by Mary May
“Yes, Charlotte?”
She smiled and blew out the breath she had been holding for the past few minutes. “Ok, so you can only see heavenly creatures, not minions or demons?”
He nodded.
“I can understand why you would need that ability. You would have to see Gideon in order to teach him.”
Edgar noticed that Gideon was quiet. The angel was sitting there looking a little forlorn and lost and angry…really angry.
“Gideon, do you have questions?”
Gideon stood up and without looking at Edgar he shook his head then walked out of the room. Edgar looked to Charlotte who gave him a small smile.
“Give him some time, Edgar. His world has changed again and he had the wind knocked out of him…literally. You are his best friend, so this has come as a huge surprise. He will sort himself out. I promise.” Then she shimmered from view.
Gideon paced the rooftop of the large estate, his mind rolling with the revelation that Edgar had been sent to be his keeper. The fact that the Lord didn’t completely trust him with this assignment hurt him very deeply. He knew he wouldn’t look at Edgar the same. He now resented the reason the man was here. He laughed inwardly. Was Edgar really a man? He didn’t even know what to call him any more. It seemed like every time he turned around something changed that threw his whole world off kilter like a crazy amusement park ride. He felt lost and more than a little alone. Edgar was his friend, his confidant. Since Sherrilyn had passed, Edgar was who he would turn to for advice or to hear his thoughts as he rambled on about whatever was troubling him. Gideon was surprised to learn that he needed that. In the heavens, he handled everything alone or he knew how he would handle it with the help of his men. He never sought out counsel or advice from anyone. He sat down, scrubbing his face roughly with both hands.
“That’s a mighty long face there, big guy.” Gideon looked quickly to his left at the sound of a woman’s voice. Sherrilyn was standing right next to him with an amused expression on her face and a beautiful smile on her lips.
“Sherrilyn! What are you doing here? You should be in the heavens!” He sprang to his feet and gathered her up in a giant bear hug…angel style, wrapping his wings as well as his arms tightly around his friend. He heard her say something but her voice was muffled under his wings. He pulled back with a grin.
“What did you say?”
She laughed, tilting her head to look up at him. “I said I couldn’t breathe!” She stretched up onto her tiptoes and gently cupped his face. “I sure have missed you, big guy!” Then she hugged him again. Gideon held her snuggly in his arms while resting his chin on top of her blonde curls.
“Why are you here?” He finally asked softly. She pulled out of his embrace and then sat down cross-legged, patting the space beside her. Once Gideon had lowered himself to sit beside her, she turned to look at him.
“The Lord sent me to talk to you. I know that you know why Edgar was sent here. Boy, that was quite a jaw dropper, huh?”
Gideon frowned then looked away and across the grounds of the estate. “It was something,” he finally muttered.
“Gideon, don’t be like that,” she scolded. The fact that she called him by his name, not big guy or soldier boy, had him feeling chastised like a small child.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to be. The Lord clearly didn’t trust me with this assignment. That’s why He sent Edgar to keep an eye on me. I don’t know how I am supposed to feel about that.”
She reached over and played with the tip of his right wing, running her fingers through the soft black feathers. “Big guy, you’re wrong. It’s not that the Lord didn’t trust you; in fact, you are the only one He did trust with this.”
Gideon shook his head in disagreement. “It doesn’t seem like it. Why do I need a keeper?”
Sherrilyn snorted then slapped his knee. “Keeper is your word, Gideon, not the Lord’s. I think what Edgar said pretty much hit the nail on the head. Mentor. You already come to him with questions or for advice. You do that on your own. Nothing will change in your relationship with him unless you wish it to.”
Gideon got to his feet and paced. “How can you say that? Everything has changed! I don’t even know what Edgar is! Is he human? Angel? Something entirely new?”
Sherrilyn frowned at him as she watched him walk quickly from one side of the roof to the other, his wings snapping back and forth in his anger. He reminded her of an angry cat switching its tail. After the third trip across the roof, she got to her feet and stood in front of him, forcing him to either stop or run right over her.
“Ok, stop! Seriously, you have this all wrong! The Lord knew you would encounter things that were totally foreign to you. You have said it yourself a hundred times that you are out of your element here. All the Lord was doing was providing you with someone to talk to, someone to confide in.”
Gideon looked down at her, his face flush and his eyes glittering with emotion.
“And to humiliate me?”
Sherrilyn couldn’t stop the smile that quirked up the corners of her mouth. She had seen Edgar put Gideon flat out on the floor, and she knew his pride had been damaged. She had to handle this very gently.
“Look, the Lord sent you here for more than one reason, big guy. He sent you to protect Charlie and the family, of course, but He sent you to learn a few things as well. He only wants you to be the best that you can be.”
The angel looked down at her with a puzzled look. “Lessons? What lessons?”
Sherrilyn shrugged. “I can’t tell you that, my friend. I was sent here today to tell you that the Lord is very pleased with the way you have taken care of this family. He absolutely trusts you and He asks that you do the same with Him. Trust Him, Gideon. Trust that whatever He sends to you or for you is exactly what you need, even if you don’t understand it. Edgar is what he always was, your friend. He loves you, and all he wants to do is to help you succeed. Don’t fight against him.” She stopped and looked at him seriously.
“Don’t let your pride get in the way of progress. Be willing to accept help and advice. Be willing to accept that you may not have all the answers.” She then looked up to the heavens.
“I have to go, big guy.” She reached up and pulled him down for another tight hug and a kiss on his cheek.
“Be good! I’ll see you again soon!” She shimmered briefly in a translucent light and was gone.
Gideon watched as the light particles slowly faded and he was alone once more. The cool breeze blew his hair and ruffled the glossy feather of his wings. He was thankful that the Lord had sent Sherrilyn to speak with him. Honestly she was probably the only one who could get through his thick skull. He still wasn’t sure what he felt about Edgar, and he didn’t think that would change any time soon…
Chapter 3
Sabrina stretched then smiled as her foot brushed against Devon’s calf. It would take her a minute to get used to waking up with him every morning, but she felt that was a mission she would tackle with a smile on her face. She eased out of bed and went to the bathroom, taking care of what needed taking care of. As she brushed her teeth, she found herself humming a happy little tune. She opened the door and was glad to see that he hadn’t moved. She slipped back under the covers and kissed her way along his shoulders and then his neck up to the side of his bristly face. He growled something, making her grin. Suddenly she found herself on her back pinned under his body and looking up at his face. His blue eyes were at half-mast still sleepy but warm with passion.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He kissed her gently then rubbed his rough whiskers over her neck and face, making Sabrina squeal and squirm trying to escape.
“Oh, no…you are the one that wanted attention, so don’t whine when you get it, woman!” he growled.
“I wasn’t whining. I was squealing…that’s completely different and acceptable.”
“So what are your plans for the day?” he asked.
Sabina shook her head. “I don’t
have any plans and I honestly don’t want to make any. Let’s just play it by ear.” She stopped and cocked her head then smiled.
“Three…two…one…”
“Mommy! Daddy! Are you awake?” The door was slammed opened and a bundle of energy that was Charlie bounded onto the bed.
“Morning, little girl.” Devon reached and pulled Charlie over Sabrina’s body so she could be nestled between them.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep all right? Did you have sweet dreams?”
Charlie nodded. “Yeah, I dreamed about Dandy…I think he is missing me.” Devon smiled at Sabrina over Charlie’s head.
“I think we just found our plans for the day.”
Two hours later the family of three loaded up in the truck and headed out to the farm. Their guardians took their positions. Gideon and Zareck flew alongside the truck while Charlotte sat in the back. Zareck had not spoken to either of them since the previous night. The black scowl on his face kept even the ever-friendly Charlotte at a distance. As they pulled into the driveway, Gideon saw Seth emerge from the barn, followed by Scarlett and Rhett, waving a big hello with his weathered old cowboy hat. Devon had hired Seth to manage the place and Gideon liked the man. He was only in his fifties, but he had an old soul. He looked like he would have been more comfortable in the eighteen hundreds riding horses and driving wagons than in this modern day era.
“Hi, Seth! I come to see Dandy! I bet he has missed me, huh?” Charlie was already walking over to the paddock where the little black and white pony was grazing.
“Hey there yourself, June-bug! You bet he has missed you. Been off his feed all week.” Seth gave Devon a wink and tipped his hat to Sabrina. “Ma’am.”
Sabrina smiled and waved then headed after her daughter. “Seth, the place looks good, real good. Did you have any problems?” The two men walked inside the barn to get the saddle for Dandy.
“No, sir, not any problems. That blue roan mare is due to foal any minute and I was sure hoping she would wait until you got back. I know how partial you are to her.”
Devon grinned. “I was hoping she would, too. Where did you put her?”
“I put her in the small corral behind the barn. I thought it would be best if she had some shelter to get under in case she decided to foal during a thunderstorm or something. You can just about bet that’s what she would decide to do if I wasn’t prepared.” They walked on through the barn and went out of the back door to a small corral around back. A lovely blue roan mare with a white blazed face and four white stockings was pacing restlessly. Devon whistled softly and she pricked her ears and nickered before walking slowly to the fence, where she shoved her nose at him.
“Hey, Beautiful, it’s about time for that pretty little baby, huh?” He rubbed her gently between the eyes. Seth opened the gate and walked over to feel her large distended belly. He ran his hands low under her belly, smiling when the foal gave a strong kick.
“I would sure hate to be on the receiving end of that kick! This little fella is gonna be a jumper.” He snapped the lead rope onto her halter then led her into the barn. He put her in a stall that had been prepared with fresh straw for the birth. They had just closed the stall door when they heard Charlie and Sabrina leading Dandy into the barn to be saddled.
“Hey, why is Beautiful in a stall? Is she sick?” Charlie pulled herself up onto the stall door and tried to whistle to the mare like Devon would. It didn’t quite sound the same, but the mare came to her anyway.
“June-bug, Beautiful isn’t sick. She is going to be a mama real soon and she is getting ready to have a baby.” Charlie’s blue eyes grew large as she looked from Seth to the mare’s large belly.
“A baby? A baby horse? Like Dandy?” Devon chuckled.
“Is that what you thought Dandy was? A baby? Sweetheart, Dandy isn’t a baby horse -- he is just a small horse. He won’t get any bigger.”
Charlie frowned as she looked at her pony then up at Devon and Sabrina.
“But what will happen when I get big like you and Mama? I will be too big for Dandy if he doesn’t grow!” Devon reached and lifted Charlie off the stall door. He sat down on a hay bale then settled her on his knee.
“Well now, Charlie girl, I’ve been thinking on this. You see, Beautiful here is a real special little mare. Do you know why she is special?” Charlie shook her head no.
“She is special because she is going to help us with our little problem of you outgrowing Dandy one day.”
Charlie scrunched up her face. “How can she help? Can she make Dandy get bigger?” That had everyone, angels included, except for Zareck, chuckling.
“No, she can’t make him bigger. What she is going to do is have a baby that will grow to be big enough, big enough that you can ride him or her for a very long time. Charlie, this new baby will be yours.”
Charlie looked up at Devon, the surprise evident on her little face.
“Mine? But will I have to give Dandy away?” Her bottom lip started to tremble at the thought of giving up her beloved pony. Sabrina knelt down beside her.
“No, sweetheart, Dandy is yours for as long as you want him to be, even after you get too big for him. This new horse will be yours, too. You will have two horses! One to ride now and then by the time you’re too big for Dandy, this baby will be ready for you to ride.” The little girl’s face was all smiles as she took in the news that she would have two horses to love and to take care of.
“Oh, please hurry, Beautiful, and have your baby!”
They stayed at the farm for the rest of the day. They all saddled up, riding across the pastures and down wooded paths until it was nearly dark. When they got back to the barn, Charlie raced inside then came back out with a look of disappointment on her face. “She still hasn’t had my baby.”
Seth dismounted his buckskin and chucked her under the chin. “Be patient for just another day or two. I promise Beautiful will have your baby real soon.”
The following night Devon shook his head as he watched flash after flash of lightening light up the night sky. The loud crack of thunder made every window in the large estate shudder. Edgar went around pulling out the oil lamps and getting flashlights ready.
“This is the worst storm I’ve seen in years. Does it always storm like this out here?” Cleo asked as she looked out of the plate glass window jumping every time the lighting would split across the sky.
“Every so often we will get a bad one and tonight is one of the worst I’ve seen. But they don’t usually last long when they are this bad.” Devon replied. Sabrina had just entered the den when Devon’s cell phone went off. He answered it and immediately his face showed concern. After he hung up, he looked at Sabrina.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. He shook his head as he headed for the hall closet to get his rain gear.
“That was Seth. Beautiful is in labor, and she is having trouble. He is worried the foal might not make it.” Sabrina gasped, covering her mouth.
“Oh, no…can you help?”
He shook his head again. “I don’t know, but I’m going out there to try.”
Sabrina looked at Charlie who was playing on the floor with Moppet. “What do I tell Charlie?”
Devon stopped and looked at the little girl for a moment. “I think we should bring her with us.”
Sabrina looked at Devon like he was crazy. “I don’t think that is a good idea. The storm is awful and what if…what if the foal doesn’t make it? She will be devastated.”
Devon cupped Sabrina’s shoulders. “Baby, she needs to understand that sometimes things don’t make it. Whether she is here or there, if the foal dies she will be hurt. Let her be a part of whatever time it has. But you need to prepare her, ok?” Sabrina nodded as she looked at her daughter, praying that she wouldn’t receive her first broken heart that night.
Sabrina held Charlie’s hand as they watch Beautiful strain to deliver her foal. The mare was sweaty and worn out, but she bravely struggled on. Devon and Seth were in th
e stall doing all they could to make her more comfortable.
“Mama, I don’t want the baby to go to heaven. I want it to stay here with me and Dandy. Please make it stay!”
Sabrina hugged her tightly. “Oh, baby, I wish I could make it stay, but that is God’s decision to make, not ours. He may feel that the baby will be better off with Him in heaven if it is sick. We wouldn’t want to keep the baby here all sick and unhappy, would we?”
Charlie shook her head but tears tumbled one after another down her cheeks, eating away at Gideon’s heart. He paced the barn willing the mare to deliver a healthy foal for Charlie’s sake.
A few minutes later Beautiful went down and started to push. Seth knelt beside her ready to pull the foal if it came to that. In less than three minutes the tiny hooves appeared, followed by a nose. Then the rest of the foal came out with a rush and was still and silent in the straw. Seth grabbed a handful of straw and started rubbing the tiny baby roughly, trying to stimulate it. He cleaned the mucus from its nostrils and breathed into its nose for several minutes. Devon tied the anxious mare at the other end of the stall while Seth worked frantically on the unresponsive foal.
Charlie and Sabrina watched and prayed while Gideon paced. After fifteen minutes Seth shook his head.
“I’m sorry…I’ve done all I know to do,” he said sadly.
Devon nodded, his face a mask of sorrow as he looked over at Charlie who at once understood what had happened.
“No, Mama! I want my baby!” she wailed as Sabrina hugged her, trying to comfort her, but she cried even harder. Gideon had walked to the other end of the barn. At Charlie’s heartbroken cries he came striding back and entered the stall.
“Gideon, what are you doing? We are not supposed to interfere! You will get in trouble!” Charlotte admonished.
Gideon didn’t respond to her warning. He waited until the men had walked over to the other end of the stall to tend to the mare. He lifted the tiny muzzle. Cupping his hands around it, he breathed into it. Once, twice, three times…then he waited. A few seconds passed and then suddenly the foal twitched, kicking out one of its absurdly-long legs.
