opened again and Hanna rushed inside. “I just heard,” she said. “On the radio. Is he—?”
“He’s alive,” Rodney said, sitting back down in his chair.
“It’s a miracle,” Hanna said, standing next to Daphne’s chair and watching the television.
Everyone else sat down.
We’re getting word from the paramedics now, the announcer continued. Not only did Eric Madison survive the worst crash of the Eldorado 500, but apparently he is uninjured.
“Oh—”
“my—”
“God,” Betsy, Bobbi and Bea said.
Preparations are being made to airlift him to hospital for evaluation and—wait, what’s this?—he claims he doesn’t want to go to a hospital! The announcer paused in his report. Probably the shock of what has happened. The report concluded and the cameras switched to the winners stage.
Rodney pressed his fingers to his forehead, took a deep breath and stood up. “Hanna, we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. I’m here to take Jessibelle to lunch.”
“Change of plans,” Jessibelle said, as she gathered her jacket and purse.
“It will only take a minute,” Rodney said. “And then you can go.”
“What?” Hanna said, impatiently.
“I’d like to thank you for not marrying me.”
“What?” Hanna said, confusion echoing in her voice.
“I’m in love with Daphne,” Rodney said. “You and I were never meant to be, except for you to be a stepping stone to my meeting her.”
“What?” Hanna said, for the third time, as she dropped down into the chair beside Daphne.
Daphne had the good sense to blush.
“I don’t know how it happened,” she said. “We just realized how compatible we are. And, well, the plans are all in place. It will be a beautiful spring wedding.”
Hanna watched the two of them. “Congratulations,” she said, mechanically.
“But, one glitch,” Daphne said. “My sisters won’t be able to fly in. I wondered if you’d be one of my bridesmaids?”
Hanna stared at her. “Are you kidding?”
“I’ll do it,” Betsy said.
“Do what?” Bobbi asked.
“Be a bridesmaid.”
“Me, too,” Bobbi said.
“And me, too,” Bea said.
· · · · ·
Fifteen minutes later, Jessibelle sat on the bus to Mercy Hospital, fidgeting as she anticipated meeting Gabriel Black. He would wake up from his coma. They would meet again. And this time, since he was human, a real relationship could develop between them.
But would he remember his time as an angel? Would he remember her?
It didn’t matter. She would be there for him. She’d help to nurse him back to health. She’d visit him every day and talk to him and read to him and touch him and massage his skin. She’d bring him flowers to smell, and flavors to taste. Every flavor she could find.
At last, she reached the big solid entrance doors to the ICU. She pressed the buzzer to announce her arrival and held her breath.
A few minutes later, the same nurse from earlier greeted her, looking tired and worn out.
“Can I see him? Did you get permission?”
The nurse touched Jessibelle’s arm and led her to a pair of chairs in the hall. “Sit down,” she said, and they did.
“I didn’t want to tell you on the phone,” the nurse said, sadness filling her expression.
A flicker of doubt wafted over the air between them. “Didn’t want—” Jessibelle stumbled, the words feeling thick on her tongue. “What are you saying?”
“I’m so sorry,” the nurse said, touching her hand. “Gabriel Black died today.”
Chapter Nine
Three weeks later
When the nurse told her Gabe had died, at first Jessibelle could not believe it. There had to be a mistake. Somehow, she knew Gabriel Black was her angel. She’d hoped he would come to her in human form, too.
But that was not to be. Gabriel Black had died alone, and she hadn’t even been able to see him.
The first few days had been the hardest. But she remembered what her grandmother had always said, that things happen for a reason, even though
“He’s alive,” Rodney said, sitting back down in his chair.
“It’s a miracle,” Hanna said, standing next to Daphne’s chair and watching the television.
Everyone else sat down.
We’re getting word from the paramedics now, the announcer continued. Not only did Eric Madison survive the worst crash of the Eldorado 500, but apparently he is uninjured.
“Oh—”
“my—”
“God,” Betsy, Bobbi and Bea said.
Preparations are being made to airlift him to hospital for evaluation and—wait, what’s this?—he claims he doesn’t want to go to a hospital! The announcer paused in his report. Probably the shock of what has happened. The report concluded and the cameras switched to the winners stage.
Rodney pressed his fingers to his forehead, took a deep breath and stood up. “Hanna, we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. I’m here to take Jessibelle to lunch.”
“Change of plans,” Jessibelle said, as she gathered her jacket and purse.
“It will only take a minute,” Rodney said. “And then you can go.”
“What?” Hanna said, impatiently.
“I’d like to thank you for not marrying me.”
“What?” Hanna said, confusion echoing in her voice.
“I’m in love with Daphne,” Rodney said. “You and I were never meant to be, except for you to be a stepping stone to my meeting her.”
“What?” Hanna said, for the third time, as she dropped down into the chair beside Daphne.
Daphne had the good sense to blush.
“I don’t know how it happened,” she said. “We just realized how compatible we are. And, well, the plans are all in place. It will be a beautiful spring wedding.”
Hanna watched the two of them. “Congratulations,” she said, mechanically.
“But, one glitch,” Daphne said. “My sisters won’t be able to fly in. I wondered if you’d be one of my bridesmaids?”
Hanna stared at her. “Are you kidding?”
“I’ll do it,” Betsy said.
“Do what?” Bobbi asked.
“Be a bridesmaid.”
“Me, too,” Bobbi said.
“And me, too,” Bea said.
· · · · ·
Fifteen minutes later, Jessibelle sat on the bus to Mercy Hospital, fidgeting as she anticipated meeting Gabriel Black. He would wake up from his coma. They would meet again. And this time, since he was human, a real relationship could develop between them.
But would he remember his time as an angel? Would he remember her?
It didn’t matter. She would be there for him. She’d help to nurse him back to health. She’d visit him every day and talk to him and read to him and touch him and massage his skin. She’d bring him flowers to smell, and flavors to taste. Every flavor she could find.
At last, she reached the big solid entrance doors to the ICU. She pressed the buzzer to announce her arrival and held her breath.
A few minutes later, the same nurse from earlier greeted her, looking tired and worn out.
“Can I see him? Did you get permission?”
The nurse touched Jessibelle’s arm and led her to a pair of chairs in the hall. “Sit down,” she said, and they did.
“I didn’t want to tell you on the phone,” the nurse said, sadness filling her expression.
A flicker of doubt wafted over the air between them. “Didn’t want—” Jessibelle stumbled, the words feeling thick on her tongue. “What are you saying?”
“I’m so sorry,” the nurse said, touching her hand. “Gabriel Black died today.”
Chapter Nine
Three weeks later
When the nurse told her Gabe had died, at first Jessibelle could not believe it. There had to be a mistake. Somehow, she knew Gabriel Black was her angel. She’d hoped he would come to her in human form, too.
But that was not to be. Gabriel Black had died alone, and she hadn’t even been able to see him.
The first few days had been the hardest. But she remembered what her grandmother had always said, that things happen for a reason, even though
Similar Books
