A Season of Angels Page 0,94

whispered and her shoulders quivered. "That's what I came to tell you. I won't be waiting for you, I can't, Chet. I've wasted too much of my life already."

"Good," he snapped. "That's just the way I want it."

Jody had dreaded the office Christmas party for days. She never had been one who enjoyed these types of social gatherings, and generally didn't stay beyond the first few minutes. Glen, however, thought the party the ideal time to announce their engagement to their peers.

He'd presented her with a lovely engagement ring, a solitaire diamond that was large enough to feel heavy and awkward on her finger. She'd removed Jeff's wedding ring years earlier, not because of any desire to put that part of her life behind her, but to satisfy her parents. Both were worried about her and although she'd hated it, she'd placed the simple gold band in her jewelry box to appease them.

She could tell from the sounds drifting from the reception area that the party was underway. There were enough goodies to feed a small Third World country. Everyone had contributed something. Jody was guilty of overdoing it herself, bringing a large homemade cheese roll and several dozen gingerbread cookies Timmy had helped her bake the night before.

Her mother was watching Timmy, and insisted Jody stay late and enjoy herself. Because she was with Glen, she was obligated to remain as long as her fiance wanted.

Glen came looking for her, his smile gentle. "You ready?" he asked.

"Give me a moment to freshen up first, all right?"

"Sure," he said agreeably.

It seemed for a couple engaged to be married, neither of them revealed a high degree of enthusiasm. Glen looked tired. Jody knew he was working hard on a difficult case and put a lot of time and effort into his client's defense, but she strongly suspected his fatigue was something more than his workload.

The restroom was several doors down the hall. Jody walked past a number of offices and wondered how many other Christmas parties were going on in the building that night.

She'd just stepped into a cubicle in the ladies' room when she heard two women.

"You're sure he's engaged?" the first voice asked.

"Yes. Lily took a good deal of delight in relaying the details to me." The second woman sounded shaken and very close to tears.

Jody bit down on her lower lip. Lily was an attorney who worked with Glen. Was it possible the two were referring to Glen and her? She wondered what she should do, or if she should say something.

"Honestly, Maryann, what did you expect Glen to do? You told him in no uncertain terms that you weren't interested in marriage."

Maryann. This was the woman Glen had mentioned, the one he'd once loved. Jody squeezed her eyes closed and tried to remember the particulars of his and Maryann's romance. All she could recall was that Glen was convinced Maryann didn't love him. Breaking off the relationship had devastated him. It was this common ground of loss in which their own relationship had been rooted.

"I . . . I assumed we could live together," Maryann told her friend. "Couples do that these days, you know, test the waters to see if they're compatible. It seemed to be a reasonable thing to do in light of all the divorce cases I've handled over the years. Oh, damn," she said, "I hate it when I cry. Look what it's doing to my makeup."

"What are you going to do?"

"About what?"

Maryann's voice faded and Jody assumed that was because she was studying her reflection in the mirror.

"You aren't going to let him go ahead with the wedding, are you?"

"How can I stop him?" Maryann asked.

"Tell him the truth."

Maryann hesitated, and when she spoke Jody could hear her tears. "I don't even know what the truth is anymore."

"Tell him you're in love with him."

"It's too late for that. Oh, Shelly, honestly, you're too much of a romantic to realize love doesn't automatically fix everything."

"It does if you're both willing to work at it," Maryann's friend insisted.

Afraid of eavesdropping any longer Jody walked out of the cubicle. It was then that the two women realized they weren't alone. Embarrassed, they both avoided looking in Jody's direction. Taking advantage of their surprise, Jody quietly slipped out of the restroom.

She returned to her office, walking past the merrymakers, needing some time alone to absorb what she'd learned. Sitting at her desk, she closed her eyes and tried to reason out what she should do.

The answer