Forgiven

by Fall, Carly

  “I love you,” he whispered as he kicked off his boots and pulled the blanket around them. He moved Adela into his embrace and held her close, yet her stiff body language told him she wasn’t quite on board with what he said. Her face was buried in his neck, and each tear she shed stung his skin as if they were droplets of fire. A moment later, she looked up at him.

  “Please tell me you aren’t joking or trying to get a rise out of me, Liam,” she pleaded.

  Liam smiled. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. I want you. I want you and me. I want us to think about our future together.”

  He kissed her nose.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes, really. Maybe we can talk about having some kids later, too. I bet I’d make a good dad.”

  “And what if we can’t, Liam? I’ve lost two in the past, and who knows how all that is going to end up with us being human again.”

  He pulled her close. “If it can’t happen, then that’s okay, too.”

  They sat in silence for a few moments, and Adela snaked her arm around his waist and leaned into him, finally relaxing. Liam realized he hadn’t slept much in the past twenty-four hours and exhaustion tugged at him.

  “Then we’ll get a couple of dogs,” Liam said, yawning.

  “And a cat,” Adela replied with a yawn. “I’ve always liked cats.”

  “How come?”

  Adela was quiet for a moment, and then said, “Because when I took a soul to the Fringe and there was a cat in the house, it always tried to rub up against my leg as if it wanted me to take them with me.”

  “Or maybe it just wanted to be with its owner,” Liam mumbled. “They wanted you to take them as well.”

  Adela nodded. “Perhaps. But I loved that animals could see me, and cats always seemed to be extra friendly.”

  Liam had never paid much attention. “I’ll tell you what,” he said, rolling to his side so they were facing each other, and then pulled her so they were body-to-body. “I’ll let you pet me any time you want, and I’ll never let you out of my sight. I’ll be so damn friendly, you’ll want to mace me. Just please, no cats.”

  Adela giggled and gave him a small kiss as she placed her hand on his cheek. Liam stared into those brown pools for a long time, then kissed the tip of her nose.

  “That’s wonderful, Liam. And just for the record, I love you, but we’re still getting a cat.”

  Liam sighed, his heart soaring at her words, but he resigned himself to his fate with the feline. He didn’t care as long as Adela was with him, by his side and happy.

  “What time today can I spring you out of here?” Liam asked.

  “I’m free to go whenever I’m ready.”

  Liam smiled and pulled her close and kissed her forehead, excited for their future together. “Well, let’s get you dressed and get you home.”

  Chapter 44

  Liam helped Adela up the stairs to the cabin, and was surprised when Gunnar opened the door.

  “Hello, Adela,” he said, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m feeling pretty good, Gunnar,” she replied. “Thank you.

  Liam led her into the living room and she sat down on the red couch. The flames danced in the fireplace, and Liam glanced out the sliding glass door, noting the deck was completely cleared of snow.

  He sat down next to Adela while Gunnar took the other couch, and Evangeline appeared in front of the fireplace. Her large white wings flapped once, sending a clean breeze through the room, and then folded at her back. “Hello!” she chirped.

  “Hey, Evangeline,” Liam replied. Evangeline smiled at him, and he couldn’t remember when he had seen her so happy.

  “I’m so thrilled you two have completed your assignment with such success,” she beamed.

  Adela took his hand and glanced over at him. “As am I,” she murmured, and he gave her hand a squeeze.

  “Have you two decided where you would like to live your lives as humans?” she asked.

  Liam looked at Adela. They hadn’t discussed anything beyond getting her out of the hospital, and he hadn’t given it any thought.

  “What do you think?” he murmured to her.

  She shrugged. “I kind of like it here, Liam.”

  His first thought was the cold and snow, which he hated. But as he looked around the cabin, he realized that he really did like the cozy space. He appreciated the peace and tranquility of the mountains and lake, and well, snow and cold didn’t last forever.

  “If that’s what you want, love,” he said.

  “Very well,” Evangeline declared. “We will make sure that you are both taken care of financially for a short time, and we will get this cabin in your names. You will be living strictly as humans. You have been given a second chance at life, so enjoy it.”

  Liam smiled and squeezed Adela’s hand. “I intend to, Evangeline.”

  “You will need to get a job after Adela is back to one hundred percent,” Evangeline said. “I will provide you with the documentation needed to do so.”

  Liam nodded. “Thanks.”

  He wasn’t going to question how she intended to get the cabin in their names or what his resume would look like. The trifecta that ran Heaven got what they wanted, when they wanted.

  “Very well. Gunnar, you will continue as an Angel of Affection.”

  Gunnar sighed. “Okay.”

  Evangeline waved her hand, and Gunnar was dressed in his Angel of Death leathers. He stood and stretched. “Your transformation has begun,” Evangeline announced.

  Adela leaned her head on Liam’s shoulder. As he listened to Evangeline tell Gunnar that he would begin his next assignment immediately, he realized he wanted both of them gone ASAP. He was ready to start his life with Adela, and frankly, he’d be happy if neither Gunnar nor Evangeline ever came to visit.

  He made a vow that he would appreciate this second chance at life, and with Adela by his side, he had a feeling it was going to be an easy task.

  “No offense, but you two need to get out of here,” he grumbled.

  Evangeline raised an eyebrow at him.

  “That’s not very hospitable,” Gunnar said, smiling.

  Liam shrugged. “I’m not feeling too hospitable right now, Gunnar. After what you put me through, mate, I think its best we just say g’day and call it good.”

  Gunnar threw his head back and laughed. “Very well, Liam,” he said. “I wish you and the lovely Adela much happiness in your new life.”

  With that, both angels walked through the sliding glass door and disappeared.

  As Liam sat with Adela, alone at last, his heart swelled. They had been given a second chance at life. Hers was a chance to finally live, while his was a chance to do it over, and do it right this time.

  But first, he needed to get his patient to bed and nurse her back to health. He’d made a promise to Lucy, Adela’s nurse, he’d do so, and never again would he break another promise.

  “C’mon, love,” he murmured, helping her to her feet. “Let’s get you to bed. You need to rest.”

  Epilogue

  Three months later

  Liam stood on the deck of the cabin in Tahoe, taking in the sunrise on another beautiful summer day. He sipped his coffee as the sky turned gorgeous shades of red, pink, and orange. Angie, his Golden Retriever, bounded up the stairs with a tennis ball in her mouth. He’d thrown it for her at least ten times, but she always wanted more. As she dropped it as his feet, he scratched her head. “What a good dog you are, Angie,” he exclaimed, with just a hint of “baby talk” in his voice. He never understood why he spoke to her like that, but it just seemed natural.

  He bent down and picked up the ball, then threw it into the trees. He’d never told anyone, but Angie was short for Evangeline. He figured Adela would have an absolute fit if she knew he’d named his dog after an angel from the Inner Circle.

  Liam was very happy they had decided to stay in Tahoe. They loved the cozy cabin and Liam had to
admit, spring had been beautiful. They took advantage of it and took many hikes through the mountains. Nature surprised them with gorgeous fields of wildflowers, deer sightings, and the music of the Mountain Chickadees and Western Tanagers as they prepared their nests for their upcoming families.

  Now that summer had arrived, he was even happier they had stayed. The beauty of Tahoe in the summer made up for any amount of snow he had to shovel during the winter.

  They had spent many days exploring the beaches of Tahoe, and Liam couldn’t imagine anyone looking at the beauty of the bright blue lake surrounded by the snow-capped mountains, and not believing in a Creator or Mother Nature. It was truly an astounding sight.

  He smiled, thinking that in his old life he never would have noticed the magnificence surrounding him, let alone take the time to find out the names of the area’s birds. Those Tanagers were absolutely gorgeous with their small red, yellow, and black bodies.

  He’d gotten a job with the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, and really enjoyed it. Adela was taking some online classes, learning how to type, how the Internet worked, and mastering different office applications. She hoped to get a job as an online virtual assistant in the near future as she liked being at home. She was also tossing around the idea of writing a book about her life as a Puritan woman in the late 1600s, under the guise of fiction, of course. She told him it would be cleansing for her to get her experience out on paper, and he supported her one hundred percent.

  Things had been going really well for them, and Liam thought of Michael the Archangel’s words: Love is the only true combatant against hate, the only thing that can change the course of the human’s path to self-destruction.

  At the time, Liam hadn’t given the words any thought, but he had come to realize that love was very powerful, and Michael had been very wise and spoke the truth. Liam loved Adela ferociously and she felt the same way. He could feel it in her touch, see it in her smile, and hear it when he made her laugh. In turn, he was happy. He found himself smiling more, saying hello to people, taking the time to help those he saw in need, and just spreading good cheer wherever he went. If he could bring even a smile to one person’s day who may not have had any reason to grin, he’d spread a little love around. He was doing his part to combat the hate Michael had spoken of.

  There was a soft tap on the door and Liam turned around. Adela stood on the other side of the glass, bleary-eyed, wearing a purple silk nightgown. He smiled and waved for her to come outside.

  She shook her head and motioned at the cabins surrounding them that were now full with families enjoying the summer break. She didn’t want them seeing her in all her half-naked glory, and come to think of it, neither did Liam.

  He went inside, Angie following him. “Good morning, sexy mama,” he growled, pulling Adela in for a kiss.

  “Good morning,” she laughed.

  “Can I get you some coffee?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The walked into the kitchen where Adela’s all-white cat, Maxwell, sat by his bowl and howled, begging to be fed. Angie went over and nudged the cat with her nose, and Maxwell swatted at her as Angie jumped back just far enough away so that the claw didn’t connect with her nose. Angie continued her pestering and Maxwell became more irritated. Liam poured Adela some coffee and kept an eye on the animals as he mixed in the milk and a shot of water. Sometimes their bickering got carried away, they ended up fighting and he had to break them up. Liam imagined it was like having two kids.

  Speaking of which . . . “Did you take the test?” he asked as he handed Adela the coffee cup and sat down at the kitchen table.

  She nodded and sat down as well. Maxwell hissed and Angie nudged him again before taking off running down the hall, Maxwell chasing her.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “It was negative,” Adela said. “I’m sorry, Liam. As much as I want it, perhaps I’m just not supposed to be a mother.”

  “Come here, love,” he murmured, taking her hand and pulling her onto his lap. She laced her hands around his neck and looked down at him.

  He settled one hand on her upper back and felt the six slight bumps indicating where her wings and the crystals had once been. He placed his other hand on thigh, feeling the satin skin and softly massaged it. “I told you, it doesn’t matter if we do have kids, or if we don’t, right?”

  Adela smiled and nodded, and his hand disappeared under the silk. She gasped as his thumb traced over the satin panties she wore.

  “But we can still keep trying,” he whispered, kissing her neck. She shivered and opened her legs just a little bit for him. His fingers slipped into her panties.

  “What about the beach?” Adela murmured, shutting her eyes as he traced her intimate flesh. “We were supposed to go to the beach today.”

  “The beach can wait,” he replied, standing and taking Adela by the hand. As they made their way down the hall to their bedroom, he said, “And as far as baby making goes, you know what they say— practice makes perfect.”

  Dear Reader,

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  Thank you!

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  About the Author

  Carly Fall is an award-winning author, a wife, a mother and a slave to the dog, Nicky.

  She is the author of the Amazon Best Selling Series the Six Saviors, and Contemporary and Paranormal Romance titles Yesterday’s Kiss, Time or Money, Against the Ropes and Chica Bella.

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