by Terri Reid
Chuckling, Bradley shook his head. “I always thought there was something a little off with you.”
“Hey, watch what you’re saying,” Mike retorted. “I got a promotion. I’m a guardian angel now.”
Bradley leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the little girl he just held in his arms and trying to control the emotion he felt. “Yeah, Clarissa mentioned that to me.”
“So, what did she say?”
He took a deep breath and shrugged, “She said you’re pretty new at the job and sometimes you say bad words.”
“Well, hell, it’s hard to stop,” he replied with a grin.
Bradley tried to laugh at his joke, but he couldn’t. He just stared at him for a moment and finally said, “I don’t know how to thank you, Mike,” Bradley said. “You brought my little girl home.”
“Hey, don’t get all touchy-feely on me,” he said casually, but then paused and met Bradley’s eyes. “Hey, you’re the closest thing to a brother I ever had. How could I not step in? Besides, she’s a real sweetheart. She’s been through some rough times lately, but she took them all in stride.”
“What do you mean rough times?” Bradley asked.
Mike pulled up a chair and sat across from Bradley. “I’ve been watching Clarissa for a while now,” he explained. “Guardian angels mostly have to watch over and not interfere too much. We really aren’t supposed to change the consequences of people’s choices. But, Clarissa didn’t make bad choices. She just fell into bad circumstances.”
“Tell me about them,” Bradley said, leaning forward in the chair. “What happened?”
“Well, first, you need to know that Becca, her mother, is dead.”
“What? What happened?”
“Her heart just finally gave out,” Mike explained. “She’d been hanging on by a thread for a long time, but she just couldn’t do it anymore. That’s the only reason I got to come down. Once Becca died, Clarissa was alone and needed a little heavenly intervention.”
“Where did you find her?” Bradley asked.
“Well, that’s a long story.”
Bradley glanced over his shoulder at the laptop and saw that everything was quiet. “I’ve got time.”
Mike nodded, “Well, then, get comfortable and I’ll fill you in.”
Chapter Six
Mary lay in bed; the covers pulled up to her neck, and stared at the alarm clock. Ten minutes until the alarm was set to go off, she hated when she woke up before it went off. Grumbling, she slipped out of the covers, turned off the alarm and headed towards the bathroom. Halfway across the room she paused and instead walked to the window and peeked out. Sure enough, the squad car was still there and it looked like Officer Ashley Deutsch had taken the early shift. She hated to admit it, but knowing the police were watching the house after Gary Copper’s escape had helped her sleep better at night.
After a quick shower, she stood in front of her closet deciding what to wear. She and Bradley were going over to the Brennan’s for breakfast and then she was going into the office for the day. They had argued about that, but she needed to get back into a normal routine.
Choosing dress slacks and a blouse, she quickly dressed, applied minimal make-up and hurried out of her room, nearly knocking into Ian in the hallway. His hair was sticking out in all directions, his eyes clearly at half-mast and he was leaning against the wall for support.
“Ian, are you okay?” she asked.
“Aye,” he mumbled. “I’ve been up all night doing research about guardian angels. I’d never met one before.”
Mary smiled. “And, I’d bet you’ll never meet one like Mike.”
He smiled and nodded sleepily. “And that’s a bet I’ll never take.”
“Why don’t you go back to bed,” she suggested.
Shaking his head, he yawned. “Oh, no, I can’t,” he explained. “I promised Bradley I’d be watching over you today, so he can spend the day with Clarissa.”
Exasperated, Mary huffed and shook her head. “Ian, I am a fully trained former Chicago police officer. I excelled in self-defense training. I can take care of myself,” she explained pointedly.
“Getting a little hot under the collar, are we?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
She exhaled slowly. “Yes, I am,” she said. “I understand that there’s some psychological stuff going on inside me. I get that Gary was able to make me feel vulnerable more than anyone ever has. But how am I supposed to learn to stand on my own two feet again if you and Bradley don’t stop babysitting me?”
“We just love you, darling,” he explained quietly.
“I know,” she said, a little of the steam taken out of her argument. “But I need you to trust me too.”
He met her eyes, nodded and turned around.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Back to bed,” he said with a wink. “You’re right. You’re a warrior and we need to treat you like one. Can we have lunch together?”
Smiling, she nodded. “Yes, I’d like that,” she said. “Sweet dreams, Ian.”
“Aye, they will be,” he said with another yawn and then closed the bedroom door behind him.
“Obviously I arrived too late today,” Mike said, appearing beside her in the hallway.
She jumped, but tried to disguise it. “Too late?” she asked, starting down the stairs.
“To…um…help you decide what to wear today,” he said with a wide grin.
“Mike,” she chastised, as they entered the kitchen. “You are supposed to be an angel.”
He leaned against the counter. “Yeah, well, so I’m an angel. That doesn’t mean I’m dead…”
She just stopped and stared at him.
“Okay, yeah, it does mean I’m dead,” he relented. “But can’t an angel have a little fun?”
“I don’t know, Mike,” she replied. “Are there angel rules?”
He smiled at her. “More like guidelines.”
Laughing, she walked to the refrigerator. “I really have missed you,” she said, as she pulled two cans of Diet Pepsi from the shelf.
“Yeah, how much?” he asked.
Walking back, she leaned on the counter next to him and met his eyes. “Every day,” she said softly. “I missed you every day.”
His smile vanished and he nodded. “Yeah, me too,” he said. “Funny, I never realized that when you’re dead you still keep your feelings. I’d see something and think, “Wait until I tell Mary about this…” and then I’d realize I couldn’t tell you.”
“I kept waiting for you to appear in my bedroom,” she said.
“Yeah, well that can be our little secret,” he replied, wagging his eyebrows at her.
“Knock it off,” she said, a blush rising on her cheeks. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
He sighed dramatically. “Yes, I know.”
Laughing, she pulled a muffin out of basket on the counter and wrapped it in a napkin.
“Breakfast to go?” Mike asked.
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m just feeding the officer who’s been on duty this morning. I’m walking over to the Brennan’s place after that.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“It would be my pleasure,” she agreed.
After dropping off a can of soda and a muffin to Officer Deutsch, she walked down the street to the Brennan’s with Mike at her side.
“So, why the cop?” he asked.
“Gary Copper escaped just before his sentencing,” she said. “The authorities are worried he might show up here.”
“Is he coming for you or for Clarissa?” Mike asked.
Mary paused before the Brennan’s house. “Well, I think we’re both at risk. But I don’t know if he realizes that Clarissa is here.”
“Did I put Clarissa at risk by bringing her here?” he asked.
“No. No, I think she’s safer because she has people who will watch over her,” Mary said. “And people who understand
what Gary Copper is capable of.”
“Is she going to Bradley’s?” he asked.
“No, we thought about that, but because Bradley could be called out at any time of the day or night and because both Ian and I are at my place, we decided she’d be safer here,” she explained. “And the fact that the Brennans are just down the street from me in case of emergency helps too.”
Mike glanced at the big house behind him. “Are the Brennans at risk now?”
She nodded. “Yeah, they are. And that’s what we have to discuss this morning.”
“Well, that ought to be a fun discussion,” he replied. “Thanks for including me.”
Smiling, she nodded, “Wouldn’t want to do this without you.”
Chapter Seven
Katie Brennan opened the door, wearing her bathrobe, her hair still in disarray from her short night’s sleep. “Do you people ever sleep?” she asked with a yawn.
“I’m so sorry, Katie,” Mary said. “But we wanted to speak with you before the children woke up.”
Katie nodded wordlessly and led Mary and Mike back into the kitchen. “I understand,” she said, “and it makes sense. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
She slipped into a chair next to her husband, Clifford, picked up her cup of tea, took a sip and immediately looked contrite. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Would you like a cup…”
Mary pulled out her can of Pepsi and shook her head, “No, thanks anyway,” she said. “I came prepared.”
“We’ve got about fifteen minutes before the kids get up,” Clifford said. “So we’d better start talking.”
Mary glanced around. “I thought Bradley would be here by now,” she said.
Mike moved over by Mary. “Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you,” he said. “He got a call and had to go in. He sent me to tell you that.”
Mary rolled her eyes and then turned to Katie and Clifford. “Well, I just remembered that Bradley told me he couldn’t make it this morning,” she said. “Sorry. Forgetful me.”
“So, there’s a ghost here too?” Clifford asked casually, taking another sip of tea.
“I beg your pardon?” Mary asked.
“A ghost. That’s who just told you Bradley wasn’t coming, right?”
Nodding slowly, Mary conceded, “Yes, well technically not a ghost, a guardian angel,” she said. “He’s actually Clarissa’s guardian angel. He was the one who brought her here last night.”
“I wondered how that happened,” Katie said. “Good for him.”
Mary was amazed at how well Katie and Clifford were reacting to the news. “You’re okay with all this?” she asked.
Katie shrugged. “Well, really, we’re not totally awake yet,” she admitted. “So we’re fairly mellow.”
Clifford yawned and nodded. “I’ll probably react in a couple of hours.”
Mary looked at Mike, shrugged, and then turned back to the Brennans. “Do you remember when we first spoke about Clarissa and how her father was probably killed by the dentist who was on trial, Gary Copper?”
Katie nodded. “Yes, I remember.”
“Hey, isn’t that the guy who was on trial last week?” Clifford asked.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Mary replied. “He’s also the one who escaped just before sentencing. He’s dangerous. He killed his lawyer and there’s a good chance he’s either in Freeport or on his way here.”
Clifford sat up straight. “Okay, I’m awake now.”
“So, Clarissa is in danger,” Katie said.
Mary nodded. “Yes, because he considers her his daughter.”
“But he doesn’t know she’s here,” Clifford said.
“That’s right,” Mary agreed. “He actually would be coming to Freeport for me. He feels there is some unfinished business between us.”
“But once he gets here he might learn of Clarissa,” Clifford added.
“Exactly,” Mary said. “And we don’t want to put your family at risk. There was a police car outside your home all last night, so, even though it was highly unlikely that he could find out she was here so quickly, we didn’t want to take any chances.”
“What do you need us to do?” Katie asked.
Mary wasn’t expecting the emotions that almost overwhelmed her at their simple offer of help. They had children to protect. They didn’t need to get involved. And yet, here they were, willing to do whatever she asked of them.
Reaching over, she placed her hand over Katie’s. “I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize your family,” she said firmly. “But I do want Clarissa to have some kind of transition, so she’s just not taken by people she doesn’t know.”
“That seems wise,” Clifford agreed. “What kind of transition?”
“Bradley is arranging to take the day off,” she said, “which is probably why he’s in the office so early this morning. He wanted to spend the day with her, in your company.”
“That’s a great idea,” Katie said. “I’d been thinking about taking Maggie and Clarissa shopping today, so Bradley can come with us.”
“Then, if things seem to go well, we’d have Clarissa stay with me tonight,” Mary said. “That way the police are only watching one house and your family isn’t pulled into this more than they need to be.”
“We don’t mind being involved,” Clifford said.
“I know,” Mary replied, smiling at him. “But I want to be sure your family is safe.”
A noise on the staircase behind them had them all turning. Two sleepy little girls walked slowly down the stairs. “Mommy,” Maggie yawned. “Is it morning…”
She paused and her eyes widened in surprise. “Mike!” she yelled and ran down the last few steps and, from her parents’ perspective, threw her arms around thin air.
“I missed you so much,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
Mike returned her hug. “I missed you too, sweetheart,” he said.
“Hey, how come you know my guardian angel?” Clarissa asked Maggie.
“This is getting too weird for me,” Clifford said, standing up from the table and walking to the stairs. “I’m going upstairs to get dressed.”
Clarissa ran around Clifford and joined Maggie in front of Mike.
“He was my bestest friend when he was still just a ghost,” Maggie explained. “He’s your guardian angel now? You’re so lucky.”
“You know Maggie?” Clarissa asked Mike.
Mike nodded. “Yeah, Maggie and I go way back.”
“And do you know Mary?” Maggie asked, grabbing Clarissa’s arm and pulling her over to Mary. “She lets me spend the night at her house and she makes cookies and waffles and everything.”
Then she bent over and whispered into Clarissa’s ear. “And she’s getting married ‘cause she’s in love.”
Mary extended her hand to Clarissa. “Hello, Clarissa,” she said. “We met last night, but you were pretty tired.”
Clarissa took her hand and looked up at her face. “Are you an angel too?” she asked.
“No, she just looks like one,” Mike said, winking at Mary.
“No, I’m not an angel. I’m just someone who cares a great deal about you,” she replied, “and wanted to find you.”
“Was I lost?” she asked.
Mary nodded. “Well, you were lost to some people who loved you a great deal,” she said. “But other people who also loved you, made sure you didn’t feel lost.”
Clarissa looked up at Mike. “You said you knew my daddy. Did you know my daddy, Henry, or my other daddy?”
“I know your other daddy,” Mike said.
“Is he a ghost too?” she asked quietly.
Mary shook her head. “No, he’s alive and he’s been searching for you.”
“Can I meet him?” she asked.
There was a quick knock on the door and Bradley poked his head into the house. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “How are things going?”
“Well, speak of the devil,” Mike muttered.
; All eyes went to Bradley and there was an awkward silence in the room for a moment, no one quite knowing what to do. Stepping into the house, Bradley closed the door behind him. His eyes immediately went to Clarissa. “Good morning, Clarissa,” he said quietly. “Did you have a good sleep?”
A thundering sound behind them had the attention now focused on the Brennan’s staircase, as the Brennan boys headed downstairs in search of breakfast. Their usual early morning tussles were amplified by the quiet in the room.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Andy called from the landing.
“Hush,” Maggie called back. “Clarissa is finding out that Bradley’s her real dad.”
Mary clapped a hand over her mouth and glanced at Katie who was shaking her head in mortification. She turned to Bradley, an apology on her lips, when she froze as Clarissa slowly walked across the room to face him.
Looking down at the little girl, Bradley’s heart caught in his throat. She looked so much like Jeannine, yet he could also see himself in her, especially as she studied him with her all too serious eyes. He squatted down in front of her, so they could see each other eye to eye.
“You carried me last night,” she finally said.
“Yes, I did,” he replied. “I carried you from the bus and then to the Brennan’s van.”
“You saw my angel. You saw Mike.”
“Yeah, your angel and I have been friends for a little while,” he agreed.
“Mike told me he was friends with my daddy,” she said, her eyes never breaking contact with his.
Bradley nodded and held her eyes for a moment, forcing himself to take things slowly. He couldn’t push, couldn’t rush, Clarissa needed to take her time, set her own pace in this discovery. He exhaled slowly. “Yes, Mike is very good friends with your daddy,” he assured her.
She moved closer and placed her small hand on his chest. Bradley held his breath. She stared into his eyes. “Are you…are you my real daddy?” she whispered hopefully.
He was amazed at how much joy a simple question could bring. Stunned at the emotional impact it was having on him. He tried to speak several times, but his voice seemed to be caught in his throat. His eyes stung and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. Finally, he just nodded in response to her question.