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Leta didn’t leave She hedged as if she weren’t sure what to say, then finally blurted out, "Do you want me to ask someone else to be with the Bartellis?"

"Someone else?" He was their pastor But he wasn’t there when they needed hiested

Paul stared at her and realized how badly he’d failed the people he’d guided spiritually all these years "Yes," he whispered, "perhaps that would be best"

Leta closed the door softly, and Paul pressed his elbows against his desk and hung his head as the sha on his ser to say

So in the back row of the sanctuary The church was selass For a long ti but sit

Two of the lambs he had vowed to shepherd had needed him, and he had turned his back on them He’d surrendered his duties to another because he’d been unable to cope with all that was involved with Madge’s illness

It would have been easier, he e Bartelli wasn’t the same rare type that had clainized each stage, relived the agonies

He couldn’t do this any her pain Couldn’t console Bernard when he’d found no consolation himself

He’d failed these two people he loved Failed God Failed himself

The heaviness in his chest was almost unbearable

He’d learned to live without Barbara, but he didn’t know if he could live with the man that he’d becohted She didn’t knoas developing between Joy and her grandson, but whatever it was looked pro The sparkle was back in his eyes, and when he’d winked at her, it was all she could do to keep froht That boy was up to sohly confused andher Her cheeks had glowed an unnatural shade of pink when she’d stood to leave the library

Catherineold wo between these two people she loved so dearly

Someone tapped on her apartment door She rarely kept it locked, and most people knew that Ted stuck his head inside

"Howdy, Grandhted to see hiht for sore eyes"

"I don’t suppose you have any of those chocolate-chip cookies left over froine I could dig up a couple, if you pro inside the apart himself at hoht out two cookies on a plate Her head buzzed with questions about hi

"I see you’ve met our Joy," she said casually, and sat across froobbled down both cookies before he answered "She’s about the stubbornest woman I’ve yet to meet"

"Joy Palmer?"

"You don’t know her the way I do" His eyes flashed with huet to know her a whole lot better, but she’s resisting nore hed "Maybe she keeps stuhtfully rubbed the side of his jaw "Perhaps that’s the problem"

"There isn’t a man or woman here who isn’t crazy about Joy," Catherine told him "She’s much more than the resident service director She’s our friend and our advocate When I first moved to Wilshire Grove it wasn’t an easy adjusts es, to make the transition as unco her out"

Catherine tried not to sho pleased she was, but doubted that she succeeded "That’s wonderful"

Ted grew thoughtful "You don’t thinkto do with the fear of relinquishing my freedom, do you?"

Catherine wasn’t sure she followed that entirely "Ah, I don’t think so"

He beamed her a wide smile "Good I didn’t think so, either" He leaned back and relaxed once more "I want my date with her to be special Do you have any recoht about it for several ht have guessed, Joy has an appreciation for older things"

There was a knock at Catherine’s front door She waited for whomever it was to let themselves inside A second knock followed, this one louder and more insistent

Catherine stood and crossed the room It was Blythe Holmes

"Hello, Mrs Goodwin," she said She refused toroo for Ted"

"Blythe" Ted was on his feet "What are you doing here?"

"Shucks," Paula said with a dra"

"It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen," Karen returned in a loud whisper The two girls had their elborapped around each other’s necks

"Would you two kindly stop talking about us like we can’t hear you?" Maureen said crankily It washer love life, as if she had one A few innocent kisses shared with Thom Nichols hardly constituted a sexual relationship