Comfort And Joy. Fern Michaels

      “I’m up here, Mom. Do me a favor,” she called down. “I see the mailman coming up the street. Give him the envelope on the table.”

      “Sure, honey.” Eva picked up the envelope and slid it into the drawer of the table. The only way Angie could see the mailman was if she was sitting on the window seat in her room. Crying, from the way she sounded. Carrying out her charade, Eva opened the door a few moments later to accept the mail. She commented on the weather for a minute, then closed the door.

      She called upstairs. “Angie, come down and talk to me. You know I can’t do the stairs comfortably. Please.”

      Eva was right, she saw as Angie descended the stairs and stood next to her—her daughter had been crying. “How about a nice cup of hot tea? Tea always makes things better. At least that’s what my mother always said.” She wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and led her into the kitchen.

      “I don’t want to talk about this, Mom.”

      As Eva bustled about the kitchen, she said, “Well, I for one can certainly understand that. Men are so callow. They don’t have the same feelings women have. I guess that might be a good thing. I think I would be remiss as a mother if I didn’t point out to you that there are two sides to everything. You should ask yourself how that young woman got into the store. If she came uninvited, then you can’t blame Josh for that. Ask yourself if Josh acted like he was enjoying the meeting. He looked kind of stiff to me, like he didn’t want her there, but that’s just this old lady’s opinion. I didn’t see him return her kiss. He just stood there. That’s the way I saw it. You only heard the young woman say they had a date for the Harvest Ball. You didn’t hear Josh agree, now, did you?”

      “Whose side are you on, Mom?” Angie sniffed.

      “The right side. I happen to think Josh is a stand-up kind of guy. He didn’t beat around the bush the day he eavesdropped on you. He fessed right up, didn’t he? It’s when things fester that the problem gets out of hand. In short, my dear, I think you saw something you never should have seen. Having said that, it probably meant nothing. That’s why you shouldn’t have seen it—because you reacted without giving Josh a chance to explain or defend his actions. Now, drink your tea.”

      Angie picked at the fringe on the green-checkered placemat. “So what you’re saying is I should go back to the store and wait for Josh to come to me and…explain what I saw.”

      “See! Now you’re getting it! Yes, in my opinion, that’s what you should do. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder what he would have said. You did tell me you really liked Josh. You told me you dream about him. He might be the one, Angie.”

      “She kissed him. You saw her. Kissing is…Kissing is…”

      “Quite wonderful, depending on who is doing the kissing. I did not see Josh returning the kiss in question. There was no passion there that I could see. No reciprocity. That’s about all I have to say, Angie. Think this all through, and don’t throw away something on a jealous whim that could otherwise turn out to be wonderful.”

      The doorbell rang, cutting off whatever Angie’s response was going to be.

      “I’ll get it, and then I’m going back to the store,” Eva said. “Finish your tea. By the way, I won’t be home for dinner this evening. Angus and I are going out for Japanese. He loves the knife show the chefs provide.”

      Outside, after Josh Eagle had run up to the Bradfords’ front porch and rung the bell, he ran down the steps and out to the walkway, where he dropped to his knees. He sucked in his breath and proceeded to knee-walk his way to the Bradford front porch the moment the front door opened.

      “Angie! Angie! Come quick! Hurry, dear!”

      Thinking her mother fell or banged her knee, Angie barreled to the foyer. She almost screamed in relief when she saw that Eva was all right. She turned and looked where her mother was pointing. Her jaw dropped at what she was seeing. Josh waved. Angie, more or less, wiggled her index finger as she watched the man’s progress. She could tell it was slow going for the tall man on his knees.

      Eva tactfully withdrew and left by the kitchen door. She peeked around the corner of the house. He was still crawling. She laughed all the way to her car.

      Angie walked out to the porch, her arms across her chest to ward off the October chill. By the time Josh reached the steps, Angie took pity on him and motioned for him to get up. “Do you mind telling me what you’re doing?” There was a bit of frost in her tone that did not go unnoticed by Josh.

      Josh struggled to his feet. “Angie, look, what you saw…It wasn’t…It isn’t what you think. Vickie is someone I used to know. And I didn’t know her that well. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since way back in April. She was looking for an escort to take her to the Harvest Ball. I have to assume I was a last resort because I never pretended to be anything other than a distant friend. She kisses everyone. I just found out that she bribed one of the workers with twenty bucks to let her into the store. If you hadn’t turned tail and run, you would have heard me tell her I was seeing someone and had other plans for Saturday evening. So, are you okay with this? Please tell me you’re okay with this so I don’t have to do that singing thing under your window tonight.” Josh wondered if he looked as exhausted as he felt. Would Angie take pity on him? Childishly, he crossed his fingers.

      He was seeing someone and had other plans. That almost makes us a couple. It sounds like we are a couple. “I didn’t know you could sing. Do you want a cup of tea or a beer? I can make some coffee.”

      “I’ll take a beer and I can’t sing. My father…”

      “Offered you advice. Yeah, my mother stepped in and offered some, too. Okay, you’re off the hook.”

      “Thank God! I’m going to have to guzzle that beer and get back to the store. Are you staying home?”

      “No. I just got…miffed and came home. I did…I think I did something I might come to regret. I reacted and I…I signed that damn contract and it went off in the mail. The mailman came a little while ago, and Mom gave it to him.”

      Josh looked at her as though she’d sprouted a second head. “You were that angry? Damn, now what are you going to do? Are you sorry you sent it off?”

      “Yes. Yes, a hundred times yes. I was going to call tomorrow and explain that I wouldn’t be accepting the position. I never did tell my mother.”

      “Get your coat. Maybe we can catch the mailman. Do you know in which direction he goes when he finishes up your street? Never mind, you go one way and I’ll go the other. It’s still early so he won’t be returning to the post office. If I find him first, he won’t give it to me, so I’ll call you on your cell. If you find him first, call me and I’ll meet up with you.”

      Thirty minutes later the couple sat down on Angie’s front steps. “He said Mom never gave him any mail. That has to mean she knows and kept the envelope or hid it. Parents are so devious,” Angie groused.

      “Oh, I don’t know, sometimes they’re pretty smart. Your mother saved your butt by not mailing that contract. My father gave me some shitty advice, but here we are with a better understanding of what’s going on.” Josh reached for Angie’s hand and squeezed it.

      “I think your father and my mother are going to end up together. They get along so well. And, they’re great company for one another. Tonight they’re going out for Japanese food. I’m okay with it, are you?”

      “Yeah, you bet. My father is a different man these days. He hasn’t given me one moment of grief as the bills come in. I think it’s all due to your mother.” This last was said so shyly, Angie smiled.

      Angie held up her hand palm out and high-fived Josh. “To our parents!”

      “To our parents and to us.”

      A red ring of heat popped up on Angie’s neck. Then it crept up to her cheeks. She didn’t know what else