The Trouble with Angels (Angels Everywhere #2)(67)

"Thanks,” she said. She sat on the edge of the sofa, and Ted sat next to her. He reached for his remote control and turned off the television.

"Is something wrong?” he asked. He’d never seen Blythe like this.

"I haven’t seen much of you lately, so I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about this.”

"It’s true we need to talk,” he said, not yet registering the second part of her statement. Then it hit him. "How I’m going to feel about what?” he asked.

She pulled a ragged tissue from inside her pocket and blew her nose. "I went to the doctor recently. As you know, I haven’t been feeling well.”

"What’s wrong?” Ted asked, growing concerned.

She covered her face with both hands. "I can’t believe I was so stupid.” Slowly she lowered her hands and with effort composed herself. She started to speak once and then stopped, briefly closed her eyes, and began again.

"Blythe?”

"I’m pregnant, Ted, and you’re the baby’s father.”

"Do you want me to leave the night-light on for you?” Karen’s grandmother asked.

Karen hesitated. "No, that’s for little kids. I don’t need a night-light.”

"How about the nightmares?” Beverly Shields sat on the edge of the mattress and carefully tucked the blankets around Karen’s shoulders.

"I haven’t had one in a while,” Karen told her. She didn’t mention the one the evening her dad had phoned. It was the first time Paula had spent the night. She’d awakened everyone with her crying and felt terrible afterward, wondering what Paula would think of her. But Paula had told her about the nightmares she’d had after her mother had died. That made Karen feel better. She’d liked Paula even better afterward. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t tell her new friend, she decided. Paula understood.

"Your mother will be back before you know it.”

Karen nodded. "Dad wants me to spend Christmas Eve with him,” she said in an effort to detain her grandma. She really did want the night-light on and regretted flippantly saying she should turn it off.

"Your dad called?”

"No, his attorney wrote Mom a letter.”

Her grandmother’s shoulders made a funny little up-and-down movement. "I imagine your mother’s upset about that.”

"Big time,” Karen assured her. "Luckily Thom was there. He’s a calming influence?”

Beverly’s pencil-thin eyebrows arched expressively. "A calming influence?”

"Yes. He drove her to the airport. You know what, Grandma? I hope Thom Nichols sweeps my mom right off her feet. That’s what she really needs, a man who loves her. Not someone like my dad, who only knows how to love for a little while. Thom’s the kind of man who loves for a long time.”

"How wise you sound, child,” her grandmother said softly.

Karen sat up in bed and arranged the covers around her hips. "Paula and I’ve got it all figured out,” she said, speaking fast because she was excited and happy. "Paula’s mom died and my dad left us, and she likes my mom and I think her dad’s really cool. So we decided the four of us would make a really, really great family.”

"You think that, do you?”

"Yup. Now all we need to do is convince everyone else involved. Did Mom tell you about the romantic dinner Paula and I cooked for her and Thom?” Karen was proud of that.

"I can’t say that she did.”

"She didn’t tell you?” Karen was appalled, and after all the work she’d gone to, too. "The spaghetti sauce was a little too thick, and the noodles overcooked, but only a little. Mom and Thom did a good job of making it sound like everything was perfect, though. They were great about it.”

"So how’d everything go?”

Karen covered her mouth and giggled. "They kissed, and they weren’t even standing under the mistletoe.” She lowered her voice so her grandpa wouldn’t overhear her. "It wasn’t the first time I saw them kissing, either.”

Karen noticed how her grandmother’s interest piqued when she started talking about the two of them kissing.

"I see,” Beverly Shields said. "Well, that does sound promising.”

"We think so.”

"We?” Beverly questioned.

"Paula and me. You know, Grandma, when we first moved to this neighborhood I didn’t think I’d ever make friends again. Then I met Paula, and it was like God wanted the two of us to be together. Already we’ve decided to be friends for life.”

"That’s wonderful, sweetheart.”

"I just wish…” She lowered her lashes, because it did hurt to think about her mom and her dad and the way they continued to hate each other.

"What do you wish?”

"Nothing.” She didn’t want to talk about it, not even with family.

Beverly stood. "You’ll call me if you need anything.”

"I’m not a kid anymore.”

"Sometime I forget that, Karen,” Beverly said softly. "You’ll need to forgive me.”

"That’s okay.” She rolled onto one side and pulled the covers over her shoulder.