The Trouble with Angels (Angels Everywhere #2)(78)

"The difficult part was that Earl was no longer with us. Anything else I could deal with or reason out, but not that Earl should die.

"He never knew the beautiful daughter we created, and I ached for Emma to remember her father. He would have been so proud of her, as proud as she is of him. Unfortunately she has no memory of him.”

"But you got on with your life, you married again.”

"Yes, in time,” Catherine admitted, but it had taken nearly five years. She might never have remarried if it hadn’t been for Frank’s gentle persistence. He’d wooed her for three of those years.

Like Earl, he’d been a soldier, but the fates had been kinder to him, and he’d returned home from the campaign in the South Pacific to a hero’s welcome. He’d been gentle with her, cajoling her for weeks before she’d agreed to go out with him.

Catherine never fully understood why Frank fell in love with her. She wasn’t interested in remarrying, wasn’t even interested in another relationship. Yet there he was, loving, gentle, eager to be a part of her and Emma’s life.

By then she’d accepted Earl’s death and made her peace with God. The battle had been hard won. Catherine had told God that if this was the way he treated his friends, it was little wonder he had so few.

She smiled at the memory.

"I loved Frank,” she said, "not with the same intensity that I did Earl, but I did love him. A woman doesn’t spend forty-three years married to a man without strong feelings.”

"I don’t understand why you’re giving me this pin,” Blythe whispered brokenly. "You said yourself you never intended to part with it.”

"That’s because it’s the only piece of jewelry I have that Earl gave me, other than a plain gold wedding band. To this day, whenever I put on that cameo, I can feel Earl’s love for me, as strong now as it was all those years ago.”

Blythe tensed, and her shoulders went stiff. "I’m sorry, I can’t accept this gift.”

"Of course you can, child. I want you to have it. It’s fitting that Ted’s wife would wear it. You see, Ted was an Airborne Ranger himself for a time, like his grandfather.”

"Yes, I know, but I still can’t accept it.” She tried to push the box into Catherine’s hands.

"Blythe, it would do me a great honor if you were to take the cameo. Please. Accept it with my love and with Earl’s. You’re soon to be a part of this family, a very important part. This baby is Earl’s first great-grandchild.”

Blythe stilled, as if she weren’t sure what to do.

"Recently I asked God to send the woman of his choice into Ted’s life,” Catherine went on to say, "and Ted chose to ask you to be his wife.”

"That’s because of the baby.”

"I know, dear, but the baby is his responsibility.”

Blythe didn’t say anything for a long time and seemed to be struggling within herself. "He’s in love with someone else,” she admitted candidly. Her face hardened, her features went sharp and tight. "He didn’t think I knew, but I’m not as stupid as everyone seems to believe.”

"No one thinks anything of the sort,” Catherine said sternly.

Blythe folded her hands and briefly closed her eyes. "I asked him about her. Joy, isn’t it?”

Catherine nodded.

"You know what he said? He said that it didn’t matter, that I was the woman he was going to marry. You know the crazy part—he’s actually excited about the baby.”

That didn’t surprise Catherine. Ted was a wonderful uncle. Many times she’d watched him with his cousins and marveled at his patience with small children.

"This baby may not have been planned,” Catherine said evenly, "but that doesn’t mean he or she isn’t loved or welcome. Emma wasn’t planned, either. I didn’t intend to get pregnant on our honeymoon, but these things happen.”

Blythe lowered her gaze. "I think you should know something. In the beginning, I didn’t want this baby. When I first learned I was pregnant, I seriously considered an abortion. It was so tempting, an easy way out, but when I went to make the appointment, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t make myself do it.”

Catherine was forever grateful that Blythe hadn’t resorted to anything so drastic. "But you didn’t, and that’s the important thing. That took courage, Blythe.”

"Not really.” She briefly covered her face with her hands. "I can’t believe I did anything so stupid as to get pregnant. I know better than to let something like this happen. My stupidity isn’t the baby’s fault.”

Catherine wished she could say or do something to ease Blythe’s discomfort. Blythe was restless and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"I’m really sorry, but I can’t accept your beautiful pin,” Blythe said finally, and set the box back on the end table.

Catherine winced at the sharp edge of her words. "If you won’t accept it for yourself, then take it for the child. Someday when he is older you can tell the child about his great-grandfather who died in the Second World War, and perhaps you could put in a kind word about me.”

"Ah.” Blythe shook her head from side to side in a wild motion. "No, I’m afraid I can’t do that, either.”