by Cara Bristol
“I wanted to kiss you for the longest time,” he murmured.
“I wanted you to.”
He smiled against her lips. Feathers brushed her face, her neck. His mouth slid over hers, caressing and teasing, tempting and tormenting, lighting her on fire.
Then her feet touched the floor, grounding her to reality again. She was a single mom with a daughter sleeping on the other side of the wall. Her arms slid from his neck to rest against his chest. He didn’t release her as she expected but brought her wrist to his lips and kissed her pulse, causing it to skyrocket.
“So, noon on Monday?” Ordinary words spoken in his rough timbre caused her stomach to flutter.
She cleared her throat. “Yes. Picnic at the lake.”
“I’ll bring the food,” he said.
“I can—”
“You’re working tomorrow. You have to find another sitter. You’ll be driving. I can provide the food. I found a great little deli in Coeur d’Alene.”
“All right. Thank you. Remember, Izzy will be with us.”
“Yes. I invited her.”
“I mean, she eats like a kid. Picky. Contrary.” One day she could love something, the next she would hate it. If her daughter had her way, everything would come in nugget form. Most of the time, Delia was firm, fixing simple but nutritious meals and insisting Izzy eat her vegetables, but she would prefer not to do battle on a date.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
She’d toss a PB&J sandwich in her purse just in case.
They kissed one more time, and then he left. She locked up behind him, turned out the lights, and tumbled into bed. With everything that had happened, she feared she’d toss and turn all night, but she fell asleep soon after her head hit the pillow, and she dreamed of angels.
Chapter Eight
Izzy plunged into the lake and shrieked. “It’s freezing!”
Delia chuckled. “I told you!” she yelled.
Wingman grinned. The water was cold. He’d waded in to ensure there weren’t any steep drop-offs. He sat on the blanket in the sun drying off. Maybe the cold, wet, clammy swimming shorts would help cool the heat. Ever-present desire had hummed through him since their kisses the other night.
Izzy had clamored to swim as soon as they’d arrived at the private cove on Lake Argent, but Delia had insisted on lunch first.
“Thank you for checking out the lake,” she said. “And it was clever of you to cut the chicken salad sandwiches into moons and stars so Izzy would eat them.”
“I’d like to take credit, but the deli owner suggested it after I explained the problem,” he confessed.
“Well, thank you for doing that.” She leaned over and brushed her lips to his. His temperature shot up several notches.
“Did you get your babysitting situation worked out?” he asked.
She nodded. “When I explained the problem, my boss let me switch hours with another waitress. Next week, I’ll work days. It will mean fewer hours and less money, but since Izzy will be at camp I won’t need child care, and I’ll save money that way. I only started at the Whitetail a few weeks ago, so my boss and co-worker were very nice to be so accommodating. Crisis averted!” She crossed her fingers. “It’s selfish of me, but I hope Trudy’s son doesn’t decide to stay longer.”
“You’re not going to find somebody else permanently?”
“No. Trudy is a gem. She’s like a grandma. She’s raised three kids, she’s willing to work nights, and she lives two houses away. I couldn’t ask for a more perfect setup.”
He’d caught a glimpse of the woman as Delia left her house the other night, and she’d struck him as familiar, but then a lot of humans looked alike to him. Earth didn’t have the diversity that ’Topia had. Or used to. Avians, Vaporians, Saberians, Veritals, and Luciferans were just a few of the many species, none of whom resembled one another. On Delia’s behalf, he resented how the sitter had left her in the lurch. “You don’t think she’s unreliable?”
“No—not yet, anyway. If her kids keep dropping by for weeklong visits, and she cancels, that would be another story. I have to have a dependable sitter. Argent doesn’t have a childcare center. I checked the bulletin board at the bait shop. Nobody’s offering babysitting. If I have to make other arrangements, it’s going to be a scramble.”
Wingman glanced at the water where Izzy paddled around on a floating board. “How did you find Trudy?”
“From a flyer at the bait shop. Trudy had sought a little side job to supplement her retirement income. Everyone in Argent knows her.” A slight breeze blew tendrils of hair around her cheeks. She brushed it back. Her face, flushed from the heat, glistened with perspiration and the sunscreen she’d applied. She’d rubbed it on Izzy and insisted he put it on, too. Avians didn’t get sunburned, but he’d applied it to please her.
“In my village, everybody knew everybody, too. There was a great sense of community and belonging—and people helped one another, but people sometimes interfered in one another’s business.”
She laughed. “I haven’t been in Argent long enough to experience the downside, but I imagine the same will occur here. It’s typical of small towns.”
“Why did you move to Argent?” he asked.
Her smile disappeared. “It was a safe place to run to.”
“What?” Run? Was she in danger?
“We lived in Pittsburgh, a big city halfway across the country. I worked as a cocktail waitress at a bar similar to the Whitetail. Unlike Marty, my boss in Pittsburgh turned out to be a creep. He kept hitting on me and refused to take no for an answer. I got a different job and quit. He tried to get me fired by calling my new employer and telling him I’d been stealing from him. He’d call me all hours of the day and text me dick pics. I blocked him, and he started stalking me. We’d be at the grocery store or the park, and there he’d be. He denied following me, saying he happened to be in the neighborhood.
“One day I went to pick Izzy up from school, and I found him sitting in his car, talking to her. It freaked me out. I notified the school and called the police. Then I went to court and got a restraining order, but I can’t trust her life to a piece of paper. So, when school let out for the year, we moved.”
He wished he’d known her then. Threatening a woman and her child? Her ex-boss would have thought twice about stalking anyone ever again. He squeezed her hand. “You did the right thing by leaving, but how did you pick Argent?”
“Years ago, Josh and I vacationed in the Northwest. My great aunt had lived here so we stopped to visit. I liked the town. It was charming and friendly. When I needed to leave Pittsburgh, Argent wasn’t totally unfamiliar to me, yet nobody would associate me with the town. I discovered the job opening at the Whitetail, so I packed up, and we left.”
Izzy tried to stand on the float but fell into the water.
“What is she doing?”
“She’s trying to surf.”
“Surf?”
“On the ocean, you can ride a board on the waves. She’s never been to the ocean though.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I thought living in a small town would be safe—and then Izzy was almost abducted.” Delia removed her sunglasses, and he could see the gratitude in her eyes. “I can’t thank you enough for being there.”
“I’m glad I was there.” What if he hadn’t gone into Argent that day? Hadn’t turned down that street? What if he hadn’t followed his instinct when the ice cream guy had grabbed her? A bad premonition swept over him. “The guy who almost kidnapped Izzy…could it have been your ex-boss?”
“He was the first person I thought of, but Izzy said the ice cream truck man had a beard, and Colson didn’t have one.” Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she watched Izzy play in the water. “I don’t know which is worse—to think your child could be abducted by some random pervert—or by somebody you know.”
Both were disturbing, but an itch between his wings made him wonder if the kidnapper was somebody familiar. “
Your ex-boss could have grown a beard.”
“Not that fast. She said the beard was long like Santa Claus, only not white.”
“It was long,” he recalled. Disguise maybe? Tigre often wore fake facial hair to hide his striped complexion. But Izzy had seen the ex-boss, so wouldn’t she have recognized him?
Delia stuck her sunglasses back on, and he missed seeing her beautiful eyes, but there was plenty more to look at. Her shorts and T-shirt showed off her long legs and her small, high breasts. He’d never thought he could be attracted to a wingless woman, but Delia’s uniqueness aroused strong desire and protectiveness. The lack of wings didn’t matter. He liked her. Her smiles, her laughter, her kindness, her fierce protectiveness for her child, how she smelled, the way she kissed…
She leaned back on her hands and stretched out her legs, the better for him to admire. Heat curled in his gut. He glanced at the water where Izzy splashed around. He wanted to kiss Delia. Was it appropriate in front of the child?
“Tell me about your planet. You said you lived in a small village? Why did you come to Earth?” Delia asked.
Secrecy had been ingrained by their harrowing experience. Although they’d been granted new identities and were as safe as they could be, memories of the bombardment remained painful. However, Delia had shared her past, and her question was a fair and natural one.
“Our planet was destroyed. We barely escaped with our lives.” Just talking about it caused his wings to tense. “The people I loved, family, friends, neighbors, everyone on the planet—all of them were killed.
“That’s horrible.” She touched his wrist. “What happened—”
“The Xenos who created my people decided to destroy us.”
“Why?”
“Xenos are the most powerful entity in the universe. A creator species, they terraform planets and seed them with life they’ve created in laboratories. They’re worshiped as gods by many civilizations. Eons ago, they created my people, the ’Topians. When we advanced faster and further than they had anticipated, they felt threatened. They chose to euthanize us and firebombed the planet. Chameleon—the blue man you met at the lavender fest—led a small group of us to a ship. If not for him, I wouldn’t be alive.”
Her eyes narrowed in sympathy, and he appreciated her concern. No one could understand his experience unless they had been through it, but he wouldn’t wish his suffering on anyone. While the acute trauma lessened a little each day, the bombardment and the loss had gouged deep craters in his psyche. He still experienced night terrors and flashbacks, and trust didn’t come easily. When the beings who had created you attempted to destroy you, it was akin to a parent turning against a child. How could that child trust anyone?
“It nearly killed me to lose Josh. I can’t imagine losing everybody.” She scooted closer and hugged him.
He turned his head and brushed his lips against hers. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For caring. For being here.”
“Of course! Tell me about the people you came with.”
“We call ourselves the castaways—after the ship that brought us to Earth. We were strangers when we escaped, but we’re family now.” Tragedy shared had bonded them. He’d been wary of Chameleon, the one who’d led them to safety, because he was a Xeno. Wingman had worried his assistance had been a trap. However, Chameleon had proven his loyalty, and they owed him their lives.
“Of all of them, I’m closest to Inferno.” All the castaways watched out for each other, but each one had formed a deeper connection with one particular person. He and Inferno, a Luciferan, became friends right at the start. Chameleon and Psy had drifted to one another, and Tigre and Shadow were very close. “You might have noticed Inferno at the lavender fest. He had red skin and horns.”
“He made a balloon crown for Izzy. I remember him. We also saw a blue man with a tail selling tickets.”
“That was Chameleon. He’s the one who rescued us all.”
“I’m glad you have friends from your world. And now you have me, too,” she said.
They’d all hoped to find mates on Earth and settle into a normal life, but deep down, he’d doubted he could connect with a human. However, Delia drew him in a powerful way he hadn’t experienced with Lissa, filling him with a buoyancy and light that chased away the shadows.
Xeno dirty tricks had affected all ’Topians to varying degrees. His people tended to be morose—melancholy had been programmed into Avian DNA—but with Delia, he rose above his nature. Who knew one little human could break the shackles of his programming?
“Your support means more than I can express in words,” he said.
“I hope I didn’t pry too much.”
“No. It’s a relief to talk about it.” Opening up liberated him. He could figuratively and literally let down his wings.
He surveyed the small cove, deserted, except for the three of them. “Does no one ever come to this beach?”
“Well, we’re on private property, so outsiders don’t know about it. Gus from the bait shop owns this land. He lets locals use it, provided they don’t abuse the privilege. And Monday is a workday for most people.”
He found himself mesmerized by her warm brown eyes, her mouth. He remembered the softness of her lips when he’d kissed her, how perfect she’d felt in his arms when he’d flown with her. He’d never carried an adult person before—why would he? Other Avians could fly. His gaze locked to hers, and heat snapped and sizzled. “So nobody will come here?”
“Somebody could…but, uh, probably, maybe not. Are you worried about being seen?”
“I thought maybe you and Izzy would like to go flying?” he suggested.
Her eyes lit up. “I would love that. So would she.”
“We’ll do it, then. When she comes out of the water before anyone else comes.” Festival goers had bought the harness ruse, but if someone caught him soaring over the lake, there’d be no pretending. He would have to stay below the tree line to ensure he wasn’t visible from the road. He had no wish to become a spectacle and stop traffic.
She toyed with the edge of the blanket. “I have to admit, when you asked about us being alone, I kind of hoped you intended…to, uh…kiss me.” She lifted her head.
Izzy played in the water, facing away from them. He leaned in, and so did she. Their lips met, and he’d almost swear there were sparks. He deepened the kiss, wrapping arms and wings around her as she melted against him. He felt like he was flying, only it was the world that moved around him and not him through it.
A childlike giggle brought him to a hard landing. He leaned his forehead against Delia’s for an instant. “Sorry.” She mouthed the words. He lowered his wings.
A dripping, shivering, grinning Izzy stood there. “You’re k-k-kissing.”
He’d never heard her approach.
“You’re freezing!” Delia grabbed a towel. “Come. Dry off.”
“No! I’m not c-c-cold. I want a d-d-drink. I’m t-t-thirsty.” Her teeth chattered.
“Sit here while you have a drink and warm up.” She patted the blanket.
She kicked at the sand before plopping down. Delia flung a beach towel around her daughter’s shoulders. Belying her protests of not being cold, she pulled her knees up, cocooning inside the towel, clutching it closed with one hand. Her fingertips were blue.
“Water or juice?”
“J-j-juice.”
From the cooler, Delia dug out a colorful box she’d added to his picnic lunch. He hadn’t known to bring juice and never would have guessed the drink came in a box. “You can tell Izzy about the surprise.” She poked a straw into the waxy cardboard container and handed it to her daughter.
“Remember how I flew around the lavender farm? How would you like to fly with me over the beach?”
“Right now? Yes!” She flung off the towel.
“After you warm up!” Delia wrapped the towel around Izzy again.
“Can Emma and Emily come, too?”
Emma and—oh, her imaginary friends. He’d “met” them at the party. His lips quirked.
“Emma and Emily are here?” Delia raised her eyebrows.
“Uh-huh. Emma would like to fly because she can’t swim, so she’s been sitting on the blanket the whole time. She’s bored.”
“Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll carry you, and you can carry them.”
“I can’t carry both of them. We’ll have to fly two times.” She grinned, revealing a gap in her smile he hadn’t noticed before.
“Nice try, kiddo,” Delia said. “One flight—hey, look at me. Smile again.”
Izzy squeezed her eyes shut and pantomimed a grin.
“You lost a tooth!”
Izzy poked her tongue through the gap. “Now the tooth fairy won’t come.” Her face screwed up like she was going to cry.
“The tooth fairy will come,” Delia said quickly. “I promise.”
“She won’t have the tooth.”
“We’ll leave a note explaining you lost it in the lake. She’ll understand. It will be okay. I promise.”
“What’s a tooth fairy?” he asked.
“When you lose a tooth, you put it under your pillow, and the tooth fairy comes while you’re sleeping, and she takes the tooth and gives you money for it,” Izzy explained. She drank her juice through the straw.
“This is for real?” he asked Delia.
“Uh-huh,” she answered, and added in a low voice, “As real as Emma and Emily.”
“No! Emma and Emily are pretend. The tooth fairy is real.”
“I’m relieved you know that.” She tousled Izzy’s wet hair.
“Hey, Mom—look what I can do now!” She squirted juice through the gap in her teeth. The stream almost made it to the sand but fell short and splattered the blanket.
“Isabella! Don’t do that again.”
Unrepentant, she giggled.
“Sorry.” Delia shrugged apologetically.
“No problem.” He held back a grin. If he’d been missing a tooth, he would have been tempted to try spitting through the gap, too.
