by J. T. Hardy
"You're supposed to come back with me."
"Retire to Florida?" He shook his head. "I'd be a bother down there, Sweet Potato, you know that. How often does someone get a second chance? I don't want to waste it. I've wasted enough years already."
"That's why you should come home."
"Florida hasn't been home in a long time."
Not since Pensacola, when Mom was still alive. It had been hard for me to move back, too. "This sucks."
He gave me a tight hug. "I know, but it's what I have to do."
"This isn't about you and that cross, is it?"
"No," he said, chuckling. "You were right, Nate is the man for the job. I want to help him."
I glared at Father Sneakypants over Dad's shoulder, then broke the hug. "Can't you come back for a little while?" I asked Dad.
"I'll make you a deal. Soon as I get settled, I'll come for a nice, long visit."
Not nearly good enough, but it'd be easier to bend rebar than change his mind when he looked that determined.
"Deal. But if you're not in Lauderdale in the next month, I'm coming back to get you."
"I can live with that." He ruffled my hair.
At least in Sedona he had Cavanaugh to look after him. Dad was probably safe. Traveling for a visit wasn't going to be an issue anymore. Suriel knew Dad's blood couldn't help him, though he might try to use him as leverage to get me again. Daniel didn't think so, since the ritual idea was really Kokabiel's evil plan.
But what was Suriel's? That part still bothered me.
Whatever it was, we'd figure it out. Libby and I weren't going anywhere just yet, so Dad and I had some time before I had to get back to work. We'd make the most of the next few days.
"Well, I guess that's it then." Cavanaugh hesitated and I tensed. He had that look again. No matter how many times he'd asked, I couldn't tell him what had happened in the fangel cathedral. I hadn't mentioned the whole Mary thing. I suspected he'd have more trouble dealing with that little tidbit than me bringing him back from the brink of death. Or maybe he was just worried what I'd do to him for stealing my father.
"You'd better take good care of him," I said, putting a little threat into it.
Cavanaugh grinned nervously and crossed his heart. "Promise."
We all gave Cavanaugh a hug and headed back to the truck, parked at the edge of holy ground. Daniel and Zack lounged in the back, their faces turned toward the sun.
"They're still here?" I said, a little disturbed at my relief. I was getting too used to them being around. Them or him?
Dad nodded, but he gave me a pointed, protective-dad look. "They wanted to make sure we all made it home safely."
"That is their job, you know." I glanced back at Daniel, grinning like he was on vacation. He lifted his head and met my stare, then smiled wider. And waved. I smiled and waved back. Crap. This was going to get complicated. "Remind me to buy them sunscreen."
"Do angels burn?" Libby said.
I scoffed. "Kokabiel did."
She groaned.
"Too soon?"
She held her fingers apart about an inch. "Just a little."
"You suck, Grace-face," Daisy said through gritted teeth, but she held tight to the bars and shoved herself forward another step. I'd been back in Lauderdale for two weeks, and she'd shown up for every session. Libby had been quite impressed.
"That's Queen Grace-face to you," I said.
"This is child abuse."
I struck a soldier's pose. "This. Is. Therapy!"
She snorted and shook her head. "You are so weird."
Yes, but she was doing her exercises and she hadn't spit at anyone in days. I'd take that trade. I caught Libby watching us from the coffee stand and winked. She chuckled, which was good.
After we'd gotten back from Sedona, we'd driven down to her father's fishing cabin in Key Largo. She'd hidden it well, but being there had been hard for her, and she'd had to leave and sit by the water multiple times each day. I'd packed enough photos of her and her dad together to see how close they'd been. She'd gotten through it, though. My bestie was no wimp.
"Come on, peon," I said, returning to Daisy. "Three more steps and you can go harvest the fields before the sun sets."
"If I do four, will you promise not to be weird for the rest of the day?"
"I make no promises."
She did four anyway.
I canceled the funky chicken victory dance I had planned and patted her on the head instead. "Nice job."
She hesitated, eying me suspiciously from behind her hair. "Thanks."
"Now you get a prize." I handed her an electric orange hair scrunchy with purple zig-zag stripes and green metallic fringe. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"You'd better get that thing back into the ocean before it dies."
"Please, all the cool kids are wearing dead sea creatures in their hair." I pulled her blond locks back into a high ponytail with the scrunchy. "Beautiful."
"Fine, it obviously means a lot to you." She rolled her eyes, but checked herself out in the mirrored wall. Green fringe stuck out from her head like a dandelion. Wild, a little wacky, and daring you to notice it. No one would look at her legs with that thing in her hair.
Her parents arrived and waved from the waiting area near the elevators. Daisy groaned, but it didn't have the same level of annoyance that it had had last week. Baby steps, but progress was progress.
"They want to take me out for a special dinner tonight," she mumbled.
"Good deal, you must be hungry. You worked hard all afternoon."
She snorted. "Yeah, but I could do without the pity party."
"Then don't pity them."
A grin flickered across her mouth. "I'll tell them I want lobster."
"Do you like lobster?"
"Not really, but it's expensive."
I kneeled in front of her and bopped her on the nose with one finger. "Being seen with that scrunchy is punishment enough. You don't need to bankrupt them."
"You gave me this scrunchy like a minute and a half ago."
"Details, details." I hung her backpack on the back of her chair. "Okay, do your exercises at home, eat your vegetables, and finish your homework."
"I can't tell if you're being weird or not."
"What kind of school do you go to where homework is weird?"
She narrowed her eyes at me. "Still can't tell."
I rolled her toward her parents. "My weirdness is beyond your comprehension."
She laughed. "I knew you couldn't do it."
Maybe, but Dad was flying in tomorrow and I was happy. I tugged her ponytail and handed her off to her parents, who smiled at me with the same polite detachment they probably used on waiters and cashiers. They heaped praise on her, though. Daisy endured their support and waved as the elevator doors closed.
"You made her laugh," Libby said, handing me a steaming cup of coffee.
"It's all done with mirrors."
She toasted me with her cup. "Mighty fine illusion."
"Don't forget to tip your waitresses. We still on for tonight?"
"I'm game if you are. It's a big step. No turning back once you bring it home."
"It's a big-screen TV, not a Russian orphan."
She scoffed. "Spoken like someone who's never tried to return a large household appliance."
Maybe not, but I'd bought my share of them in the last two weeks. A bread maker, a vacuum, a new car to replace my clunker. Technically, that didn't qualify as a household appliance, but it was large and I had registered it in Florida. I had a Florida driver's license and everything.
Not with my real name, but with luck, Harper would be the last name I'd ever use.
First thing I'd done after getting home--checked to see if Andrews Medical was connected to the Ascendant Health Hospital Network in any way. Nothing so far, but I'd be reading those corporate newsletters a lot more closely from now on.
A faint shiver ran along my skin and I breathed deep. Woodfire smo
ke. I turned just as Daniel stepped off the elevator. He'd shown up outside my door two days after I'd gotten back, claiming even with Kokabiel dead, I still needed protection. Libby had agreed, otherwise I would have sent him packing.
Maybe.
More than one person paused to ogle him, and I didn't blame them. The angel was built for tank tops and shorts, and now that he could stand the sun, he was making the most of wearing the least.
"What's he doing here?" I asked Libby.
"Who do you think is carrying that big-ass TV?"
"He agreed to that?"
She snickered. "I promised him he could hold your hand through dinner."
"Libby!"
She elbowed me playfully in the side. "Come on angel-bait, let's go home."
Home. Yeah. That sounded good.
About the Author
J.T. Hardy is the writing team of Janice and Thomas Hardy. She’s the word smith, he’s the idea generator, and together they bring their worlds and stories to life. They frequently get caught up in weird conversations over lunch, and many of those conversations lead to more book ideas than they have time to write.
Janice is also the author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall, from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. When she’s not working on novels, she writes books on the craft of writing.
Janice and Thomas live in Central Florida.
Visit www.janicehardy.com for more information about the novels, or www.fiction-university.com for more on writing.
Acknowledgments
This book was born on a long car trip, when my husband asked a “What if?” question that made me want to pull over and start writing. It’s easy to say, “Without him, this book wouldn’t have been possible,” but it’s true. He had the idea that sparked this series, and we worked together to develop the world, characters, and story. He earned his “T” in the byline.
I’m also eternally grateful to my critique partners and beta readers who read the various drafts of this tale. Some of you (such as Ann), read this back when I foolishly thought it would be a YA novel, and nearly every draft since.
Big hugs and thanks go out to Ann Meier, Bonnie Randall, Alex Hughes, Juliette Wade, Dario Ciriello, Cathy Hall, Claudia Pearson, Ginger Garrett, Carol Malcolm, and Ian Blew, for their sharp eyes and insightful feedback. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—you guys rock.
Thanks also go out to my agent, Kristin Nelson, and the gal who catches my typos, Dori. It’s a great comfort knowing you two have my back.
And finally, thanks to my brother-in-law Charles, who keeps me motivating by asking “Where’s the next one?” every time I see him.
Blood Ties
Copyright © Janice Hardy 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print or electronic form without prior permission of the author.
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Published by Janice Hardy
This book is also available in paperback format.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (*or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
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ISBN 978-1-948305-90-7
Contents
Teaser
Novels by J.T. Hardy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About the Author
Acknowledgments