by Sable Hunter
“What’s she doing? Who is she talking to? I don’t see anyone!” He wanted to move closer, but Cady’s hand on his arm effectively stopped him.
“Just because you don’t see anyone doesn’t mean there’s no one there,” Cady spoke softly.
He had no idea what she meant. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
A few dozen yards away, Seren faced Gregori unafraid. “I know I’ve done wrong, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Canyon. Please erase his memories once more and I’ll leave this time. He’ll never see me again.”
Never see her again? Canyon turned to Cady. “What is she talking about? Erase what memories?” His eyes returned to Seren. She was the dearest thing in the world to him.
Canyon’s voice didn’t carry into the whirlwind. Seren was oblivious to his presence as she faced the strange swirling cloud.
Gregori, however, was not unaware. His gaze moved from the former watcher to her former charge. “You have grown, Seren. Your unselfish actions to save the blacksmith and the lost soul, Diego, did not go unnoticed.”
“Saving Canyon was selfish,” Seren admitted unashamed. “He belongs to me.”
Her declaration hit Canyon like a ton of bricks. He’d heard her say something similar before.
You belong to me.
You belong to me.
As Canyon struggled with the memory, Seren continued to speak to Gregori, “I beg for mercy. Give me a second chance to make this right.”
“Second chances are not meant to be squandered. You have a choice to make.” The towering angel spoke more gently than usual, “Heaven or earth. You may stay in this life or return to your position as watcher.”
“What would happen to my baby?” Her head was spinning at the impossible notion.
“Your child would be with you.”
After losing Canyon completely, there was little to stay for – except her baby. “I want my child to know what it’s like to truly live. So, I reject your merciful offer.”
Behind Seren, Canyon staggered as the memories pressed between the pages of his mind were opened. As some people see their life pass before their eyes before they die, a jumble of images from his time with Seren came rushing into his head. The realization of her true identity almost took him to his knees.
Seren was not only the love of his life. Seren was his guardian angel.
“My watcher.” He marveled at the thought. “Someone to watch over me.”
Pulling from Cady’s grasp, he rushed forward. Canyon couldn’t see the entity she was speaking to, but that didn’t matter. He only had eyes for Seren. “Seren! I remember!”
“No! Please no.” His exclamation only increased her distress and dismay. Instead of turning to hear Canyon’s epiphany, she railed at Gregori. “Do something! Erase his memories. Please don’t hurt him!” She fell to her knees in anguished entreaty. “I beg you. If you’re going to punish someone, punish me! As soon as my baby is born, send me to Tartarus, blink me out of existence. Just don’t harm him!”
Canyon reached her, stopping to gather Seren into his arms. “Don’t ask me to live without you!”
Seren struggled in his embrace. “You can’t be here. Please.” Seren cried as she stood between Canyon and Gregori, shielding the man she loved from the angel’s wrath.
“Silence!” Gregori’s expression grew tender as he viewed his small charge. “The human was never in peril, this was not his mistake. Nonetheless, all is forgiven. Your debt has been paid.”
“How?” Seren asked in wonder, hope rising in her heart like the morning sun.
Gregori bowed, as if in prayer. “Greater love has no one than this, that you would lay down your life for another.” Raising his head, he looked at Seren. “Take heed of the greatest commandment and always love one another.”
With those beautiful words, the air shimmered around them and Gregori was gone. When the great one disappeared, Seren trembled, almost collapsing into Canyon’s arms.
“What did he say?” he asked with concern.
“It’s over. I’m forgiven.” She looked at him in confusion. “You remember?”
He didn’t get a chance to answer before Cady came rushing over. “He’s gone. What happened?”
Seren felt weak with relief. “My transgressions are remembered no more.”
Cady threw her arms around her friend as Canyon remained at her side. “I’m so glad!”
“You were right about the wisdom of making my request known,” Seren whispered. “He’s safe.” As she bowed her head in thanksgiving, the wind died down. Raising her eyes to the heavens, she saw the dark clouds moving away. And in their place, a rainbow spread across the sky. “Look.”
“How beautiful,” Cady muttered with a smile. “It’s a sign. A promise. This storm you endured will never come your way again.”
* * *
The drive from Tebow allowed Seren to view the rainbow until it faded from sight. When the sky was clear once more, she stole a glance at Canyon, whose hand covered hers as it rested on his thigh. “What are you thinking?”
He met her gaze with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m imagining you soaring among the stars, turning somersaults through the clouds.” Slowing the truck down, he chuckled as he turned onto the main highway toward Kerrville. “The first time I saw you in that bunny suit, I thought you were the cutest thing I’d ever seen.”
“You thought I was nuts.”
Canyon laughed out loud. “I did. At first. Although, I was completely attracted to you. You intrigued me. Made me smile. Plus, you seemed so familiar in a way I couldn’t explain.”
“That’s because I’d been with you every minute of every day for years.”
“I’ll admit, that’s still a bit hard for me to digest.” Canyon adjusted his rearview mirror. “There’s still so much I don’t understand. Do I have another watcher now?”
Seren sighed. “I don’t know. My eyes are closed to that world, unless they choose to reveal themselves to me as Gregori did today.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I admit, I’m glad I don’t know. I’ll always be protective of you…”
“As I will be of you.”
His interjection made her smile. “I want you to be safe, but I have to admit I’m a little jealous of you having another watcher.”
“You have no reason to be,” he assured her.
She laughed and shrugged. “I think it comes with the territory, I was a bit jealous of Joplin.”
Her soft confession shocked him. “Why?”
“She is very pretty and she liked you. Plus…I saw you kiss her.”
“Oh, that kiss meant nothing.” Canyon smirked, a little pleased.
“Why are you smiling?” She playfully smacked his arm.
“I have to admit the idea of you caring enough about me to be jealous does something for me.”
“Good. Get used to it. You belong to me.”
“That’s what did it, you know,” Canyon told her solemnly. “When you said those four words, the dots began to connect for me. I remembered you saying the same thing the day you came to me while we were hunting.”
“A little presumptive, I guess.”
“No.” Canyon sliced his hand through the air emphatically. “I like it and I feel the same way. You belong to me too.”
Seren trembled with happiness. “I think I’m going to enjoy my life.”
“Good, because I plan on enjoying mine. With you.”
His words filled her with a peace that passed understanding. Taking note of her surroundings, Seren asked, “Where are we going?”
“To town. I have an errand I need to run,” he answered mysteriously. “You know, I remember all the wild things you told me. I fully expect those little Arabian nights stories to continue.”
“Oh, really?” Seren gave him a funny look. “So, our former agreement still applies?”
Canyon slowed down as he came to the business district on the town square. The street
s looked festive with holiday decorations already in view. There were wreaths on the doors of the shops and Christmas lights everywhere. “Well, I’m proposing we make a new deal,” he murmured softly while parking in front of a jewelry store.
Seren felt an electrical jolt of excitement. “You’re proposing…?” She didn’t finish her question because Canyon bounded out to come around and help her from the truck.
“Yea, I’m proposing. Just as soon as we pick out a ring.” Canyon took the time for one quick kiss before grasping her arm to hurry toward the store.
“Canyon!” Sheer joy overwhelmed her. “Are you sure?”
Stopping right on the sidewalk, in front of God and everybody, Canyon clasped Seren around the waist and lifted her up so he could place a kiss over the place where their baby lay. “I don’t want another hour to go by without making you mine.”
“I’ve always been yours.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
People smiled to see the big man carrying his lady into the jewelry store and right up to the wedding ring display.
“May I help you, sir?” A wide-eyed young man eagerly stepped up to aid them.
“My angel needs a ring as beautiful as she is.”
Seren held onto him as he placed her on her feet. “You’re making me blush.”
Leaning in to whisper in her ear, Canyon muttered, “Just wait till tonight, I’ll make you blush all over.”
If he heard, the salesclerk never batted an eye. “Let’s make sure what will fit.” He showed Seren how to try on the ring sizers. “A five will be perfect.” Next, the young man brought out several trays of wedding sets for them to choose from.
“See anything you like?” Canyon asked her anxiously, wanting to please her more than anything.
“I want you to choose,” she told him tremulously. “I’ll love anything you pick.”
Taking Seren at her word, Canyon chose what he thought was the most beautiful ring in the store. A pear-shaped diamond with a matching band. “We’ll take this one.” He glanced at Seren for approval.
“I love it with all my heart,” Seren told him. She kept biting the inside of her cheek to make sure she was awake.
Canyon beamed his satisfaction as he paid for the ring. “Now, let’s get out of here. I’ve got a very important question to ask you.”
“I think you already know the answer.” She giggled as he hustled her back into the truck and fastened her seat belt.
“I’m not leaving anything to chance,” he said with conviction as he shut the door, then rounded the truck to climb in on the driver’s side. “I’m taking you to the most special place I know.”
“I’d love to see anything you want to show me,” she whispered as they headed out of town. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the baby.”
He shrugged, reaching over to place a hand on her thigh. “How could you? If I understand what happened back there with Gregori, you were forbidden from telling me about our past.”
“Yes, keeping something like that from you was so hard and you didn’t make it any easier by bringing up George all the time.” She covered his hand with her own, caressing each finger. “There was never anyone but you.”
“I did hate George.” He chuckled. “And all the time, I was just jealous of myself.”
“I wanted to tell you the truth so many times.”
“So, why did this happen to you? To us?”
Seren lifted her hand to cross her arms over her breasts tightly, as if what she was about to say made her nervous. “Do you remember Bull telling you when a truckdriver named Raymond Poe passed away?”
“Yea, I recall him telling me about it. I hated that happened.” Canyon nodded, not understanding the connection.
“It was my fault,” Seren confessed softly. “When his truck crossed the median into your lane, I directed it off the road so he wouldn’t hit you head on. He stopped after hitting a guardrail. There was very little damage to his truck and his injuries seemed minor. Later, of course, he passed from a brain aneurysm.”
“Oh, God, I’m sorry, honey.” This was still a little hard for him to grasp.
“Me too…but I did it to save you. Gregori and the others sanctioned me because I was falling in love with you. My focus was so zeroed in on you that I didn’t consider the welfare of anyone else. I was supposed to protect you but never at the expense of someone who wasn’t intentionally trying to harm you. Making me visible was a test, which I failed. I only fell deeper in love with you. They decided to exile me on earth, not knowing it was exactly what I would’ve wanted. When Mr. Poe died, I was forced to pay the price. Cast out. My happiness with you was the price I had to pay. My memory was wiped from everyone. No one was supposed to remember I even existed.” Her voice was full of regret and sorrow. “Oddly, there were some exceptions. Cady McCoy and John Callan recognized me.”
“Someday you’ll have to tell me why,” Canyon murmured, knowing there were other things he had to know first. “So, what changed?” He thought a moment. “I know. You saved Diego.”
Seren looked off into the distance, seeing more clearly than she ever had before. “I didn’t save Diego to make up for Mr. Poe or to help myself.” Her voice dropped as she faced her own failures. “I did it to save you. You weren’t breathing. I thought if I rescued Diego, you might be allowed to live.”
“Seren, there are times when we all do the right thing for the wrong reason. That’s what makes us human.” Taking a deep breath, he met her eyes for a moment before looking back at the road. “I’m sorry for what I said about never wanting to fall in love or bring another child into the world.”
“Don’t be. Remember, I was with you every step of the way. I saw how much you suffered after losing Matty and I hurt right along with you. I can understand why you’d be hesitant to take such a risk again.”
“It’s not a risk, it’s a miracle.” He turned loose of the wheel long enough to rub his eyes roughly. “I can tell you with absolute conviction that I would’ve loved this child with all my heart.” He reached over to cover her tiny baby bump with his big hand. “But I also can’t lie and say I didn’t wish a billion times it was mine.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to pretend anymore,” Seren admitted, taking a deep breath. “There’s so much I want to do. To learn. To be.”
“Like learn how to drive. Maybe go back to school for a teacher’s certificate?” he asked dryly with a hint of mischievousness. “I want you to do all of that and more.”
“You saw my list!” she exclaimed with a gasp and a grin.
“Yes, and I’m damn glad I did.” Canyon put on his blinker when he saw the sign indicating the turnoff to a little town called Hunt. “When I read what you’d written, ‘marry Canyon’, I knew there was hope. I was even more determined to find you and fix whatever I’d messed up.”
An expression of regret appeared on her face. “You didn’t mess anything up. The sculpture was gorgeous.” As she paid him the compliment, Seren raised a hand to touch her face. “I look differently now, don’t I?” She knew she did, she had eyes. “Not as pretty.”
“Why would you say that?” Canyon asked in puzzlement. “Like I told you before, you look exactly the same. Exactly. More beautiful than I can ever say.”
“Thank you.” All Seren could do was take him at his word. “Eye of the beholder, I guess. I look different to myself.”
“I doubt any of us see ourselves as others see us. I don’t even think the mirror gives us a true reflection.”
“How you see me is all that matters,” she answered truthfully as Canyon pulled over into a park-like area. “Oh, we’re by the river.”
“Right, the Guadalupe. We’ll have to walk a little way, but I promise you it’ll be worth it.” He came around to fetch her and together they strolled down to the bank of the river and across a small arched bridge.
Seren looked around her in awe. “This place looks like a portrait. The colors are so vivid.” They wa
lked slowly by the placid waterway. On either bank trees grew, their branches overhanging the water, their leaves an array of brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows. “I could look at this forever.”
Stopping and going to one knee, Canyon took her hand. “I could look at you forever and I want to. Each day of my life on earth and whatever lies beyond – I want to share it with you.”
Seren held her breath as Canyon drew the ring from his pocket. “Seren, my Seren, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Unadulterated joy radiated through Seren. This was the culmination of all she’d ever dreamed. “Yes, yes, please.” After he slipped the ring on her finger, she joined him as they knelt together in a pile of soft leaves. “I love you so much. You and our baby are the most precious things in the universe to me.”
Holding her close, Canyon whispered some pre-wedding vows, “You’ve always protected me. From this day forward, I promise to protect you with every fiber of my being.”
“We’ll protect one another,” she promised him. “I was so afraid for you to remember and now I’m so glad you did.”
Kissing Seren tenderly, Canyon held her close. “Love can’t be denied, part of me always knew. My heart remembered. When I touched you, Seren, you felt like home.”
“You are my home, Canyon,” she told him as she sighed with pure happiness. “When Gregori asked me if I wanted to return to heaven or stay on earth, there was no contest. I wanted to stay here for my child and to be in the same realm as you. Now…” She took his hands in hers. “Now, I know I can have both.” Stepping near him, she rested her head on his shoulder as his arms came around to clasp her close. “Heaven on earth. With you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
EPILOGUE
“I hope you don’t mind our hen party morphed into a surprise engagement party,” Cady nudged Seren as they stood by the roaring fire in the living room of the Tebow main house. The whole place was decorated for the holidays and full of laughing, festive friends.
“Are you kidding? I’m thrilled, of course.” Seren sipped at a cup of red fruit punch sans alcohol. “And look at him, he’s having the time of his life.”