“No sense wasting good food,” she said, referring to the skillet of eggs she’d set aside when they’d gone up to Bridie’s house.
Jonah ventured another look. Luce was fussing with her clothes as he pulled up to the curb in front of Harold’s Eats.
Jonah checked the time. It was only a little after seven-thirty in the morning, but it felt like they’d been up for hours.
“What time do you get off work?” he asked.
“The diner only serves breakfast and lunch. I usually get off around three.”
“I’ll be back,” he said.
Luce nodded and started to get out of the truck, then stopped and made herself look at him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Jonah asked.
Luce sighed. “For staying with me instead of Bridie.”
“Why do you think I did that?” he asked.
She hesitated to answer; then her shoulders slumped. “You know…don’t you?” she said.
“I know you’re afraid of something…or someone.”
“Yes.”
“Why won’t you talk about it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know who’s doing it.”
“Besides the trap, what else has he done?”
“Notes…lots of notes with ugly and threatening messages.”
“Did you tell the police?”
She rolled her eyes. “For all the good it did. Since I haven’t been attacked, there’s nothing they can do.”
“And you don’t have any suspicions at all?”
Luce shook her head. “None.”
“You realize that my presence could escalate what’s happening, rather than deter it?”
“Maybe that will be for the good. I just want it to be over.”
“Since we’re being honest with each other, there’s something you need to know about me, too,” Jonah said.
Luce rolled her eyes. “Besides being an angel who converses with animals, what else could there possibly be?”
“There’s a million-dollar bounty on me.”
Luce gasped. “By the law?”
“No. Just a man…a man who’s been after me for years.”
“A million dollars! Why?”
“I saved his life once. Now I guess he wants to live forever and thinks I can make that happen.”
“That’s some thanks for your trouble,” Luce said.
“It’s only fair that you know, and if it makes you uncomfortable, I can still go stay with Bridie.”
Luce felt the blood rush from her face. “No. Stay with me…please,” she said, hating the panic in her voice.
There was nothing in life he would rather do than stay with her—forever. But for Jonah, wanting and having were two different things.
“It’s your call,” he said.
The tension in Luce’s body eased. That was all she needed to hear.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Jonah was watching her expression closely, memorizing everything there was to know, knowing there would come a day when memories would be all he had left of her.
“Yes. Have a good day, Lucia.”
There was a smile on her face as she got out of the truck. For the first time in a long time, she felt good—and even better, she felt safe.
He’d been standing at the counter in the drugstore, waiting for a prescription to be filled, when he’d turned around and seen Bridie Tuesday’s old truck pull up to the diner. When he saw Luce Andahar get out and go inside, a knot formed in his gut. He’d wanted her the day she’d shown up in town, and he’d wanted her every day since. It was a sin to want a woman like that, and since he was already married, it was an even bigger sin.
But he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He’d prayed on his knees until they’d ached to be delivered from the insanity of such lust. He’d closed his eyes when he made love to his wife and pretended she was Luce. He bought things for his wife with Luce in mind. The unholy desire had eaten at him for the past five years until his thoughts about Luce were no longer rational. He’d though that when he married his wife, this lust for other women would end. And for a while, it had. Then Luce came to town, and everything he’d tried so hard to forget had
Jonah ventured another look. Luce was fussing with her clothes as he pulled up to the curb in front of Harold’s Eats.
Jonah checked the time. It was only a little after seven-thirty in the morning, but it felt like they’d been up for hours.
“What time do you get off work?” he asked.
“The diner only serves breakfast and lunch. I usually get off around three.”
“I’ll be back,” he said.
Luce nodded and started to get out of the truck, then stopped and made herself look at him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Jonah asked.
Luce sighed. “For staying with me instead of Bridie.”
“Why do you think I did that?” he asked.
She hesitated to answer; then her shoulders slumped. “You know…don’t you?” she said.
“I know you’re afraid of something…or someone.”
“Yes.”
“Why won’t you talk about it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know who’s doing it.”
“Besides the trap, what else has he done?”
“Notes…lots of notes with ugly and threatening messages.”
“Did you tell the police?”
She rolled her eyes. “For all the good it did. Since I haven’t been attacked, there’s nothing they can do.”
“And you don’t have any suspicions at all?”
Luce shook her head. “None.”
“You realize that my presence could escalate what’s happening, rather than deter it?”
“Maybe that will be for the good. I just want it to be over.”
“Since we’re being honest with each other, there’s something you need to know about me, too,” Jonah said.
Luce rolled her eyes. “Besides being an angel who converses with animals, what else could there possibly be?”
“There’s a million-dollar bounty on me.”
Luce gasped. “By the law?”
“No. Just a man…a man who’s been after me for years.”
“A million dollars! Why?”
“I saved his life once. Now I guess he wants to live forever and thinks I can make that happen.”
“That’s some thanks for your trouble,” Luce said.
“It’s only fair that you know, and if it makes you uncomfortable, I can still go stay with Bridie.”
Luce felt the blood rush from her face. “No. Stay with me…please,” she said, hating the panic in her voice.
There was nothing in life he would rather do than stay with her—forever. But for Jonah, wanting and having were two different things.
“It’s your call,” he said.
The tension in Luce’s body eased. That was all she needed to hear.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Jonah was watching her expression closely, memorizing everything there was to know, knowing there would come a day when memories would be all he had left of her.
“Yes. Have a good day, Lucia.”
There was a smile on her face as she got out of the truck. For the first time in a long time, she felt good—and even better, she felt safe.
He’d been standing at the counter in the drugstore, waiting for a prescription to be filled, when he’d turned around and seen Bridie Tuesday’s old truck pull up to the diner. When he saw Luce Andahar get out and go inside, a knot formed in his gut. He’d wanted her the day she’d shown up in town, and he’d wanted her every day since. It was a sin to want a woman like that, and since he was already married, it was an even bigger sin.
But he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He’d prayed on his knees until they’d ached to be delivered from the insanity of such lust. He’d closed his eyes when he made love to his wife and pretended she was Luce. He bought things for his wife with Luce in mind. The unholy desire had eaten at him for the past five years until his thoughts about Luce were no longer rational. He’d though that when he married his wife, this lust for other women would end. And for a while, it had. Then Luce came to town, and everything he’d tried so hard to forget had
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