The Trouble with Angels (Angels Everywhere #2)(71)

"Not until recently,” Mercy admitted with reluctance, cringing at the idea of the two together. A dejected, unhappy look came into her eyes. "It doesn’t matter anymore.”

"Why’s that?” Gabriel asked.

"Ted’s asked Blythe to marry him.”

The announcement was followed by a short, stunned silence.

"I see,” Gabriel said, and then focused his attention on Shirley. "How’s everything progressing with Karen?”

The oldest of the three angels brightened. "Fabulous. She’s taking riding lessons and has made a new friend, and you wouldn’t believe the changes in her mother. Maureen’s been dating Thom Nichols, the owner of the riding stable. The two have a lot in common.” She offered him a Little Mary Sunshine smile and added, "A romance seems to be brewing there.”

"I’m pleased to hear this,” Gabriel said. "You’ve proven yourself once more. How about Karen’s nightmares?”

The light in Shirley’s eyes faded. "She woke with one recently, and it took her grandmother almost an hour to calm her back down.”

"From what I understand, her mother was away on a business trip that night, and out of the blue, Maureen happened to phone her parents’ home.”

Shirley had a small coughing seizure. "Yes, as luck would have it…”

"Luck?”

"Karen needed to talk to her mother,” Shirley insisted with a righteous tinge. "It was such a little thing to leave a message for Maureen on the bed.”

"We’ll talk more about that later,” he said severely, and moved down the line. He faced Goodness, the last of the trio. "How’s Paul?”

Goodness looked more discouraged than ever. "As you already know, he’s resigned as pastor.”

Shirley and Mercy gasped.

"In all fairness, I believe you’ve made a mistake, Gabriel, in assigning me this prayer request. I don’t know how to help Pastor Morris. He’s camped somewhere in the tules, roasting chocolate squares and marshmallows between graham crackers and singing silly songs.”

"I see. Are you asking to be relieved from this assignment?” Gabriel asked. He’d known from the first what a difficult case this would be for the young Goodness, but no one had appreciated his insight.

"No,” Goodness said firmly, surprising him. It looked as if she were even more shocked at herself. "I refuse to give up on Paul Morris. He’s given up on himself, but I won’t do it. There’s got to be a way for him to overcome this depression.”

"Perhaps,” Gabriel suggested, "what he needs is a little help from his friends.”

"Friends?” Goodness questioned. "You mean like Shirley, Mercy, and me?”

"Perhaps a few human friends might be persuaded to help,” Gabriel suggested. It didn’t escape his notice how easily the three of them were willing to fall back on their old tricks.

Goodness and Mercy exchanged a look, one Gabriel preferred not to question. He looked over the three prayer ambassadors standing before him. They’d surprised him by how well they’d managed thus far. Better than he’d anticipated.

"You may go now,” he said.

Three pairs of eyes widened. "Go?” Shirley questioned. "You mean back to earth?”

"Yes. As far as I can see, the requests you’re working on are progressing without major difficulties. I’ll expect all three of you back here early on Christmas Eve.”

"Did he say everything’s progressing without major difficulties?” Mercy asked under her breath.

"I think so,” Goodness responded.

"I don’t understand,” Shirley said in the same muted tones.

"Let’s not question it,” Mercy suggested, and was gone. Goodness and Shirley followed, and Gabriel returned to the giant Book of Prayer, doing his best to hide a grin.

The beautiful red dress was new and by far the most expensive one she’d ever owned. Joy hung it on the outside of her closet door, folded her arms, and stepped back to admire it.

When she first caught sight of the silk party dress on a mannequin in a store window, she had no intention of buying it. She must have stared at it for a full five minutes before she found the nerve to walk inside the store and ask the price. She flinched when the sales clerk told her it was $350.

The clerk was very good at her job, and before Joy was quite sure how it had happened, she was in the dressing room staring at herself in the mirror in the same silk dress. It fit as if it had been made for her.

After some weighty decision making regarding finances, Joy bought it for the sheer pleasure of watching Ted’s face when he saw her wearing it. She could just imagine him looking up and having his jaw drop open as if someone had unscrewed its hinges. Then he’d try to speak, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, he’d simply take her in his arms and kiss her.

Three hundred and fifty bucks. It was cheap at half that price just thinking about Ted’s reaction to her in it.

With reluctance, she left her bedroom and the red dress and drove over to her parents’ house to help her mother prepare for the huge family party.

With her brothers married, it became almost impossible for everyone to be together on Christmas Day proper. Several years back, her mother had decided they would celebrate a family Christmas the weekend before.