Celine smiled back, and reached over to pick up her backpack. As she bent, her hand brushed what she had thought was Ronan’s leather jacket. She felt the coarse, smooth hairs that had dried in the sun, saw the deep colour of the hide and its pale grey speckles.
At such a time, at such a place, anything can happen, she remembered he’d said.
“Oh God,” she whispered, disbelieving. “Oh, my God.”
“God has more to do with it than ye may reckon, Celine,” Ronan said softly behind her, and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. “There are things in this world that canna be explained by your science. Mysteries. Miracles.”
Celine didn’t turn. Her first instinct was to run-to put as much distance between this stranger-this creature-and herself. But no, he wasn’t a stranger-he was the same Ronan Morrison who had rescued her, combed her hair, listened to her griefs, caught her lunch, kissed her, shown her a whole other world-Celine knew him. And somehow, this fit.
As she fingered the sealskin, she remembered Muireall’s story. Temptation gripped her, left her weak. Ronan could be hers forever, as long as she had the skin—his skin. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath suspended. But she remembered the rest of Muireall’s story, imagining the painful longing for the sea etched on Ronan’s handsome, expressive face.
Very slowly, she withdrew her hand and released her breath. Turning, she saw Ronan watching her, holding his breath, too.
“Thank ye,” he whispered. Celine closed her eyes. A light kiss landed on her brow, and when she finally opened her eyes, she was alone on the twilit beach. That day had been the first of many joinings and partings, but Celine knew, whatever her future held, she would stay where the sea meets Skye.
* * * *
Visit Erin’s website at
www.angelfire.com/planet/erinhatton/
Angels in the Moonlight
by Diane Davis White
Somewhere over the rainbow, far above Mother Earth
Sadie, the Shady Angel swished her hips as she crossed the room to stare out the window. She looked at her mentor, Pricilla, with a scowl. “It’s a waste of time, I say. Bringin’ together two people who don’t even like each other.”
Pricilla sighed impatiently. “They don’t dislike one another.”
“Yeah? Then why don’t they get together? Why do they need our help?”
“They’ve just never noticed one another in that special way. We have to change things so they do notice and fall in love.”
“Why?” Sadie queried. “If they ain’t makin’ sparks when they get together, it’s not up to us to—”
“Hush up arguing,” Pricilla interrupted. “It’s fate and destiny and … and—”
“And a load of crap,” Sadie cut her short. “But if it’s our mission, then I guess we’d better do it. Even if it is stupid. I mean if they wanted to get together, seems to me they already would’ve.” Shaking her head, Sadie lifted the hem of her gown and buffed her bright red nails to a high polish.
“Stop using your garment for a cleaning rag! Your attitude is almost as bad as it was before you got those wings.”
“Wings? You call these little feathered things wings?” Sadie dropped her hem and flicked her fingertips against the small wings protruding from her shoulders. “I still have to haul myself into your updraft to keep any altitude.”
“Maybe on this mission you will earn enough points to get larger ones,” Pricilla promised with a lift of her chin. “You did okay with the chocolates in Idaho, but this time you need to keep your hands off strangers. That poor man almost had a heart attack when you sat on his knee.”
“He was lovin’ it,” Sadie argued. “He couldn’t get enough of me.”
“Is that why he looked so relieved when you fell off his lap?” Pricilla asked with a superior smirk.
“Enough! Let’s get on with the assignment.” Sadie’s brand new gossamer gown glowed in the moonlight filtering through the window. “And what’s this nonsense about two full moons in one month. Never heard of it.”
“I’ll explain on the way. We don’t have much time, so let us depart immediately,” Pricilla called over her shoulder as she headed toward the door. “There’s a sweet silver lining cloud leaving in ten minutes.”
“Oh boy! A soft, quiet ride for a change!” Sadie hurried after Pricilla, not inclined to argue with this pleasant turn of events. She absolutely hated those storm cloud rides. They made her dizzy and occasionally prone to throw up.
“Hey Prissy! Where we goin’, anyhow? Back to Idaho?” Sadie hurried a bit as the cloud appeared to be taking off without her. Inches from the take off pad, she made a giant leap in the air, skirts flying high to expose her new racy, lacy, red knickers. “Hold up! I’m comin’!”
“Where did you get those horrid bloomers?” Pricilla eyed the undergarment with an indignant grimace as she reached for Sadie’s hand, dragging her on to the soft bed of cloud. “And when are you going to learn how to board a cloud with dignity?”
“You answer my questions, Miss Prissy, and I’ll answer yours.” Sadie stuck her tongue out at the other angel. “And what do ya mean ‘horrid bloomers’? My new knickers are perfect for me. Suit my personality. Fit nice, too,” she added, wiggling her behind.
“They are not regulation bloomers, Sadie. I do wish you’d check with me before you go buying things.” Sighing in her usual melodramatic way, Pricilla proceeded to answer Sadie’s other question. “We’re not going back to Idaho, we’re going to Tahoe.”
“Oh good!” Sadie rubbed her hands together in glee. “Maybe I’ll have time to play a few slots. Maybe catch a show or two.”
“You will not!” Pricilla huffed. Seating herself on a large puff of cloud, she spoke in her instructor’s voice. “We have a mission to bring Nathan and Olivia together so they can make beautiful music.”
“And babies,” Sadie added with a sly grin. “Don’t forget making babies.”
“That is something you and I need not discuss,” Pricilla admonished, shaking her zapper finger at Sadie. “Nathan is a musician and Olivia is a singer. They’ve been in the same ensemble for months, but nothing has happened between them yet because Nathan has issues.
“Issues? Is he gay?” Sadie snorted at her own foolishness. “Okay, okay…” she amended, staring at the terrible zap finger, recalling her last encounter with it. Well, at least there ain’t no pile of shit to land in if she zaps me this time. But I could very well be taking a trip to earth the hard way. She looked over the edge of the cloud and decided to err on the side of caution.
“Now be quiet and listen. I have a plan.”
“Don’t you always?” Sadie flopped down next to her, legs sprawled in a very unladylike manner. Seeing the look of disapproval on her mentor’s face, she lifted her hem a bit more, letting her lacy bloomers show. She just loved to give the very proper Pricilla grief. It was more fun than … well, a lot of things.
* * * *
Lake Tahoe California on a balmy summer night below the rainbow
Nathan Bridges eased out of the airport shuttle, eyeing the hotel with pleased anticipation. A whole two months in paradise was his first thought. Then he looked at the entourage waiting for him in the lobby and frowned. He’d had no idea Harry had booked Olivia Langston for this gig. He thought she’d gone the way of the other female vocalists he’d hired over the years, having left the group six weeks ago. Not that she didn’t sing like a nightingale. Not that she didn’t look like sin walking or sound like it on the lowdown ballads, but she was trouble. With a capital T.
Nathan wasn’t into romance. All his heart and soul went into his horn, into his music. Olivia was a distraction he couldn’t afford if he wanted to make it to the top of the music business. He’d already had his one bad experience with a woman … he wasn’t letting it happen again.
He returned the wave of his fellow musicians and barely glanced at her. It didn’t surprise him when she ignored him. He’d spent a lot of time
ignoring her for the last six months. He told himself it was best and he shouldn’t be concerned. So why did her coolness turn a spin of anxiety in his gut? Hating the thought that he was attracted in spite of himself, he looked everywhere but at Olivia. Crossing the foyer, he kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
“We checked in?” he asked his lead guitarist. At the man’s affirmation, he picked up his cases, heading across the lobby to the elevators. He turned his head, catching a movement out of the corner of his eye. Seeing nothing but a few potted palms and a large aquarium, he decided he was overly tired. Jet lag always did him in. The elevator doors opened and he let everyone step in first. Nathan couldn’t handle being stuffed in the back of the crowded elevator.
As the doors closed, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. He swore he’d seen two older women in long white gowns hiding behind the potted palms. One appeared to have wings. Boy, and I haven’t even had a drink yet. I need more sleep.
* * * *
“Uh-oh, he saw us,” Sadie whispered. “And is he gorgeous! I wouldn’t mind takin’ him for a little one-on-one.”
“Stop the nonsense,” Pricilla snapped as she eyed Sadie with trepidation. “And whatever are you doing?”
“Getting my CD player outta your pocket,” Sadie answered as she pulled the electronic contraption out and slipped it into her own pocket. “I’ll need it for research.”
“I know I shouldn’t ask, but where did you get that? And why is it in my pocket?” Looking around at her student, Pricilla asked her final question. “And what research are you talking about?”
“I kipped … er, borrowed it from the gift shop. Figured you wouldn’t mind holding on to it for me. I wanna listen to Nathan and Olivia in concert. It’ll give me ideas, I’m sure. You know.” She waved her arms, almost knocking Pricilla to the floor. “Got one a their albums, too. See?”
“No, I don’t see.” Pricilla shuddered delicately. “But you know stealing isn’t allowed.” Pricilla’s gaze shifted from the CD to the elevator doors. “You can put it back later. Right now, we have to get to Olivia’s room.”
“I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it. Plan to put it back as soon as we’re done here. Kept the box and everything.”
Hurrying toward the stairs, Pricilla hissed, “I don’t care what you call it. You need to put it back. No wonder your wings are still fledgling size.”
“Don’t believe me, huh? Check your other pocket. That’s where I stashed the packaging.”
With a moan of disbelief, Pricilla slapped her hand against the box in her pocket. “Oh, good grief! You are incorrigible, simply hopeless.”
“Naw, that’s just my way of making you an accomplice.” Sadie laughed aloud at the ire sparking from Pricilla’s eyes. “Don’t worry … we won’t go to jail. We’re angels, remember?”
“I wish you would remember it,” Pricilla muttered. “And jail isn’t the type of punishment we’d receive. Losing your first pair of fledgling wings and being sent where you belong, that’s what would happen.”
“Where I belong?” Sadie looked down at the shorter angel. “I think we’ll both be making a trip to the lower regions if we’re caught. So we ain’t gonna get caught, right?”
* * * *
Olivia sat on the edge of her bed, too exhausted and disheartened to care that this was her biggest gig in months. A chance to be seen by bigwigs in the entertainment business. The place was crawling with music executives here for their annual awards conference. A wonderful chance to get noticed and maybe land a recording contract. What difference did it all make when Nathan Bridges hated her? The man was so cold he dripped ice. Not that I care. It’s hard to work with someone who obviously despises you. With the back of her hand she wiped away tears that coursed down her cheeks.
Rehearsal in an hour, she dragged herself to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Maybe she’d wake up enough to make a good impression on the other musicians, if not the stone-cold Mister Bridges.
* * * *
“What’s she cryin’ about?” Sadie peered through the balcony window.
“I imagine she’s sad,” Pricilla stated in her loftiest know-it-all voice. “Why does anyone cry?”
“People cry when they’re happy too, ya know.” Sadie arched a brow, then frowned. “You’re supposed to know about this gal. Does she love that good-looking saxophone dude or what?”
“I have no idea if she knows she loves him, but yes, that’s the end result of our mission. Getting them together because they don’t know they’re made for each other—fighting their attraction too hard to recognize it, as far as I can determine. It’s up to us to use the blue moon tomorrow night to get them going.”
“Yeah … so you told me.” Sadie rolled her eyes. “I love the song, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a blue moon.”
“Well, it’s not exactly blue,” Pricilla pointed out. “It’s the second full moon in a month. If someone wishes on it, it turns blue for the wisher for a few seconds before the wish is granted. Provided it is granted.”
“You mean not all blue moon wishes are granted?” Sadie scratched beneath her armpit and squirmed around, trying to reach her back. “Scratch that spot below my wing, will ya?”
Pricilla automatically scratched the itchy spot, then jerked her hand back. “Eew! What are you itching for? And please keep your hands out of your armpits, for goodness sake.”
“It’s the wings … they’re growin’ or somethin’.”
“In your armpit?” Pricilla raised a haughty brow, looking pleased at her quip.
“Whatever,” Sadie answered on a sigh. “Let’s leave my armpits outta this. Supposin’ you tell me what the next part of the plan is—now that we’re here.”
“As I said, if a wish is granted, which is precisely what will happen if we can get Nathan and Olivia to make the wish. And yes, some wishes are not granted. For instance…”
“Don’t tell me, let me guess,” Sadie said with an impish grin. “If somebody wanted somebody snuffed, the wish wouldn’t be granted. Is that a good for instance?”
“I suppose.” Shaking her head at the vagaries of fate putting her in the same sphere as Sadie the Shady Angel, Pricilla outlined her plan.
* * * *
Nathan looked up at the sound of heels clicking across the tiles in the empty ballroom. The sway of her hips, the healthy sheen of dark hair sliding against her shoulders—everything about her sent his senses on elevated alert. But after his experience with Barbara, he wasn’t about to let a good-looking woman get between him and his career. Get into his heart. Never again. No way.
Damn! Why does she have to look so good? He kept his features neutral, looking away quickly. “See you made it on time,” he muttered ungraciously.
“I’m always on time,” she replied in a slightly gravelly voice.
“Something wrong with your voice?” Panic welled in Nathan’s gut. This was the most prestigious gig of the year. Christ! They could get a recording contract out of this. His vocalist couldn’t get sick now. “You sound like you have a frog in your throat.” Before she could reply, he added, “If you’re coming down with a sore throat, go get something from the doc and go to bed. We open in two days. Can’t have you sick.”
“I’m fine,” she answered. “I’ll drink some water and I’ll be okay.”
“Make sure you don’t screw this up for the rest of us,” he said resentfully, then felt guilty as hell for being so rough on her. She looked and sounded suspiciously like she’d been crying. To make up for his gruffness, he motioned her to a chair. “Sit awhile and I’ll have someone bring you some juice.”
“Thanks,” she said, her voice a whisper as she took a seat at an empty table.
Two hours later, an exhausting rehearsal finally wound down. “Okay, that’s a wrap. Just one more go-over on Blue Moon, if you two don’t mind?” Nathan barely glanced at Olivia—whose voice proved to be as deep and smooth as it should be—addressing his question more to Harry, the piano player. E
veryone drifted off to the casino or their rooms, leaving Nathan, the piano player and Olivia behind.
“Catch those overheads, Joe,” Nathan called. The base player turned the switch as he left the room, throwing them into near darkness.
Nathan looked at his watch, then toward the back of the stage where he saw something move. “Who’s back there?” he called into the darkness. He looked at Harry, who stood next to the breakers. “Hit the stage lights, will you, Harry?”
The lights flooded the back of the stage and two unlikely looking ladies—one tall with flaming red hair, the other short and dumpy looking—smiled at him.
“Who are you? Hey, weren’t you hiding behind the palms last night?” Raising an eyebrow, he peered at the pair of strange women suspiciously.
The taller one winked at him, wiggling her fingers in a flirtatious way, while the other grabbed her arm and shoved it down, whispering something with a frown.
“Who are you talking to, Nate?” Harry peered at the back of the stage, scratching his nearly bald head and looking perplexed. “Nobody there that I can see.”
“You don’t see those two—?” Nathan turned his head sharply and looked at Harry, then at Olivia. “What about you?” he asked in a near panicked voice. “Do you see them?”
“Them?” Olivia wrinkled her pretty brow and shook her head. “Mister Bridges, perhaps you’ve been working too hard … not getting enough sleep,” she suggested. “There’s no one there.”
Turning his head slowly toward the back of the stage again, he saw only empty space where the two women had been. Blinking his eyes, he shook his head. “You could be right,” he admitted. “Let’s forget Blue Moon for now. I need to get some rest.”
* * * *
“How come only he could see us?” Sadie ambled along beside her portly mentor, eyeing her reflection in the shop windows. “Everybody could see us in Idaho.”
“Because I didn’t deem it necessary for everyone here to see us,” Pricilla answered. “After what happened in Idaho, it should be clear to you that other people think we dress strangely.” She came to a halt as Sadie made a sharp turn to the left. “Where are you going?”
Blue Moon Magic Page 5