Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4

by Rachel Taylor

  “Rafe, this is my sister, Jessica.” She waved her arm in the direction Jessie was standing.

  “Rafael DiAngelo, pleasure to meet you.” He tipped his head and held out his hand. Jessie stepped forward and shook it, eyeing his white lab coat curiously.

  “Nice to meet you, too.”

  Rafe could hardly believe she was CeCe’s sister. Besides their similar facial features, they were polar opposites. Compared to CeCe’s gentle curves and feminine, floral outfit, Jessie was skin and bones draped in baggy menswear — a faded concert tee shirt, jeans, and black, clunky boots. Her long brown hair was topped off with a trucker cap.

  “Thank you for texting me back,” he said, and Jessica nodded. She had noticed his texts to CeCe while she was sick, and she had replied to them to let him know that CeCe wasn’t intentionally ignoring him.

  “Hey, if you’re free now, would you like to go to lunch with me?” He glanced guiltily at her sister. “I mean, you and Jessica?”

  “I’ve got… other things… to do, but you go ahead if you want to, sis.” Jessica winked at Rafe and he cracked a conspiratorial smile.

  “I’d love to, Rafe! Jessie, would you take home the elephant?” CeCe stood and handed the stuffed animal to her sister, then wrapped her hand around Rafe’s elbow, Dexter’s harness in the other. “Where are you going?”

  Rafe laid a hand over hers, savoring the warm of it. She stayed a half step behind him as he led her through the hospital and out into the parking lot. “There’s a deli nearby that has great sandwiches. Does that sound okay?”

  “Anything is fine; I’m not too picky.”

  Rafe helped her into the car then opened the back door for the dog. “You never told me your dog’s name.”

  “Oh, sorry, this is Dexter. Dexter, shake.” The dog popped his head between the front seats and gave a soft woof before holding out his right paw.

  Rafe laughed and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Dexter.” Dexter opened his mouth and lolled his tongue in a doggy smile, and Rafe rubbed him between his ears.

  “He’s really well-trained. How long have you had him?”

  “About five years. Guide dogs are well-trained before they’re ever placed, but I’ve taught him a few new tricks since then.” Her lips curled in a playful smile.

  “I love dogs, but I’ve just never had the time for one.”

  “They are a lot more work than a cane, but a lot more fun, too.”

  The restaurant was busy with the lunch crowd, and CeCe held tight to Rafe as they weaved their way towards the counter, but she held her head high and didn’t seem nervous, despite the chaos, and Rafe was impressed by her level of confidence.

  “I like their Philly cheesesteak, but they have just about any kind of sandwich you can imagine. What are you in the mood for?”

  “Cheesesteak sounds great. I’ll trust your recommendation.”

  “Really?” Rafe cocked his head at her. Most girls ordered salads when they were on a date. He was surprised she was willing to tackle such a messy sandwich. He had a brief fantasy of wiping a smear of mayonnaise off her cheek then leaning in to kiss the rest of it off her lips.

  “Is that okay?” The tremble in her voice revealed her confusion.

  “Definitely. I’m just impressed you have such good taste.” Rafe ordered two cheesesteaks and led her over to the soda fountain.

  “I’ll take Mountain Dew if they have it.”

  Rafe quirked his lips in another wry smile and filled her cup with soda.

  “CeCe, you were so good with those kids; it was… mesmerizing.” Rafe said as they settled at a small table. Everything she did was mesmerizing to him, but especially the way she held the children’s attention.

  A blush colored her cheeks and she dipped her head. “Thank you. And thanks for coming. That was really sweet of you.”

  “The pleasure was all mine; I wanted to see you in action. I can’t believe how well you connected with them, especially Emily.”

  “We have a lot in common,” she admitted, her voice dropping, heavy with sadness.

  “Really?” Rafe left the question open-ended, hoping she would take the bait and tell him her story. He was desperate to hear it, but he didn’t want to push her.

  CeCe gulped and fiddled with her sandwich, picking off a few pieces of meat and chewing them slowly. She wanted so badly to trust Rafe, to open up to him, and she had a feeling she could, but what if he thought she was crazy and wanted nothing more to do with her? She didn’t have much dating experience, but the first date seemed a little early to share her deepest secrets, especially over cheesesteaks at a crowded deli. But she knew she could never have a real relationship with someone without revealing her story eventually, so maybe it was better to just get it out in the open right away, before she got too involved with him.

  She took a deep breath and dropped her head. “We both have what’s called hysterical blindness. It’s an idiopathic loss of vision, thought to be a psychological response to extreme trauma — a coping mechanism.” Her words were scientific, her voice mechanical, but she couldn’t detach herself from the emotions that flooded her face as she spoke them.

  Rafe stared at her in silence for a moment, absorbing this information. Hysterical blindness was extremely rare; the odds that he would meet two people with it in the same day were astronomical. But Rafe believed in miracles, not coincidences. He knew right then that God had a plan for CeCe and Emily, and his heart soared at the thought of being a part of it.

  “What happened to you, CeCe?” He reached out a hand to her, threading his fingers through hers. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but I’d like to hear it if you’re willing.”

  CeCe was surprised by his reaction. Most people thought her condition meant she was crazy or faking, but Rafe seemed to accept it for what it was — a real physiological response that she couldn’t control.

  The noise of the diner buzzed around them, wrapping them in a tiny cocoon that made CeCe feel safe with him. She squeezed his fingers and dived into the story. “My father was abusive. He would beat me and my sister and mother. She wanted to leave him, but she didn’t have the money, so she stayed a lot longer than she should have.” CeCe’s eyes pinched closed, trying to block out the images. “One time she ended up in the hospital, and she started having an affair with the doctor who treated her. He was smart, and handsome, and wealthy, and my mother was willing to do anything to be with him, even at the expense of her children.”

  Rafe gasped as her meaning sunk in and he covered his mouth with his free hand. CeCe’s fingers shook in the other one.

  “He started molesting us when I was four and Jessica was seven. Fortunately, it didn’t last long, but that was because my father found out about the affair and confronted my mother.” CeCe’s eyes rolled off in memories as she relived that day, the worst of her life.

  “I was at home, sick with the flu, and Jessie was at school. Thank God she wasn’t there for that.” Her free hand clenched a wad of her silk skirt, wrinkling the fabric, and she smoothed it absentmindedly. “My father found a tie that wasn’t his buried in the couch cushions, and he flew into a rage. He attacked my mother and almost killed her. The neighbors heard the commotion and called the police before he had a chance to finish the job. I was lying on the couch when it happened, too weak to get up, and I remember shutting my eyes hoping that would make it all go away. That’s the last thing I remember seeing.”

  “Oh my God, CeCe, I’m so sorry.” Rafe rubbed his face with one hand and squeezed her hand with the other. It was slick with sweat. “I can’t even imagine…”

  CeCe’s whole body shivered at the memory, and she pulled her fingers from his, clasping her hands together in her lap.

  “My father went to jail, and my mother lost custody after Jessica told the social worker about the sexual abuse. We went into foster care for a while, and eventually we were adopted. They were a good couple, and they really wanted to help us. They took me to a dozen doctors,
trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Everyone thought I was faking. The doctors tried everything to get me to drop the charade — begging, bribing, threatening, but all it did was make me resent and fear them. To this day, I’m still terrified of doctors.”

  “Eventually, one doctor labeled it hysterical blindness. He told my adoptive parents that my sight would return eventually, and I spent years in therapy, but it just never happened. When I turned 18, Jessie and I moved out. I talk to my adoptive parents once in a while, but we aren’t close, and I haven’t spoken to my birth parents since the day I left them. It’s just me and Jessie, now. And Dexter.” CeCe tried to crack a smile, but it crumbled underneath the pain of her memories.

  Rafe’s heart throbbed in agony at her story, and he longed to scoop her up and comfort her, make it all go away, but he tensed as he looked at his outstretched arm, sheathed in a lab coat. CeCe didn’t know that he was a doctor. If she did, would that change how she felt about him? Now that she’d shared her story with him, he felt an incredible connection to her that he didn’t want to jeopardize. Clearly she was drawn to him, too. But he couldn’t keep it a secret forever. He needed more time, he decided, time to convince her not all doctors were something to fear.

  “Thank you for sharing that with me, CeCe. It means a lot that you trusted me with it.”

  “Well, now you know all my dark secrets… I understand if all of this is too much for you… I know I’m kind of a mess.” Tears threatened to pool in her eyes.

  Rafe dared to run a hand gently down her cheek. “You’re a survivor, CeCe. And all your story did was impress me even more with how special you are.”

  CeCe’s heart swelled at the possibility of a real relationship, and she smiled as she took a deep breath and said, “So, does that mean we’re still on for Saturday?”

  Chapter 6

  Rafe convinced CeCe to let him pick her up on Saturday instead of meeting at the restaurant. He already knew where she lived since he’d driven her home after their impromptu lunch date, and Jessica didn’t seem as concerned about his intentions now that she’d met him.

  He wore a suit and tie, despite the fact that CeCe couldn’t appreciate it; at least Jessica did.

  “You look nice,” she said in lieu of a greeting when she answered the door on Saturday evening.

  Rafe pulled on his red tie with a shrug. “CeCe always looks perfect. Is that thanks to you?” Jessica gave her own shrug in reply.

  “Traded out your white coat, I see.” She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

  Rafe’s eyes grew wide and his mouth grim as he glanced around to see if CeCe had heard her.

  “I take it she doesn’t know you’re a doctor, and you’ve decided to keep that a secret for now. Don’t worry. I think it’s kind of perfect, anyway. I’ll let you be the one to break that news… when you’re ready.”

  Rafe let out the breath he was holding and nodded, grateful to have Jessica on his side. CeCe just needed a little time to get to know him before he told her so she wouldn’t be scared off. He’d find the perfect moment.

  CeCe came out of the bathroom then, dressed in an elegant red sheath accessorized with pearls. Her long hair was piled up on top of her head in a complicated swirl. She took Rafe’s breath away.

  “Wow, CeCe, you look incredible!” He took her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss.

  “Thank you.” She blushed and smiled. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Thank you, Jessica,” he mouthed to her with a wink.

  “Have fun.” Jessica shooed them out the door.

  CeCe wrapped one hand around Rafe’s elbow and grabbed Dexter’s harness with the other, leaving her phone in her tiny pocketbook. She appreciated the independence it afforded her, but it was nice to let someone else be the guide for the night.

  “Your dress matches my tie, it looks like we planned this,” Rafe commented, grateful the sidewalk was illuminated since he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  “Jessie told me you’re very handsome.” CeCe tossed out the words spontaneously, then immediately regretted it.

  “Oh, really?” Rafe chuckled.

  “I mean, not that it matters, to me especially, but, you know… I guess it’s nice to know.”

  “Well, I’m glad she approves.” CeCe could hear the smile in his voice.

  “She likes to look out for me. She was a little worried when I told her about you. She questioned your motives for wanting to go out with me.”

  “Why?” Rafe stopped walking and turned towards her.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “It’s obvious that you’re beautiful, and smart, and kind, and generous. Why wouldn’t I want to go out with you?”

  Her answer was a soft murmur that almost floated away on the night breeze. “No one else ever has.”

  “Then that’s their loss, CeCe.” He stroked a finger down the side of her cheek. She shivered, and he wrapped his hand over hers, pulling her towards the car and out of the cool night air.

  “So what’s this restaurant like? You said it belongs to the Engel family?” CeCe asked as they drove.

  “Yeah, it’s named after Luciana Engel — she’s Cheydan and Maddock’s mother.” All of a sudden, Rafe realized the potential for disaster. What if one of the Engels mentioned that he was a doctor? He desperately wished he hadn’t mentioned going to that particular restaurant.

  He decided to send them a quick text to warn them. He knew he’d have to explain later, but hopefully they would respect his wishes. Rafe pulled his phone from his pocket and started typing one-handed, grateful that he had the keyboard sounds disabled.

  I’m bringing a date to the restaurant. Don’t mention I’m a doctor

  “What’s so important that you need to risk texting while driving?”

  Rafe gaped at her. “How did you know I was texting?”

  “I heard you pull something from your pocket, and then your steering got a little less smooth. And you’re quiet, like you’re concentrating on something.”

  Rafe shook his head, impressed. He was quickly learning that blind did not mean oblivious. “I just wanted to confirm our reservation.”

  “Is it usually busy?”

  “Uh, yeah, it’s really popular. Their food is amazing, and the atmosphere is very elegant but cozy.”

  “Sounds nice. I can’t wait to try it.” CeCe smiled and Rafe smiled back, then realized she couldn’t see it, so he gave her hand a squeeze.

  “You have a beautiful smile.” The compliment earned him another one.

  “CeCe, forgive me if it’s rude to ask, but I was wondering…,” he paused, regretting the comment already.

  “Go ahead, Rafe, I don’t mind. People always have lots of questions.”

  “It’s just, your facial expressions… I mean, you don’t look like the typical blind person. You even make eye contact a lot of the time.”

  “Well, I don’t have a lot of memories of before I lost my sight, but I guess I was old enough to have picked up on some social cues, and afterwards, Jessie used to hound me about looking at people when they were talking. And she always reminded me to smile and make sure my face displayed the emotion I intended.”

  “What are you feeling right now?” Rafe was suddenly desperate to know.

  “What does it look like I’m feeling?” she whispered.

  “You look… excited, and maybe a little nervous.” CeCe nodded; that was definitely true. “You look happy.”

  “I am, Rafe.” She squeezed the hand that was still holding hers. “I wish I could see the emotions on your face.”

  “They’re pretty much the same.” The thought sent quivers up and down her body, and she could hear her rapid breathing.

  Rafe pulled up to a small, brick trattoria with black awnings and escorted CeCe up the cobbled walk. Inside, light sparkled off the chandeliers and twinkled on the wine glasses and silverware, and a stone fountain in the middle of the restaurant serenaded the room with the sound of tinkling
water.

  The maître d' led them to a small table draped in black fabric and pulled out the chair for CeCe. He took the napkin from her wine glass and spread it on her lap.

  “Would you like a glass of wine, CeCe?”

  “That would be nice.”

  The waiter brought a basket of breadsticks and filled their glasses, and Rafe opened the menu. “What are you in the mood for? Something traditional, or would you like to try one of their specials?” Rafe read off some of the menu to her, and eventually they both decided on lasagna.

  “Hey, Doc Rafe!” Maddock Engel’s exuberant voice preceded him. He slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as he realized his mistake. “I mean, uh yeah, umm… wait, CeCe Bellamy? Is that you?” He spoke over himself, trying to distract her from the slip.

  “Maddock is one of my students.” Rafe said, hoping she’d assume the title was due to his PhD and not an MD. She nodded, seeming to take the bait.

  “Hi Maddock, nice to see you again. How are things at the homeless shelter?”

  “Awesome! My girlfriend has been helping us start a new program at the high schools to raise awareness about the shelter. I think it’s really going to make a difference.”

  “That’s great, Maddock.”

  “So, how’d you two meet?” Maddock gave them a quizzical look.

  “Just a random encounter at a coffee shop,” Rafe explained.

  “He impressed me with his onomastic wisdom and his taste in coffee,” CeCe quipped, and Maddock quirked an eyebrow in a wry smile.

  “Yeah, that’s what all the girls say.” Maddock sniggered.

  “So, what’s Rafe like as a professor?” CeCe asked.

  “He’s the best! Super smart, but laid back. His lectures are never boring. All the girls have the hots for him.” Maddock winked at Rafe, and CeCe chuckled.

  “Hey, Cheydan told me about your talk at the adoption agency, CeCe. He said two of the couples have already said they would be open to disabled children.”

  “That’s great news! Thanks for telling me.” CeCe beamed, and Rafe reached out and squeezed her hand. Maddock noticed and wiggled his eyebrows at Rafe.