lifting my hand and laying my fingertips over her heart. “If you remember that, you’ll be fine.”
She reaches up and grasps my hand, holding my eyes with hers. “Do you think I can do what Gabe wants me to?”
I’ve thought about that. As crazy as Gabriel’s plan is, with a little more practice, I think Frannie could probably pull off her end of it. But there’s no way Gabriel will be able to destroy Lucifer. He’ll fail utterly and get Frannie killed in the process. “I think you can do anything you set your heart to.”
She swallows hard and nods before dropping my hand. She pulls a deep breath and stands. “I just need some time…”
But time is the one thing I’m fairly certain we don’t have. I gain my feet and look down into her eyes, praying sincerely to God to help me see my role—how I can help her.
Something in her expression changes—loosens. But just as she opens her mouth to say something, the front door swings open and Gabriel strides through, Faith’s arm in his tight grasp and a scowl on his face.
Faith looks freshly showered, her hair still damp and dangling around her shoulders. She offers a strained smile when she sees us.
“Luc is going to stay at Faith’s,” Gabriel announces.
“Oh … um…” Frannie trails off and splits a tentative glance between Faith and me.
I fight the smile I feel pulling at my mouth, but I’m not entirely successful as I catch Frannie’s eye. “Thanks for the offer, Faith, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Explain,” Gabriel presses, shooting me a glare.
I shrug and my smile widens. “Love conquers all?”
Frannie bursts out a nervous laugh, and Gabriel’s eyes shift between us, assessing. “This is what you want, Frannie?”
Her gaze grows concerned as it falls on me. “Maybe you should—” she starts, but I stop her with my best “don’t even think about it” stare.
Gabriel rolls his eyes and settles into the seat on the couch that I just vacated. “You two need to make up your mind whether you love each other or hate each other.” He doesn’t even try to hide the venom in his words as he glares at me.
Faith settles into the couch next to Gabriel. It’s clear from the look on her face that she’s totally uncomfortable in the middle of this. “Um … thanks for the run, Luc. It was great to have someone to push me.”
I nod and pull a chair over from the kitchen table as Frannie drops into the armchair under the window.
Gabriel settles back into the cushions. “Since the Luc thing,” he says with a punctuating glare in my direction, “seems to be settled, Faith needs to give you the rundown.”
Frannie quirks a quizzical frown at him. “What rundown?”
“Just about the people around here, so you’ll know if anything is … off,” Faith answers.
She proceeds to give Frannie the lowdown on everyone who lives within a half mile. Finally she starts winding down. “Oh! And old man Butler, third house on the right,” she says, pointing down the beach, “is a stealth groper. He’ll pretend to help you pick up your beach bag, or your towel or something, and cop a feel in the process.” Her face pinches. “I’ll point him out to you. Stay far away.”
By the time Faith is convinced that Frannie won’t be taken by surprise by Mr. Butler, or any other of the neighbors, we decide to call for pizza.
“Jerry, the pizza guy,” Faith says low in Frannie’s ear as he approaches the door, “got his last two girlfriends pregnant. Also stay away.”
“So … yeah.” Frannie says, her face screwing up with disgust.
We slide into seats around the table and demolish two large pizzas. “Now’s the perfect time to practice,” Gabriel says to Frannie as we’re finishing up.
Frannie goes a little pale. “My Sway?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Faith’s eyes widen.
Gabriel nods. “Start small.”
She shrugs. “Like what?”
“Use your imagination,” he says, leaning back in his chair and
She reaches up and grasps my hand, holding my eyes with hers. “Do you think I can do what Gabe wants me to?”
I’ve thought about that. As crazy as Gabriel’s plan is, with a little more practice, I think Frannie could probably pull off her end of it. But there’s no way Gabriel will be able to destroy Lucifer. He’ll fail utterly and get Frannie killed in the process. “I think you can do anything you set your heart to.”
She swallows hard and nods before dropping my hand. She pulls a deep breath and stands. “I just need some time…”
But time is the one thing I’m fairly certain we don’t have. I gain my feet and look down into her eyes, praying sincerely to God to help me see my role—how I can help her.
Something in her expression changes—loosens. But just as she opens her mouth to say something, the front door swings open and Gabriel strides through, Faith’s arm in his tight grasp and a scowl on his face.
Faith looks freshly showered, her hair still damp and dangling around her shoulders. She offers a strained smile when she sees us.
“Luc is going to stay at Faith’s,” Gabriel announces.
“Oh … um…” Frannie trails off and splits a tentative glance between Faith and me.
I fight the smile I feel pulling at my mouth, but I’m not entirely successful as I catch Frannie’s eye. “Thanks for the offer, Faith, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Explain,” Gabriel presses, shooting me a glare.
I shrug and my smile widens. “Love conquers all?”
Frannie bursts out a nervous laugh, and Gabriel’s eyes shift between us, assessing. “This is what you want, Frannie?”
Her gaze grows concerned as it falls on me. “Maybe you should—” she starts, but I stop her with my best “don’t even think about it” stare.
Gabriel rolls his eyes and settles into the seat on the couch that I just vacated. “You two need to make up your mind whether you love each other or hate each other.” He doesn’t even try to hide the venom in his words as he glares at me.
Faith settles into the couch next to Gabriel. It’s clear from the look on her face that she’s totally uncomfortable in the middle of this. “Um … thanks for the run, Luc. It was great to have someone to push me.”
I nod and pull a chair over from the kitchen table as Frannie drops into the armchair under the window.
Gabriel settles back into the cushions. “Since the Luc thing,” he says with a punctuating glare in my direction, “seems to be settled, Faith needs to give you the rundown.”
Frannie quirks a quizzical frown at him. “What rundown?”
“Just about the people around here, so you’ll know if anything is … off,” Faith answers.
She proceeds to give Frannie the lowdown on everyone who lives within a half mile. Finally she starts winding down. “Oh! And old man Butler, third house on the right,” she says, pointing down the beach, “is a stealth groper. He’ll pretend to help you pick up your beach bag, or your towel or something, and cop a feel in the process.” Her face pinches. “I’ll point him out to you. Stay far away.”
By the time Faith is convinced that Frannie won’t be taken by surprise by Mr. Butler, or any other of the neighbors, we decide to call for pizza.
“Jerry, the pizza guy,” Faith says low in Frannie’s ear as he approaches the door, “got his last two girlfriends pregnant. Also stay away.”
“So … yeah.” Frannie says, her face screwing up with disgust.
We slide into seats around the table and demolish two large pizzas. “Now’s the perfect time to practice,” Gabriel says to Frannie as we’re finishing up.
Frannie goes a little pale. “My Sway?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Faith’s eyes widen.
Gabriel nods. “Start small.”
She shrugs. “Like what?”
“Use your imagination,” he says, leaning back in his chair and
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