The Trouble With Angels Page 0,74

been this keen for one's company. It was as if were incomplete when they were apart.

For the last few months he'd assumed he was in love with Blythe. She was smart and energetic. He'd realized one day that thirty was fast approaching and had decided it was time he started thinking about settling down. He'd admired Blythe for her beauty and her brains. Not a bad start. It wasn't until he'd spent time with Joy that he'd realized what the other woman was missing.

Heart.

Joy possessed a generosity of spirit that drew others to her the way a child is attracted to something bright and fun. Ted discovered that, like everyone else, he was no exception.

Every time he was with Joy, he came away feeling better about himself in some small way. This was her gift, her God-given talent: to draw out the best in others.

It didn't surprise him that the residents at Wilshire Grove talked about her as if she were the greatest thing since the invention of the juicer.

"Uncle," he muttered, shifting the load of goodies in his arms.

"You want to buy something for your uncle?" Joy asked.

"No, 'uncle' as in I need a break," Ted said as if he'd already endured more than should be asked of any one male. "A man can only take so much of this shopping business."

Ted didn't know who it was who'd claimed women were the weaker sex, but apparently they'd never ventured into a shopping mall with one.

Joy laughed, and Ted realized this was something else he loved about her. The sound of her laughter had an almost musical chime to it, as if it were magical.

"We can leave any time," she assured him. "You've been a good sport. I'll pay for these things, and we can find some place to sit down. I'd hate to have you poop out on me so early."

"This is early?" Ted asked, feigning astonishment. "We've been here for hours."

"One hour," she corrected.

"You're joking."

"It was only an hour," she told him. "Maybe a cup of coffee will revive you."

Actually Ted wasn't half as bushed as he was letting on.

They left the mall and found a quaint Italian restaurant on a side street. The hostess seated them at a table with a red-checkered tablecloth by a corner. Since it was nearly noon, they decided to order lunch.

"Everything looks wonderful," Joy said, scanning the menu.

Ted offered a couple of suggestions.

"I'll try the veal scallopini," she said, and sighed as if the decision had been an exhausting one. She closed her eyes momentarily. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What?" he teased. "That you're eating Italian?"

"No, that I'm with you!"

"I know I'm quite the catch, but - "

"You know what I mean. It's like this is all unreal. I feel like I'm going to wake up and discover this is a dream. You're still planning to come tomorrow night, aren't you?" she asked, changing the subject. "And please, oh, please, promise me you won't believe a single word my brothers tell you about me."

"How could I doubt your very own brothers?" Ted asked innocently.

"Ted!"

He laughed, enjoying her discomfort. He loved the way...He realized a good portion of the morning he'd been telling himself all the things he loved about Joy. Her enthusiasm and optimism for life, her laughter and appreciation of the little things. It hadn't occurred to him that he might be in love with her.

Ted wasn't a man who gave his heart easily. But from the moment Edith had crankily decided to ease out of her parking space and smash into Blythe's car, he felt as if he'd been smacked over the head by fate.

"My brothers take delight in embarrassing me," she told him, waving a bread stick at him, "especially Billy. They're both married now, and they seem to think I should be, too, so be prepared for that."

"They're going to marry us? Tomorrow evening?"

"No." She giggled. "But they're going to make hints along those lines. Usually I say something silly, but the last time I upset my mother, and then - "

Curiosity got the better of him. "You upset your mother? What did you say?"

"I was joking. I said something about not being able to marry Jack until he got approval from the parole board."

Ted did a poor job of smothering a laugh. "And just who's this Jack?"

"A friend...former friend," she amended.

"How good a friend?"

Joy wove the bread stick between her fingers with amazing dexterity. "You sound jealous."

"I am. Now tell me about Jack."

"We dated a couple