“Hello, Dianna,” Trisha Sheldon said, her light blue eyes holding a cautious glint. “Good to see you, too.”
Dianna spun around too angry to smile at her dear friend. Her date had not ended well. All because of a stupid oath she’d taken eleven years ago. “Kirk called me a cold-blooded circus freak.”
“He’s obviously an asshole and not worth your time.” Trisha crossed her arms tight over her ample chest. Even at five foot eight, Dianna still had to tilt her head slightly to look her friend in the eye. “What would make him say such a horrible thing?”
Dianna stared at the floor. She hated going through this, but she knew Trisha would understand. “I wouldn’t sleep with him and tonight he found out why. I discovered he’d been cheating on me. When I got angry, he said I had no right to be because there was something wrong with me.”
“Ooooh.” Trisha uncrossed her arms as understanding dawned, and ran fingers through her short, golden waves. “Huh, I wasn’t expecting you this early.”
“What? How did you know I was coming over?”
Trisha closed the door and turned to her with a gentle smile. “The first time you did this, Josh and I had just gotten married. You barged into our home and said you’d had it with the Saving It Sisters’ Pact because another guy dumped you.”
Dianna’s jaw dropped. “You remember that?”
“It wasn’t that long ago, sweetie.” She rubbed her hands together, her face contorted in concentration. “The second time you’d just turned twenty-five and your psychiatrist boyfriend suggested you were a lesbian.”
Dianna fought a grin. She remembered that day all too well. And the shock on the ass’s face when she’d told him what he could do with his diagnosis.
“Since your thirtieth birthday isn’t until next month, I wasn’t quite ready for your, what I’ve come to call – ” she hooked her fingers into air quotes, “ – ‘milestone meltdowns.’” She placed a hand on Dianna’s shoulder as they walked into the front living room.
“Maybe Kirk is right. Maybe there is something wrong with me.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Dianna fought to untie the knot in her stomach. “How many twenty-nine year old virgins do you know?”
“Two.”
“Vicky Brooks doesn’t count.”
“Why not? She was one of the SIS’s and she seems to have no problem staying the course.”
“Vicky was also raised in a strict Christian household by a pastor.” Dianna circled the coffee table positioned in front of the leather sofa and chair.
“So was your cousin and he sure didn’t have a problem with causing trouble.” Trish fluffed her hair. “That is, until he met me.”
“You were a good influence on him. What role models do I have? A mother who is, I’m sorry, but for lack of a better word, a prowling cougar and a father who’s on his, what, third marriage?’
“Fourth.”
“Great.”
“And who says they’re not good role models? Maybe your mother is just living life the way she chooses, regardless of what people think, and your dad refuses to give up on finding his happily ever after.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Dianna tossed her purse onto the table then plopped into the nearby leather chair, her anger slowly turning to dread. “I just thought, when I took that oath, I’d have found the right guy by now, you know? And now I’m stuck.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yeah, I am. I don’t break promises, but I also don’t have any prospects for a lasting relationship either.”
Trisha settled onto the ottoman sitting in front of the chair. “You made that promise when you were eighteen. You were scared, away from home for the first time, and happy to meet girls who were still waiting for the right guy, just like you. I think you can forgive yourself this one.”
Could she? Dianna knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of broken promises. Her parents had made sure of that. But breaking this one wouldn’t hurt anyone. Except maybe Victoria Brooks, the only other SIS left, and the three others who had kept their pact.
“At this point, I just want to get it over with.”
Trisha’s shoulders slumped. “I wish I could offer some words of advice, but this is a decision you have to make on your own. Think it through before you do.”
Dianna leaned forward and hugged her friend. If nothing else, Trisha always had a knack for helping her see things clearly.
“Hey, cuz!” Joshua Sheldon entered the living room donned in a robe and slippers. His mussed shaggy auburn hair flew in all directions, as if he’d been lying down, but his emerald green eyes held delight. “Look at you, all dressed up like a girl for once. What brings you by so late?”
Dianna cringed. She’d barged in without any worry for the time. Normally, it wouldn’t bother her, but right now, she felt like a nuisance.
Standing, she offered her cheek to her cousin. “I’m sorry I interrupted your evening.”
“Uh-oh, something must be wrong if you’re bothered about manners.”
She giggled and swatted his arm. Leave it to Josh to make her laugh through her torment.
“Ow! Must you hit so hard?” He rubbed his arm where she landed her blow. “I was gonna offer you some tea or something, but now you can just get it yourself.”
She reached for her purse. “Thanks, I was just leaving anyway.”
“Honey,” Trisha wrapped her arm around her husband, “can you give us a minute?”
Josh’s eyes shifted between his wife and Dianna. “Okay, but only if Di agrees to bring a cake to our anniversary dinner on Friday. And you better make it special.” His eyes turned glassy as he rubbed his wife’s tummy. “We’re going to make the big announcement.”
She forced a grin, despite the emotional lump in her throat. She was so happy that after years of trying, Josh and Trisha were finally going to be parents.
“You know I will. Will Amanda be there?”
The light in his eyes dimmed somewhat at the mention of his younger sister. “No, she said she’s not ready to make the drive alone.”
Dianna shared his sorrow. Was it only three months since her aunt and uncle died in a boating accident? The tragedy hit the Sheldon family hard, but the perpetually happy Amanda had been completely thrown. Living alone in that big house in Pennsylvania couldn’t be easy for her.
“You have a deal.”
“Great.” With a tight hug that left Dianna feeling weepy, he went back to bed.
When Josh was out of earshot, Trisha turned to her. “Why don’t you reconsider and stay for a while. We can chat more about that pact and what you want to do.”
Even as her friend said the words, Dianna realized she’d made her decision the moment Kirk slammed the door in her face, leaving her to find her own ride home.
She was tired of waiting. Tired of people looking at her like she was a new species in a science lab.
Screw it! She didn’t have to think it through.
It was done.
Chapter Two
OH, HUMANS. HOW SILLY they could be.
Adriel shook his head in dismay. He stood in front of a fluffy cloud, about the size of a big screen TV on Earth. On that cloud reflected the moments of Dianna’s life. With a twitch of his finger, he changed the channel in time to see Sean storming from his girlfriend’s home after another ridiculous fight.
The picture flickered. Adriel stepped forward and whacked the side of the cloud until the scene went clear again. “Damn solar flares.”
He glanced around the Saturn-sized room, noticing his fellow guardians, dressed in an array of business suits, casual attire, and loungewear, were having trouble with their clouds as well. The space sparkled and glowed, with no apparent ceiling, but Adriel knew it was there. Well, it was more of a barrier than a ceiling, really. Under which swarming points of light hovered, growing brighter and brighter until they eventually slipped through.
If nothing else, the first floor of Heav
en was a colorful place.
Any guardian could tell the mood of his charges by the hue of the fluffy cloud-like mass. White was business as usual, pink intense joy, blue showed love, and red showed an evil deed was about to be performed. Purple—well, they stayed away from purple. Sexual beings needed their privacy.
Right now, Dianna’s cloud was a dark gray. Dismay. Sean’s an intense yellow, showing anger.
“Are those the two humans you were telling me about?”
Adriel turned toward Jude’s deep, booming voice. The archangel stood tall and strong, his wings tucked tightly against his back. His eyes were ice blue, his hair jet black. The steel armor reflected the bright lights circling far above them, a stark comparison to Adriel’s simple gray suit. “Yes.”
“The female seems sad.”
Adriel inwardly chortled. The archangels cared for God’s children, but rarely had the chance to connect with individuals on Earth. They did tend to have a soft spot for those heading for heartache. Jude, especially, often came down from the upper floor and peered over the shoulders of the guardians, hoping to help out when he could.
“Her name is Dianna. And yes, she is very sad.”
“Why?”
“Because her soul refuses to recognize its mate.”
“Has her mate recognized her?”
“Sadly, no.”
“This is odd, is it not?”
“Very.”
Jude jutted his chin in the air. “They should take comfort. They will discover the truth eventually when they join us here.”
Archangels really had no idea how the human mind worked, but Adriel was willing to teach them. “It is hard for humans to rejoice when they are sad. Some feel they’ve missed out on life if they don’t find their intended love on Earth.”
“I do not understand. I thought soul mates recognized each other the moment they meet. Even if unconsciously.”
“Not always. Angie and Jack never did.”
Angie.
Adriel glanced in her direction. He had watched her grow from the moment she was born, to when he held her at Jack’s deathbed. His essence had ached from the sorrow that’d engulfed her just seconds before she, herself, died.
She still felt the sorrow in the deep recesses of her spirit. This troubled Adriel. Sorrow simply was not felt here. It was how they knew if a soul had passed through the barrier from Earth to Heaven before their time.
But it had been Angie’s time. Of this, he was sure.
Hence his concern.
What Jude had said was true; soul mates recognized each other, even here on the first floor of Heaven, where former humans came to acclimate themselves before they moved to the upper floor and their eternal home.
But not Angie and Jack.
Jude also shifted his attention to the pair, the only two spheres of light huddled in the lonely corner of the immense room. He studied the two beings; his strong brow furrowing. “Why are their lights so much dimmer than the rest?”
“Because they’re not ready to move up. Their souls need to reach the same brightness as The Light before they can ascend to your sector.”
“How long does it usually take?”
“For some, mere seconds. For others, a few Earth days.”
Jude turned to Adriel, his face full of concern. “Angie and Jack have been here sixteen of their years.”
“Yes, and that is troublesome.”
“Why?”
The unease that filled Adriel was foreign and uncomfortable. “Because instead of getting brighter, their lights are dimming.”
“And what happens if their lights go out?”
“They fall back to Earth as ghosts.”
“I do not like this.” Jude stood straighter, puffing out his massive chest. “Why does this happen?”
“Sometimes rare, earthly circumstances push people’s lives onto the wrong track and for some reason it’s not corrected when they cross the barrier into the lower floor of Heaven.” He gestured toward the clouds in front of them. “I fear the same thing will happen to Sean and Dianna.”
“I am sad for them.”
“Perhaps we should try to nudge them off that track,” Adriel suggested.
“How can we nudge them when they have free will?”
“Every now and then we can give them a swift kick in the pants.”
“Uh, huh.” Jude crossed his massive arms, his face intense with thought—or confusion. “I see. And how will physically abusing their trousers help?”
Adriel held back his laugh. “I mean a gentle, loving push.”
“How do we do that?”
“Perhaps by sending down heavenly bodies that had been in the same situation while they were on Earth?” He nodded his head in the direction of the two floundering souls.
Jude followed his stare. “You mean like Angie and Jack?”
“Yes. Exactly like Angie and Jack.”
“Call them over,” Jude said. “I wish this to be done.”
Within seconds, Angie and Jack joined them.
Adriel was happy Jude had agreed to his plan. If it worked, they could right two wrongs.
“My precious children.” Adriel opened his arms in welcome. “We have a job for you.”
***
Standing on shaky legs, Angie Hanson blinked, her eyes adjusting to the earthly light. A moment ago, she’d been a ball of energy speaking to Adriel and the archangel, Jude, about a job they wanted her to do. Now she was human again, back on Earth and breathing in ocean air.
Taking a few minutes to steady herself, she raised her hands, studying them. They appeared to be the same as when she’d last seen them, but her mind was so foggy, she wasn’t sure. Long, slim, slightly wrinkled with age. Couldn’t they have sent her back as a firm twenty-something?
Surely they wouldn’t have her return looking like she had in life.
She pressed her fingers against her face, exploring the bone structure, the fullness of her lips, the slight point of her nose. She ran them through her hair, a chin-length bob, soft, with a slight wave. The way she’d always worn it on Earth. Oooh! Had they made her a blonde this time, instead of the dull brown with highlights of gray she’d had? Shorter? She glanced down, trying to measure the distance to the ground. It sure looked the same. Dangit. She’d hated being so tall, although it had helped gain control over unruly, aggressive patients in her practice. She wished she had a tape measure. And a mirror.
Scanning the area, she easily concluded she was at the beach, hidden behind sandy dunes and tall grass. Clouds covered the sky, but the air was warm with a strong breeze. Seagulls cried overhead, cutting through the almost eerie silence.
A knot formed in her chest as an overwhelming sense of being home warmed her. Had she felt this way in Heaven? Except for Adriel and Jude, she couldn’t remember much about her time there, although she knew she had been.
Okay, she was on Earth.
Now what?
A low grunt caused her to lurch, pulling her from her confused thoughts. Glancing in the direction of the sound, her heart jumped when a man about five yards away draped in what looked like white silk pushed himself into a sitting position.
Struggling to his feet, he was tall, lean, with dark hair streaked with silver. He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Then he turned and the periwinkle blue eyes sixteen years in Heaven could not erase from memory jerked her into awareness.
Jack.
How could she forget the angels had sent him down with her?
Settling his gaze on her, his eyes grew wide. Their whoops of joy were in unison as she hurried toward him. Jack swept her into his arms, twirling her around. “Angie, you haven’t changed at all.”
She laid her forehead against his, tears she couldn’t explain streaming down her face. Her memories were so full of holes, so mixed up. But she knew him. Knew how important he’d been to her. “You mean I look like me?”
He put her down and cupped her face, seeming as emotional as she was
. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“You look like you too. I wasn’t sure if they’d have us the same or not. What if someone recognizes us?”
Jack lowered his hands, his features pensive for a minute. “You have a point, but Adriel said we are on Long Island, some eastern hamlet called Seashore Cove. You’ve never been to New York and I’ve only been to the city. Neither of us knew anyone who lived here.”
She nodded, somehow that knowledge being crystal clear. But when she looked at Jack, all she could remember was how much he meant to her. “Still, it seems a little risky to send us here looking like we did in the past.”
“I’m sure Adriel and Jude had their reasons.”
Angie stepped back to get a better look at all six plus feet of him. He was indeed draped in silk with accents of gold. “Why are you wearing a toga?”
“Wh—?” He looked down, gripping the fabric in his fists. “What the fuck!”
“Jack! I don’t think angels are supposed to swear.”
“But, I’m dressed like a woman!”
“It’s very becoming on you.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Do you think this is the style now?”
“No more in style than what you’re wearing.”
Angie glanced at her colorful attire. No wonder she kept tripping. The robe hung down to her sandals. “A kimono? Really?”
“Jude must’ve been put in charge of wardrobe.”
“I guess—whoa!” She turned, and then hit the sand, having fallen over something bulky.
Jack rushed to her side. “Are you okay? Your belt isn’t too tight, is it?”
“It’s called an obi and I’m fine.” She nudged her head toward her feet. “I fell over that.”
Squatting down beside her, Jack examined the brown leather bag. It was old and worn but the gold metal plate attached to the front read: Jack and Angie.
“Do you think that’s for us?” Angie sat up on her knees.
“No I think it’s for another pair named Angie and Jack.”
She swatted his arm. “Just open it.”
Slowly, as if afraid a set of fake spring-action snakes would jump out at him, Jack released the clasp.
Angels in Seashore Cove (Love and Laugh in Seashore Cove Book 2) Page 2
