by Beverly Rae
“But what if it’s your time? What if Josh is here to take you to Heaven?”
Cara laughed and tossed her hair. “If he is, at least I’m going to Heaven.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Is it my time to die? Are you my personal escort into the Light?” She’d expected a quick and lighthearted answer from him. Instead, he grew very serious, sending a lump to her throat. What if it was her time to die?
“I’m here for me, not anyone else. As far as I know, you’re both going to live long—”
“—and prosper?”
“Huh?”
Josh looks great even with a frown. In fact, he’s adorable when he’s confused. “Oh nothing. It was my lame attempt at a joke.”
“Still, why push your luck, Cara? Even with an angel.”
The hopeful tone of Tilly’s voice washed over her, making her wish she could think of something to reassure her friend. Yet she doubted anything she said could perform that miracle. Cara sighed. “Til, give it up, okay? I’m going to do this. I’m going as high as I can go.”
Until now Josh had gone along with the flow of the discussion, not interfering, yet fidgeting as though he wanted to put in his two cents. “What are you talking about? What’s way up high?”
Tilly slumped against the seat, crossing her arms over her chest in a petulant manner. “Go on. Tell him what you have in mind. Tell him how you plan to kill yourself.”
Josh checked both the women’s expressions. “Suicide? Are you planning on taking your own life?”
“‘Oh, damn. Of course I’m not planning on committing suicide. She’s simply being overly dramatic. Ignore her.” Cara steered the car onto the adjoining road. The road where Josh should have died, but hadn’t. “I’m talking about the ultimate thrill sport. This’ll make bungee jumping seem like a day at Grandma’s bingo parlor.”
“Yeah? Tell me already.” Josh held out his hand to let the air blow through his fingers. “What do you have in mind?”
Pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, she watched as he let the wind blow through his hair. A huge smile covered his face as he closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the sensation. He’s like a kid riding a roller coaster. “I’ve always wanted to go sky diving.”
Josh glanced at her, a crease marring his perfect forehead even while a trace of exhilaration lit up his features. “Sky diving? What’s sky diving? I know what the sky is and I know about diving into a swimming pool, but how do you dive into the sky? Does it have anything to do with bingo? And what’s bingo?”
Cara giggled, the spirit of the adventure already making her giddy. “You really don’t know much, do you?” She chanced another glimpse at him and marveled again at his innocence. An innocence extending to the sexual part of living. “Okay, first things first. Bingo is a game people, especially older people, like to play. But you don’t play it while sky diving. Sky diving is where a person goes up into the sky and, using a device called a parachute, jumps out of an airplane. The parachute floats them safely to the ground.”
“Oh. Yeah, it makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. Nothing about sky diving makes sense. Unless you have to, no sane person would ever throw their body out of a plane flying hundreds of feet in the air.” Tilly humphed behind them.
“It’s a very safe sport.” Cara shot her friend a warning look.
But Tilly wouldn’t cooperate. “If you know what you’re doing. Which you don’t because you’ve never had any training.”
“Don’t worry. Safety is an angel’s top priority.” Josh’s soothing tone mellowed the buzz racing along Cara’s spine and she hoped it would do the same for her anxious friend.
Again Tilly puffed out her irritation and turned her head to stare off into the distance. Just in time to see the entrance gate to the small airport located on the outskirts of town. Cara let out a little whoop as she read Arland Aviation. Let Us Take You to New Heights. Sky Diving Lessons Available Upon Request.
“Mark my words, people. You’ll need lessons before they’ll let you jump.” Tilly’s mood brightened as she grabbed hold of her last ditch chance to stop Cara’s plan. “As soon as the instructor finds out you don’t have any sky diving experience, he’ll keep you on the ground and try to sell you a year’s worth of lessons.” The underlying which you can’t afford floated in the air between them.
“Yeah, well, don’t get your hopes up. Somehow I’ll get them to let us go anyway.”
“Us?”
Ignoring Tilly’s squeak of a response, Cara maneuvered the car into the parking spot and slid the gear into P. Eager to get the ball rolling, she hopped out of the car, determined to talk her way into jumping. After all, she’d used her charms many times to get what she wanted. What was one more time? Crossing to the square building a few yards away, she didn’t wait for Josh to catch up with her. Instead, she let him follow on her heels, along with a grumbling Tilly.
“You folks want something?” The gravelly voice matched the man’s pitted complexion and weathered skin. He planted his bulky frame, set his feet wide and fisted his hands on his hips, taking the tried and true man-in-charge position.
Cara took a deep breath, sensing he wouldn’t persuade easily. However, she’d run into worse and gotten her way. “Yes, sir, we’d like to do some sky diving.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, noting how the man’s focus locked onto the red strands as they no doubt glistened in the sun.
The man ran his gaze up and down her before shifting to Tilly. “Ya’ll got dive training? I don’t recognize you from any of our classes.”
Now’s the time, Cara. Use the heavy artillery. Yet before she’d opened her mouth to start sweet-talking him, Josh stepped in and took over.
“Hi, I’m Josh. These are my friends, Tilly and Cara.”
She frowned at his use of the word friends, but kept her mouth shut. Give her a little time and she’d turn them into friends with benefits.
The grizzly man snarled and ignored Josh’s outstretched hand. “Uh, huh. You ain’t got no training, right? Listen, dude, I’m guessing you told these pretty little ladies all about what a hot shot jumper you are, but unless you wanna sign up for our classes, you gotta vamoose. No lessons. No diving. Doing a tandem jump with an instructor is the only way anyone would let you jump without a full course of lessons and my tandem guys are busy.”
Cara knew she should keep her mouth shut, but the man’s irascible personality pushed her over the edge. “Damn, but aren’t you a ray of bright light? Get many customers with your attitude? Not to mention your impeccable grammar.”
The man sneered at her before heaving a major sigh. “I ain’t got time for this shit and I don’t care what you think. Either you want lessons or you don’t.” He spat out a wad of tobacco, inches from Josh’s foot. “But jumpin’ today is out.”
Screw the lessons. She couldn’t take any more. “Shit, if you were my teacher, I’d jump out of the plane without a ‘chute just to get away from you.”
“Girlie, you can turn your tight little ass around—”
“Don’t talk about my ass. I know your con game. You want people to sign up for the lessons instead of jumping one time in tandem. Lessons mean more money.” However, she knew if she wanted to jump, she’d have to take the leap with an instructor. She scanned the area around them, searching for any possible jumpers. Little did she know she needn’t have bothered.
Josh waved his hand in front of the man’s face. Cara gasped, stepping away as lights twinkled like tiny fireworks before floating toward the ground and disappearing an inch above the earth. Motioning to her, Josh held his finger to his lips a moment and crooked his head to the side. Returning his attention to the man, he smiled his glorious smile, offered his hand a second time and repeated his earlier greeting. “Hi, I’m Josh. These are my friends, Tilly and Cara.”
The transformation was nothing less than miraculous as the brute’s scowl morphed into a genuine grin. At least, she thought it was a grin. “Welcome, folks. I’m Bub. Come
on in. You wantin’ to jump today?”
Cara’s mouth dropped open as she tugged the angel to her side. “What happened? What did you do to him?” Josh, however, merely wiggled his eyebrows and remained silent.
“Yes, but don’t we need lessons?” Tilly’s anxious voice cracked as she tried to jog Bub’s memory.
The instructor frowned, glanced at Josh and plastered the grin back on his face. “Not to worry, little lady. I’ll take you up personal-like.”
Cara didn’t understand how Josh had made the man change his mind, but she didn’t care. Bub would take them up to jump and nothing else mattered. “Thanks.” She linked arms with Bub, suddenly her favorite person, and spun him around to point at a nearby plane. “Can we go up right now?” A wink from Josh sent her heart skipping along with her feet as she led the group toward the plane.
“I can’t see why not. No problem. Let me holler for some of the fellas and we’ll get this bird in the air.”
“I can definitely see why not.” Tilly waved a hand in front of Bub’s face. “Snap out of it. Don’t you remember? We can’t sky dive unless we have lessons first. What’s wrong with you? Are you willing to risk your life along with ours?
“Tilly, let the man alone. He’s already agreed.” Cara linked her arm in the man’s and kept leading him toward the plane. Knowing Josh and Tilly wouldn’t stay behind, she tossed her words over her shoulder. “I promise nothing bad will happen. Come on, girlfriend, we’re going on an exhilarating, perfectly safe, adventure.”
They marched over while Bub gestured to a few men working on another plane. Once the men had joined them, he told the instructors about the tandem jump. Cara had to cover her mouth when she saw their astonished expressions and turned away from them to hide her chuckles. Yet not one of them bothered to question their boss after Josh waved his hand in front of them. Another burst of sparkles descended to the ground. Bub, acting as though he hadn’t noticed the miniscule fireworks, finished giving the men instructions, nodded and climbed into the plane.
“Will you stop using your magical fireworks or whatever they are? You have an unfair advantage.” Tilly peered at the ground, looking for any remaining sparks.
“Are you coming, Til?” Cara accepted Josh’s arm as he helped her enter the plane.
Tilly followed, but increased her protests. “I’m telling you this is not normal. I know you like the thrills of adventure, but this is taking your need for an adrenalin rush too far. Even if Josh can’t die, you can. Please stop before you’re a splat on the ground. I don’t want what’s left of my best friend picked up by a pooper scooper.”
Bub retained his goofy grin while helping them put on parachutes and other equipment. He passed out goggles to Josh and Cara, assigning each of them an instructor as their jumping partner. Hank, Cara’s assigned instructor, was a hunk and a half in his own right and she enjoyed the sensation of his hard chest pressed against her back as he detailed the jump procedure. Yet she couldn’t help but wish she’d been hooked to Josh for the free fall. Imagining his thick, fully erect shaft pushed against her rump made her mouth go dry. How could parts of her body get wet thinking about him when others dried up?
“Don’t be afraid, miss. I’ll take good care of you.” Normally, Hank’s low voice would have had her thinking about adding to her score in the Mile High Club, but her heart thudded a dull rhythm as she watched Josh get hooked to another instructor.
Tilly refused any offer to skydive, opting instead to cling to one of the benches. She scooted to the farthest spot away from the plane’s entry.
“Girl, you do realize the plane hasn’t even moved yet. If you don’t want to jump, why not wait on the ground?”
Her resolute and frightened friend shook her head without looking up at her. “No way. I go where you go. And hopefully get you to change your mind.”
The engine roared to life seconds after her declaration, making Tilly grip a nearby strap until her knuckles whitened in the effort. Bub, still in his happy fog, plopped his mighty ass onto the flight bench and signaled to the pilot. “Okay, let ‘er rip, Parker.”
Tilly’s yelp accentuated the jerk of the plane as it lurched forward and onto the runway. “Ohmigod, Cara. If you don’t die, I’m going to kill you for getting me into this mess.”
Cara’s laugh echoed in the small cabin as she clapped in delight. “I’m sure you will. But give it a chance, okay? When this is over, you’re going to want to go up again and do the next leap. Yay, I’m finally going to get my wish. I’m going to fly like a bird.”
The drone of the plane’s engine drowned out Tilly’s continued cries and pleas. Cara tugged on Josh’s arm and shouted in his ear as the aircraft rose into the cloudless sky. “You’re going to keep us safe, right? I’m counting on you, you know.”
A thumbs up from him was all she needed to feel safe—not to mention giving her the opening to lean against his strong arm.
“Okay, folks. Who’s going first?” Bub still had his wide grin on his face.
Cara’s hand popped up at the same time as Josh’s.
“Ready!”
“No, me first.”
Josh and his instructor stepped forward as he copied her action to take the loop above her. Twisting to confront him, she punched him in the chest with her finger. “No way. This was my idea which means I’m going out the door ahead of you.” Snatching his raised hand, she added, “And no waving your hand to spread those special stars to get your way.”
He bent toward her, bringing his instructor with him, as much to shout above the roar of the engines as to make his determination known. The challenge in his eyes met hers with matching fervor. “I have to go first in case something happens. How else would I catch up to you?”
“Lame excuse, man. You know you could catch up. After all, you did it on the bungee jump. Problem is, you don’t know what you’re supposed to do once you get past the hatch.” She pointed to the opening, catching sight of a bird coasting in flight beside the plane. The bird’s beady gaze connected with hers almost as if the bird watched her, keeping tabs on her. Cara rolled her eyes at the silly thought.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” He grabbed her, stunning her with his intensity. “I couldn’t stand myself if something went wrong. Not to mention the hell I’d live in afterwards. I mean, I’d literally live in Hell, by the way.”
So Hell really does exist. Damn. Cara winced at the thought. Until he’d confirmed her worst fear, she’d hoped the Afterlife had only one destination no matter how bad a soul had acted on Earth. Maybe Tilly had the right idea. Maybe she should clean up her act.
The molten dark lava swirling in his eyes choked the question about Hell right out of her throat. She swallowed, amazed he could stop her heart with one look. She knew he could stop it or capture it. But which one would be worse? She bit her lower lip, trying to accept the overwhelming emotion firing from his eyes. Could he care so much, so fast? Did he feel the same swift affection for her that she did for him? Should she let him? Yet worse, did she want to stop him?
A spattering of green light startled her out of her thoughts and a sense of relief swept through her. The pea-colored stars dissipated, flowing out the door, leaving Walter sweeping his arms around the interior. The instructors and Bub stopped and stared, as if coming out of their trances.
Walter saluted them and winked at Tilly. “Sky diving, huh? Sounds like fun. Although you’d better remember an indestructible angel’s body might have a tough time adjusting to a hard landing from a zillion miles up. You could take days to recover.”
“It’s hardly a zillion, Walter.” Josh waved his hand, creating another batch of blue stars in front of everyone. Amazement transformed to dopey grins again on the faces of the men standing around them. Satisfied the men wouldn’t wonder any longer at Walter’s sudden appearance, Josh drew his supervising angel into an enormous bear hug. After patting Walter on the back several times, he pushed him away and cocked his eyebrows in question. “Tell me. Wh
at happened? Are we in trouble? Are you okay?”
Walter made a clucking sound and turned to scowl at Cara. “He’s not too happy with your involvement with this earthbound woman. Which, since you started cavorting on my watch, means he’s not happy with me, either. Not happy at all.”
“Cavorting? Who says ‘cavorting’ anymore?” Were all angels naïve and old-fashioned? If they were, she’d have to liven up the Above once she made the trip up to the Big House in the Sky. Providing she didn’t get sent the other direction. She blew out a long breath at the thought of eternal heat stroke. “Besides, you and Tilly weren’t exactly exchanging recipes for the church’s bake sale, you know.”
Walter straightened his pudgy frame, puffing out his chest. “I’m not an angel-in-training. I know what problems can happen when fraternizing with earthbound women and I know how to protect against them.”
“Walter’s from a previous age and is very experienced. He’s worked as a supervising angel for a long time.” Josh noted Walter’s raised eyebrows and silent message. “Of course, this is why he’s the mentor and I’m the trainee.”
“Do you need training in everything?” She wanted to train him. Train him and train him hard. In fact, if she were his sexual mentor, they’d practice twenty-four-seven until he mastered all the required moves for graduation. Looking at Josh made her a believer in the old saying, practice makes perfect. Although he was already pretty damn perfect.
“Not everything.” His voice dropped an octave. “Although I’m sure you could teach me what I really want to learn.”
“Josh.” Walter’s warning went unheeded except by Tilly.
“Listen to him. He’s your mentor.” Tilly scooted over to Walter’s side and clutched his arm. The big man’s chest puffed up another three inches under her infatuation.
But Cara wasn’t about to let anyone interfere now. Come Hell or high water—or high altitude—she’d be the one to teach this special angel a lesson or two. Casting off her goggles, she gripped Josh by the front of his shirt and yanked him to her. His lips met hers and she thrust her tongue inside to savor his many tastes. Sweet moist warmth enclosed her tongue and she wished she could enclose his virginal shaft with her own special heat.