Just then, the night nurse came by with Rebecca’s medicine, so Jake and Risse said their goodbyes, promising to visit again soon.
“Thanks for encouraging me to talk to her. I’m really glad I got to hear her story.” Jake squeezed Risse’s hand, his gaze on their intertwined fingers as they left Rebecca’s room. Risse answered with a sweet smile, laying her head on his shoulder.
“Do you want to say hi to Dominion before we leave?” Risse asked.
“Yeah, he’d probably like that.”
They stopped quietly at Dominion’s door, peeking in to see if he was awake. He was sitting up, flipping through the TV channels. “Hey! There’s my favorite love birds!”
He dropped the remote and spread his arms wide in welcome. Jake and Risse glanced at each other, grinning. “I take it Risse managed to persuade you to make up with your mother.”
“Yeah, she’s kind of amazing.” Jake dipped his head, hiding his red cheeks.
“How did you do that, anyway? I was dead set against it one minute, and the next thing I knew, I was ready to drop everything and go see her.”
“Well, that wasn’t the very next thing that happened…” Risse’s face turned an even brighter shade of red as she remembered their moment of passion.
“Miracles have a way of, shall we say, spicing up the relationship.” Dominion wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Well, I don’t know if I’d call it a miracle, but she does seem to have a pretty big influence on me.” Jake chuckled.
“You mean, you didn’t tell him?” Dominion scolded.
“We kind of got… distracted.” Risse bit her lip and shifted her eyes back and forth between them guiltily.
Dominion gave her a chiding look, raising one eyebrow.
“Tell me what?” Jake looked between them with confusion.
“Nothing! I mean, it can wait. I’m not sure now’s the best time…” Risse looked frantically between Jake and Dominion, begging him with her eyes not to say anything else.
She didn’t want to scare Jake away with angel talk after such an emotional experience with his mother. The conversation could wait till he was feeling a little less rattled. Of course, right now he seemed pretty happy about the whole thing. Maybe happy enough that he wouldn’t be too upset to find out she’d used supernatural manipulation.
“Jake, you told me once that Risse was an angel, remember that?” Dominion had apparently decided that now was exactly the right time. She shot him a look of irritation.
“Yeah, and I’m the devil — or at least I used to be. Opposites attract, I guess.” Jake smirked and looked at her, amazed that she still wanted to be with him. Her golden hair shone like a halo around her, her face a beacon of goodness.
“You’re not the devil, Jake, there’s so much good in you. It was just buried under a lot of pain and resentment.” Risse reached out to him, running her free hand down his arm and taking his other hand.
“Well, maybe I’m not the devil, but you are definitely an angel.” He let go with his right hand and reached out to cup her cheek, stroking the smooth skin with his thumb.
“Yes, I am,” Risse whispered, her eyes begging him to understand. “Well, half angel, anyway.”
Jake narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a Celestia Divisa — half human, half angel.” Risse bit her lip and waited for her words to sink in, and for Jake to run screaming.
Jake smiled and chuckled, but Charisse’s face stayed serious. Jake’s laughter trickled to an uncomfortable silence as he stared curiously at her. “You’re serious?”
Risse nodded.
Jake looked to Dominion who was watching quietly. He gave Jake a small nod. Jake’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked back and forth between them.
“You’re telling me you’re a real angel?” He asked Charisse.
“And you believe her?” His face swung back to Dominion.
Dominion nodded. “And I’m one, too.”
Jake barked out a skeptical laugh. “What, is this like a hidden camera show? Am I being Punk’d or something?”
“Nope, kiddo, it’s the real deal. You managed to make a real live angel from heaven work a miracle for you.”
“A miracle?”
“Remember back at your house when I was touching your chest and you asked me what I was doing?”
“You said you were saving me, and then you collapsed in my arms.” How had he forgotten about that? And then he remembered what happened next — that incredible kiss. No wonder he had been distracted.
“Well, you needed a little help to get over your anger and give your mom a chance… and working miracles is kind of exhausting.”
“You used… a miracle… to take away my anger towards my mother?” Jake still looked incredulous, but Risse could tell he was starting to believe her.
“How… what… why?” The whole concept overwhelmed him.
“Isn’t it obvious, Jake?” Risse stared at him, a twinkle in her eyes. “Because I’m in love with you!”
“So you’re an angel… and you’re in love with me?”
Risse nodded, a giant smile cracking her face.
“I’m not sure which part of that is harder to believe!”
Chapter 18
Jake hummed nervously to himself as he adjusted his tie and straightened his collar. Today he was going to church for the first time, with Risse, to a congregation filled with half-angels. If that wasn’t enough to stress out a bad boy like him, he didn’t know what was.
He still didn’t quite understand what she saw in him, but somehow she’d managed to fall in love with him, anyway — the biggest jerk on the planet. Only, he wasn’t such a jerk anymore; he had no reason to be, and every reason not to.
Not that he wanted to become a choirboy or anything, but church was important to Risse, and this particular Sunday was especially important, so Jake was going. Apparently, there was some kind of special ceremony being held in honor of Risse’s first miracle. That, of course, had been changing him from a cruel-hearted monster to someone she could see herself spending the rest of her life with.
Risse had informed him that once Celestia Divisa fell in love, they were together for life. It was completely unheard of for them to cheat or divorce each other. The whole lifetime commitment idea was a little overwhelming, but Jake couldn’t really see himself ever wanting anyone else, either.
They were still teenagers, though, not even out of high school, so Jake wondered if their relationship could really survive the changes that would eventually happen. He was certainly willing to try, though. He knew without a doubt that he would never find another girl as wonderful as Risse Arella.
Satisfied with his appearance, Jake grabbed his keys and made his way downstairs, surprised to see his father drinking coffee at the kitchen table. They hadn’t really talked about what had happened, and it made their normally tense relationship even more awkward. There was a plate of pastries on the table, and James pushed it towards his son when he saw him approaching.
“Breakfast?” James asked, and Jake gave his father a curious look, snagging a scone and a cup of coffee.
“Son, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your mother.” James voice didn’t hold the same tone of contempt it usually had. In fact, it seemed almost apologetic.
Jake took the bait and sat down across from his father while he chewed on his pastry.
James sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, forming a steeple under his chin with his fingers. “Jake, I’m sorry for keeping you from your mother all these years. It was wrong of me. Even though we had our differences, even if she wasn’t physically capable of raising you, you still deserved the chance to know her. I’m sorry I took that from you.”
Jake stared at his father blankly, uncomprehendingly. Was his father actually apologizing for something? Not once in his whole life had he ever heard his father take the blame for anything. He didn’t know how to respond to it.
�
��She said you set up a charity to help her.” Jake wanted to know more about that.
James nodded. “The Amora Sophia Foundation. It’s not really a true charity, just a way for my contributions to stay anonymous.”
“My Spanish teacher’s name is Amora Sophia — Señorita Santino.”
James’ face perked up at the name, and his eyes sparked with recognition. “Really? That’s who the foundation is named after.”
“She said she knew you in high school.”
“She remembers me? I was in love with her, but I didn’t think she knew I existed. She was… amazing. She was the smartest, kindest, most beautiful girl…” James’ mind was transported back in time through his memories.
“When I was trying to come up with a decent name for a charitable foundation, all I could think of was her and how angelic she was, like this gorgeous, Spanish Mother Teresa.”
Jake quirked his eyebrows at the description. His father had no idea how accurate it was.
“Is she still beautiful?”
“Yup. Total hottie. And I’m pretty sure she’s single. No ring on her finger. You want me to hook you up? Maybe we can set up a parent-teacher conference,” Jake teased.
James raised his eyebrows, not entirely opposed to the suggestion.
“I’m going to church with Risse today. I’m pretty sure Señorita Santino goes there, too. I’ll tell her you said hello. She’d probably be pretty impressed that you named a charity after her. You want me to tell her?”
“You’re going to church? What’s that about?”
“It’s important to Risse.” Jake shrugged. That was enough of a reason.
“I’m proud of you, Son,” James blurted, and Jake froze in genuine amazement.
“You’ve worked hard to straighten up, and I can see a real change in you. I’m glad you found Risse, too. She seems like a good influence.”
Jake just smiled. “Yeah, she’s a real angel.”
Chapter 19
Jake couldn’t stop staring at Risse; she had never looked more beautiful. Her hair was twisted into an intricate up-do, with a few long, wavy tendrils left loose on either side. They tickled her bare shoulders and curled against the bright, blue silk of her dress. The color made her matching eyes sparkle like gemstones set in the creamy porcelain of her face, framed by thick, dark lashes.
It was December, so she wore a heavy coat to keep warm for the journey, but once they stepped inside the building she took it off, revealing more of her skin than he’d ever seen — long, pale arms and lean, graceful legs, and just enough of her chest to make him desperate for more. He escorted her like a princess to the royal ball, glad that her beauty was distracting everyone from focusing on the new guy.
The first person he recognized was Señorita Santino, and she eagerly approached as soon as she saw them. “Risse, you look wonderful! Are you presenting today?”
Risse nodded with a grin she couldn’t contain. “First miracle.”
“Let me guess — it has something to do with this guy?” Amora tilted her head towards Jake.
“Hi Señorita, nice to see you.” Jake held out a hand and she shook it, smiling.
“Señorita, do you remember when I asked you about The Amora Sophia Foundation?” Jake spontaneously decided to share his father’s secret.
“Yes, I wanted to ask you about that. I couldn’t find out anything about it.”
“My father started it to help take care of disabled people, specifically his ex-wife, my mother. He told me he named it after you because he remembered you as a quote - gorgeous, Spanish Mother Teresa.”
Amora blushed and put her hand to her cheek. “Wow, that’s quite a compliment. I didn’t realize he even remembered me. We didn’t really run in the same circles in high school.”
“You should look him up sometime. I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.” Jake turned to wink at Risse, who was staring at him with her mouth hanging open.
“We better go, the ceremony is about to start,” Risse said, pulling Jake towards the entrance to the sanctuary.
“Good luck today, Risse,” Amora offered, and Risse gave a quick thank you.
“What was that about?” she whispered when they were out of Amora’s earshot.
Jake shrugged. “I don’t know, just playing devil’s advocate, I guess. My dad told me this morning he had a crush on Señorita Santino.”
“And you think they should get together?”
“Maybe she’d be good for him, like you are for me.” Jake bent to give her a kiss on the cheek, and Risse grinned at his mischievousness.
When the service started, Jake sat in rapt attention as Risse’s brother conducted the formal ceremony, honoring births and deaths, miracles and marriages. It was fascinating to him. He couldn’t believe this entire world existed outside the realm of human knowledge. Only those invited to join it ever got to know about it. He felt incredibly privileged to be there.
Finally, it was Risse’s turn, according to the program they’d been given, and Zeph glowed with pride as he began the announcement. “For our last presentation, we have a very special guest here. Please welcome back Dominion Connan.”
Thunderous applause broke out as a wheelchair squeaked across the stage, carrying the beloved leader. The wiry, little urchin was dressed to kill in a shiny suit and bowtie, and he hefted himself out of the wheelchair and took his place behind the podium.
“My dear Celestia, how I’ve missed you! I’ve been under the weather, forced to convalesce for the last several weeks at the Sunnybrook home for the old and crotchety.” Nervous laughter. “But I’m happy to hear that my protege, Zephaniah, has been doing an excellent job replacing me.” A round of applause confirmed the crowd’s agreement.
“I am here to announce that this will be my last quarterly ceremony as Dominion. My job here is done, and the next one I attend will be my funeral.” A loud gasp absorbed every molecule of oxygen in the cavernous sanctuary, but Dominion Connan pressed on, uninterrupted.
“I’m here today, though, to do one last presentation, because I found it imperative that I be the one to congratulate Miss Arella on her grand accomplishment. That is because I take personal credit for making it happen! Miss Arella has been volunteering for quite some time at Sunnybrook, and she took good care of me — feeding me, tending to my needs, sneaking me candy…” A chuckle swept the congregation.
“She was almost too busy to notice the boy that God had sent for her, or maybe too stubborn — one or the other.” Dominion gave her an exaggerated wink, and Risse blushed and put her hand to her face.
“Anyway, I worked my Celestia magic and did my best to encourage these two to get together, and here they are, celebrating a miracle. My only regret is that I won’t be around to perform the wedding.” The crowd tittered and became restless again, but Dominion quickly silenced them.
“My dear Celestia, let us maintain our focus on the celebration at hand and not be distracted by things in the future. Charisse, will you please join me on the stage in recognition of your first miracle!”
Hearty applause echoed around her as she made her way to the stage, and Jake beamed with pride for her. He forgot about the awkwardness of attending his first church service, forgot about the fact that he was surrounded by angels, forgot that everyone knew he was the one who needed a miracle. Instead, all he could think about was how beautiful she looked standing on that stage, and how eager he was to be standing next to her — in a marriage ceremony.
Risse said a few words, and Jake was blown away by her grace and confidence in front of such an enormous audience.
Suddenly, a hand grasped his shoulder, and a soft voice spoke from behind him. “You don’t deserve her, you know that, right?”
Jake grimaced. Cheydan.
“I know,” Jake whispered, his frown morphing to a giant grin, “but she still wants me.”
Chapter 1
Maddy curled her lip in revulsion as she tiptoed up to Steve, trying not to wake him. He was sp
read out on the couch, an almost-empty beer bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He was going to catch the house on fire if he kept doing that. Maddy gingerly removed the smoldering cigarette from between his engine grease-stained fingers and stubbed it out in an ashtray, holding her breath against the foul odors emanating from his body.
Steve was the latest in a long string of loser men her aunt/foster mother fell in love with and let move into the house, only to run them off a few years later. It was easy for Ricki to find men — she was pretty, and she knew how to turn on the charm when she wanted to. But it wasn’t so easy for her to keep them. Once they got to know her, even the biggest losers couldn’t stand to live with her. She was mean and nasty when she was drunk, which was most of the time, and she took all her frustrations out on the people around her, mostly Maddy.
But it wasn’t going to be that way for very much longer. Maddy had a plan. She was going to move out of this trash heap and make a better life for herself. That was why she was saving every dollar she made working at Dairy Queen and doing odd jobs for neighbors. As soon as she finished high school, she would get a tiny apartment and start taking classes at the community college.
It might take her a while to finish, since it would be hard to make enough money to pay for rent and tuition, but she was hoping she would qualify for some financial aid and maybe even a small scholarship. She made pretty good grades even though she didn’t have time to participate in sports or any other extracurricular activities that might have helped her.
She fingered the twenty dollar bill wadded up in her pocket that she’d earned washing old man Johnson’s 1986 Cadillac that afternoon. As soon as she entered her bedroom, she pulled it out, eager to add it to her collection. She had a bank account where her paychecks were deposited, but the cash she earned went into a hiding spot in her room — a plastic food container she kept on the top shelf of her closet. She liked to watch the stack grow higher up the sides of the box as the bills accumulated.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 25
