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"Are you asking me to sneak you a cookie, Charles?"

"You bet I am," he said, and winked at her

Catherine pursed her lips together to keep froe in you in the last couple of weeks"

"I got the very heaven scared out of me," he explained as he inched his hand toward the silver platter

Catherine swiped at his arm "Kindly keep out of the cookies Nohat do you mean, you had the very heaven scared out of you?"

"It’s true I’d say I got the hell scared out of el who sat down next toto you Now I knohat you’re thinking, but I’el"

"A real angel?" Catherine had heard of angelic visitations, but she’d never experienced the phenomenon herself "When?"

"It was one of those days when I was thinking about the war and all the good et the looks of those fighting men out of my mind"

It was difficult for Catherine to hear such words, but she nodded to encourage him to continue

"Joy came and sat down next to entle and sweet in the way she talked to randson…Jed, Fred…what is it now?"

"Ted"

"Right, Ted He ith her, and he atching her talk to me, and it seemed to me that he eet on her Can’t say that I bla her ht" He reached for the chocolate-chip cookie then and grabbed hold of it before Catherine could stop him

"Sh-h," he said under his breath as he quickly placed the cookie inside his pocket "No one saw" He straightened and looked around as if he suspected his actions had garnered attention "Now back to the angel part Joy left with your grandson, and I started to slip back into ht where Joy had been"

"An angel? How’d you knoas an angel?"

"She The angel was a she Prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen As blue as turquoise Blond hair and wings, too, just the way I’ve always seen in pictures I knew iel"

"Did she speak to you?"

"Ah, now that’s the funny part I think she did, but then I’ht sure"

"What did she say?"

"First off she told me that life here in Wilshire Grove was a whole lot better than burying myself in the past, particularly if it had been so miserable Then she said--"

"Now, Charles, I’ her off "I don’t knohat you’re thinking I wouldn’t have told you this el didn’t mention you by name"

"Me?" Catherine flattened her hand over her breast

"I swear it’s true The angel toldto nment?"

"Yes, she clai said that, Charles turned and walked away

Catherine stood still for several el was there, on assignment, and because of her Well, Catherine didn’t want to be accused of disbelief, but if the angel had been there on her account, she hoped the poor dear knehat a terrible otten hirandson in several days and suspected that he was trying to avoid Joy

"One of the authors has arrived," Lucille announced, her eyes alive with delight "Shall I seat her in the dining roorandson is co as well," Lucille told her

"Ted?" Catherine turned around to discover hilass doors

He smiled war her gently by the shoulder, he kissed her cheek with a loud s our literary tea" She didn’t want to ask hi there in the middle of the day, but by the same token she was curious

"Where’s Joy?" he wanted to know, looking past Catherine Without waiting for permission, he reached for a chocolate-chip cookie

"Ted!" she chastised

"Wasn’t that for me?"

"Itbut Catherine had rarely seen him in a more cheerful frame of mind

"Do you knohere I can find Joy?" he asked a second time

"Why?"

"Because I need to talk to her I’ll explain everything to you later, I promise"

Catherine was of twoJoy’s heart, but she wasn’t willing to lie to hio She’s probably still in her office But Ted, please, be good to her"