Sarah and the Widow's Mate (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza)
Page 23
Her hands flew to her hips, and she scowled. “I would have thought of something.”
“Yeah, I saw your smooth move.” This time, sarcasm laced the man’s deep voice. “Very effective. Are you armed with a gun?”
“No.”
“Would you use one if you were?”
She raised her chin and shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“I didn’t think so. You’re alone in an empty house in the middle of nowhere. My crew is not in sight, and you have no way to defend yourself. Seriously, Laney, is that smart?”
“Guess not.” Laney refused to lower her gaze.
Tomas shook his head. This woman was stubborn. Sarah had her work cut out for her.
Cannon blew out a deep breath. “Consider today a warning. No one disobeys me. Your designs sell my houses, but designers are easy to find.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I should have hired a man. They have more sense.”
Laney emitted an indelicate snort. “At the risk of impropriety, that’s chauvinistic. A man can be at risk alone in a house too.”
Cannon’s lip curled in blatant disgust. “Cut the comedy. Men have more physical resources than women.” He lowered his voice to a deadly whisper. “And I don’t care if it sounds chauvinistic. I will terminate you if you defy me again. I won’t have you in harm’s way on my watch. That guy could have murdered you.”
Tomas watched Laney’s face grow pink.
“I apologize. I wasn’t looking at it from your perspective of liability. But freedom to move about my projects is crucial, and Jack can’t babysit me on each one.”
“He’s not your babysitter. He is my project manager. You work together.” Cannon’s clipped voice dripped icicles.
Glancing behind Cannon, Laney noticed her attacker slipping away. She nodded in his direction. “He’s leaving.”
Cannon whirled and jerked the slippery vagrant up by his lapels. “I should call the cops.” He growled the words into the man’s face. “You’re on private property. Now get out and don’t set foot on my land again.”
Picking up his cap, the man slid his shifty gaze to Laney and back to Cannon. “Aw, come on. I wudd’n gonna hurt the lady.”
Cannon’s gaze must have pierced something in the guy’s weak armor, because he turned and hurried toward the door. “I’m going, I’m going.”
Tomas regarded Laney as Cannon ushered the man to the door. With crossed arms, he waited with her at a nearby window as she fixed her gaze on the derelict’s departure across a field filled with trees and overgrown brush.
When Cannon returned with his jaw hard and his face flushed, Laney glanced his direction. She then turned away from the window and studied samples once more. Neither of them said a word. When Laney finished making notes, she gathered her supplies and gusted past her boss.
Cannon reached her side in a giant step. “Hold up.”
Obeying the command in his tone, she stood still while he lifted the samples from her arms.
“Thanks.” She moved ahead of him and Cannon followed her to her SUV.
Tomas misted through the wall and hovered in the air to keep an eye on the two.
Laney stood shoulder to shoulder with her boss as he placed the items in the cargo area. By the time he finished, she had apparently decided it was time to make amends. “Thank you. I’m glad you came when you did.”
She moved away, climbed into the driver’s seat, cranked the car’s engine, and lowered the electric window. “By the way, why are you here today?”
Cannon hiked a brow and shook his head. “Not sure. I was on my way to negotiate a loan to expand this subdivision, but I couldn’t shake a strong urge to come here.” He glared. “You should be thankful my sixth sense kicked in.”
“I am.” Laney didn’t thank him again. She lowered her head like a bull ready to charge a matador and scowled.
Tomas rolled his eyes. Stubborn wasn’t even the word. Laney was downright pigheaded. He watched her drive away, wondering if little Sarah would be able to handle this one.
Tomas had completed a background check on Laney from The Heavenlies and was aware the contract with Cannon would be quite lucrative, but it required a generous supply of designs within a limited timeframe. If Cannon’s demands were satisfied, she would build her fledging company. That goal was important to her, but it was not a legitimate reason to ignore safety issues.
Tomas sighed. Humans often tried the patience of their guardian angels.
Knowing the future as they did, the Superiors had moved with haste to get Tomas here. He had been issued the task of protecting Laney against the Evil One, and he had come in a hurry. When he saw the potential harm of the vagrant coming Laney’s way, he soared to Cannon’s side and mentally urged him to rush to Laney’s location. The man had turned his vehicle around and arrived in time. Of course, the Superiors foreknew the hobo was an impending problem but found it unnecessary to direct Tomas to take care of the intruder. He was trained in warfare.
So far, Tomas had done his job.
Laney’s little romance angel, Sarah, had earned a reputation for goof-ups during her one prior trip to Earth. Tomas wasn’t sure he wanted to work with her, but the Superiors had charged him with this undertaking. An enchanting one she was, and the Commander favored her, but Tomas hoped the little charmer wouldn’t hurt his stellar reputation. He had been on earth since creation and had worked well with other angels—but Sarah might prove a bit of a challenge.
His eyes scanned the horizon.
Where on the planet was she?
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Stay tuned for…
Sarah and the Internet Dating Service
By Gay N. Lewis
For her next mission to earth, The Superiors assign Sarah a challenging assignment. She is to spur a romantic relationship between Karen Newton and Jeremy Spencer…through the Internet! The dyslexic angel has managed to unite couples previously, but computers perplex her. Since the couple knows each other through their work at a Houston oil company, why must she use those irksome gadgets to trigger a romance? After all, she is known in The Heavenlies as “Little Miss Goof Up.” But an order is an order…
When Karen faces danger, Sarah must send a believable email message to Jeremy. But how? She’s already created multiple fiascoes with her Internet attempts. Perhaps she should ignore orders and find other means to alert Jeremy. Poopty doopty—it would mean a reprimand on Cloud Five. Should she risk it?
Uh-oh. Do angels get headaches? It looks as though Sarah is headed for one.
AUTHOR BIO
Gay N. Lewis has a background in video production and interior design. Her credits include Psalms from the Mountains The Canadian Rockies, and Many Churches One Vision. As a pastor’s wife and adult Bible study leader, she has written numerous church programs and newsletters. She is a mother of three daughters and four grandchildren and lives in a small town west of Houston, TX.
Find Gay on the web at www.GayNLewis.com or by visiting her on Blogger at gaynlewis.blogspot.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ GayNLewis and also on Twitter @GayNLewis2.
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