would have been too easy. She threw her hands into the air. "All right, ask away. But kindly limit your questions to those less personal.”

Ted smiled that devilish handsome smile of his and nodded. "You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

10

Leta Johnson looked up from her desk when Paul walked into the church office. "Good morning,” she said with her usual cheerfulness.

"Morning.” He picked up the two pink message slips on the corner of her desk. One was from Steve Tenny and the other from Bernard Bartelli.

"How was your evening with Bethany and Joe?” Leta asked, and he was sure she was making idle conversation. It wasn’t like her to beat around the bush. When she had something to say, she generally said it. He had often admired this trait in her. He didn’t always like it, but he found himself in her debt enough to appreciate the woman she was.

"Our dinner was great,” he answered absently. He was worried about the Bartellis. Madge remained hospitalized, and from what he understood, their children had been notified of her accident. It seemed heartless and unnecessary to make Madge suffer this way. Paul had been to visit her only once since she’d broken her hip. He would go again soon, he promised himself.

"I talked to Joe the other day and learned he’s engaged.”

"Yes,” Paul said, looking up from the phone messages. "He brought Annie home for me to meet.”

"He said the two of them would be heading to Oregon for Christmas so Annie’s family could meet Joe.”

"Yes.” Again his answer came abstractedly. His thoughts centered on Madge and Bernard and their call and what he could possibly say to them.

"I was wondering,” Leta continued, sounding unlike her confident self, "if you’d care to join me for dinner on Christmas?”

The invitation took Paul by surprise. He’d worked with Leta for years, and although she was a vital member of his congregation, they’d avoided, by mutual consent, any contact outside the office.

"It’ll be just me this year as well,” Leta explained quickly. "And seeing that you’re going to be alone, too, well, I thought we might keep each other company.”

"I appreciate the invitation,” Paul said, unsure of how to respond, "but…”

"I understand, Paul,” she said, saving him from having to invent an excuse, if that was his intent. "Don’t worry. It was just a thought.” She returned to her typing, her nimble fingers bouncing over the keys.

To the best of his memory, it was the first time she’d ever called him by his given name.

Not having an answer for her, Paul walked into his office and gently closed the door. He needed to work on his sermon for Sunday. He’d put it off far too long already.

Sermon notes were tucked inside his study Bible. He stared at the text and experienced nothing. None of the passion. None of the energy. None of the urgency to spread the good news.

At last he closed the Bible and reached for the first pink slip. Steve Tenny answered the phone himself.

"Paul,” Steve said enthusiastically, "it’s good to hear from you.”

One would think Paul had initiated the contact, when in reality he couldn’t remember the last time he’d purposely telephoned Steve. He hadn’t meant for it to have been so long. "I got the message you’d phoned.”

"Yes,” Steve said cheerily. "Are you sure I can’t talk you into taking a few days off and going hiking with me?”

The offer was more tempting than ever, especially with Joe leaving soon with Annie. Then Paul thought about Madge Bartelli and knew he couldn’t leave her now. "I can’t,” he said with real regret.