Angels at Christmas - By Debbie Macomber Page 0,8

be having second thoughts. His expression became more severe as he stared at them. Little wonder humans were terrified of Gabriel, Goodness reflected. His imposing stature was enough to intimidate the bravest men. That was one reason, she supposed, that he was only sent from Heaven on the most serious of missions.

Slowly he raised his massive arms and with one sweeping motion the clouds cleared and the mist gradually thinned, revealing the cottage surrounded by tall fir trees. Then Anne came into view. She stood in her art room, a paintbrush in her hand. A few Christmas decorations hung here and there, as if a halfhearted effort had been made to display them.

Once more Shirley leaned forward, peering downward. "Anne's painting," she said, and pointed to the scene below.

Once the mist faded completely, Goodness stepped closer to her friends to get a better look. Just as Shirley had declared, Anne Fletcher stood in front of an easel, apparently deep in thought.

Goodness examined the painting and was pleasantly surprised. Shirley had been right; the woman was a talented artist. She used bold, distinctive colors and strong, confident lines. But despite the beauty of her landscape, Anne was obviously dissatisfied. She seemed about to paint over the canvas and destroy her work. Instead, she set her brush and palette aside and slumped into a chair. Tilting her chin, Anne stared at the ceiling, blinking back tears.

"What's wrong?" Shirley asked, turning to Gabriel for an explanation. "She looks like she's going to cry."

"She's worrying about her son," Gabriel said. "She - "

"But she's prayed for him," Shirley broke in. "Anne knows to leave matters with God. Her mother taught her the importance of trusting in God," she said, adding, "But that was so long ago...."

"She spoke to her son a little while ago, and things are even worse than she realized. She's given up hope."

"But she prayed - how can you say that?" Shirley demanded. "After everything she's been through, after all she's suffered. Look," she cried, gesturing at the weeping woman, "there's no bitterness or hatred in her, no ill will toward Burton and his new wife."

"That's true," Gabriel agreed, and he seemed truly astonished by the simple human act of forgiveness. "Anne has forgiven her husband for what he did to her, but she feels helpless to influence her son."

"Why is God taking so long to answer?" Shirley asked, pacing restlessly.

"He has His reasons. It's not for us to second-guess the Creator of the Universe."

For an instant, Shirley seemed about to argue, but Goodness intervened. "Perhaps God knows that the right woman's going to come along. A woman who'll open Roy's eyes - and his heart. It can't be an ordinary woman, but one strong-willed enough to stand up to his arrogance."

"Who could that be?" Mercy asked, looking wide-eyed at Gabriel.

"This woman is waiting to be found, and I'm sending you to Earth to find her."

"We're going back?" Goodness hadn't been convinced that Gabriel would actually agree, since he so obviously had reservations about their dependability. She was thrilled. And just before Christmas, too! Oh yes, this was excellent news, the best yet.

"You may go," Gabriel said in a guarded voice, "but with a few stipulations. You have less than a month - the prayer request must be answered before Christmas Eve, and in the process your goal is to teach these humans a lesson. Can you do it?"

"We can," Shirley promised.

"We'll be better than ever," Mercy said.

"I'll keep an eye on them both," Goodness assured the Archangel.

"But who'll watch you?" he asked, cocking one dark brow.

Goodness sputtered, hardly knowing how to respond, then straightened. She recited her mission statement. "I...I will faithfully fulfill my duties as an Ambassador of the Almighty."

"Well said." Gabriel nodded with approval, but Goodness wasn't fooled. One wrong move, and they'd be immediately jerked back from Earth with its multitude of fascinating distractions.

A short while later, the three of them were gathered in Anne Fletcher's art room. It was a small area with plenty of light. Canvasses were stacked against the wall, some painted, others a pristine white, waiting to come to life. Anne sat near a phone, and after a long moment, picked it up.

"Who's she calling?" Mercy asked.

"Shh," Goodness warned. Thankfully, Anne wasn't aware of their presence nor could she hear their voices, unless special arrangements had been made well in advance. They were required to go to Gabriel for permission to reveal themselves - not that there weren't inventive ways around that.

"Listen," Shirley