Hooked on a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

  Mother Nature folded her arms. “And what about the dragon on board?”

  “She’ll fly to the other boat too. As soon as Gabe has reincarnated, of course. She may have to guide him toward the boat and not toward shore. Then everyone will shift back, except Gabriel.”

  “Oh, right. And if you’re spotted, by satellite or something, a five-foot-ten dragon won’t stand out at all,” she said sarcastically.

  “We can alter that plan a bit, if Gabe comes right to us, and because she’s fireproof, she can stay onboard until the boat is ready to sink. Then shift back and jump into the water, and our boat will be able to get close enough to fish her out and return to shore as humans—and one bird in a cage.”

  “A cage!” Gabe practically shouted.

  “For your own protection, darling,” Gabriella said. “Reincarnated phoenixes have an instinct to fly home. If you try to fly to the South End from so far away, you’ll probably become exhausted and perish in the sea.”

  “Oh.” He relaxed slightly. “Got it.”

  Mother Nature ceased her pacing and nodded. “It sounds possible. Just don’t do it now.”

  “Why not now, Goddess?” Antonio asked.

  “Mercury is retrograde. I know, I know… You probably think astrology is bullshit. Well, it’s not. I created just about everything but didn’t want perfection. What fun is that? So I tossed a little planetary trouble into the mix.”

  “Um, Gaia, pardon my ignorance, but what is Mercury retrograde?” Gabriella asked.

  Gabe was happy to hear his mother using a more respectful tone. His father had said the Goddess was easily offended—and powerful.

  “Retrograde is when the speed of Earth catches up and goes somewhat faster than that of another planet, making the other planet appear to be moving backward. In this case, Earth has caught up with Mercury and is moving faster, making Mercury appear to be moving backward.”

  “Oh, like when you’re on a train, pulling out of the station, and the train beside you appears to be moving backward, even though the other train is just sitting there.”

  “Yes. That’s what a retrograde planet is. A planet appearing to move backward. The sun and moon never go retrograde, by the way. Do you know how boring it is to watch the planets go ’round and ’round, ’round and ’round, ’round and ’round, endlessly?” The Goddess shrugged. “I thought it would be entertaining to watch an optical illusion once in a while. How did I know a retrograde planet would put mortals in such a tizzy? I used to get insanely bored until humans became so…so…imperfect. And during Mercury’s retrograde phase, they become even more imperfect. Laughably so, depending upon how they handle it.”

  Antonio smiled. “I think I know what you’re saying. As firefighters, my son and I have seen plenty of stupid things humans do.”

  She smiled slightly in return. “Okay, then. Let’s remember that all kinds of communication gets screwed up during Mercury retrograde, and let’s not make some idiotic mistake.”

  “Let’s not? Like, ‘let us not’? Are you going to help us, Goddess?” Antonio asked.

  “Oh, hell no. I was just trying to be nice. I could rephrase that to ‘let you not make any idiotic mistakes,’ but I haven’t heard that phrasing in decades.”

  “Understood,” Antonio said. “When do you recommend is a good time to do this?”

  Gaia tipped her face up and closed her eyes for a moment. “At least a week from now on a Wednesday.”

  Gabriella’s expression clouded. “You mean to tell me my son has to suffer in unnecessary pain for another week?”

  Mother Nature focused on Gabriella. “It’s up to them. If they take their chances, their careful plan might fall apart. Your son might fly off before the others can catch him. Your dragon daughter-in-law might fall into the ocean and drown… You know. The usual screwups.”

  “It will give me a chance to spend some more time with Misty,” Gabe offered. “I don’t mind a little pain, especially if I can help prepare her for what’s to come.”

  The Goddess walked over to him. He’d be nervous, except that she had a sincere-looking smile on her face.

  “You know, young phoenix, you’re a good man. I don’t say that to many mortals. But you seem to need to hear it.” She patted him on the head and disappeared.

  Gabriella let out a long breath in a whoosh. “Well, that was interesting.”

  Antonio lifted his index finger to his lips. “Sometimes she listens afterward,” he whispered.

  “I’m too busy to eavesdrop today.” Mother Nature’s voice reverberated from everywhere and nowhere. “Tell no one about my visit, and you won’t be tobogganing down Mount Everest.”

  “My goodness.” Gabriella found her way to the couch and sat down hard.

  Chapter 17

  Hurrying home from work after hearing he was discharged, Misty couldn’t wait to see her Gabe. Parker had shipped out, so she was feeling adrift. She had visited Gabe at the hospital every day, but now he was home. At last.

  She didn’t mention what had happened with her boss to either Gabe or Parker, because she didn’t want to upset them. Adam hadn’t bothered her in the last two weeks anyhow, so she was glad she’d said nothing. In fact, he was ignoring her. Saying hello to all her coworkers but not even looking at her. He must have taken her “stalker” comment to heart.

  She burst through the door of the South End brownstone and raced through the empty living room. She found Gabriella in the kitchen.

  “Hi. Where is he?”

  Gabriella chuckled. “Can’t wait to see him?”

  “No. I can’t.”

  “He’s in the rec room downstairs with his father.”

  As she threw open the door and began running down the stairs, Gabriella called after her, “He’s still in pain. Don’t jump on him!”

  That’s exactly what she wanted to do. Jump into his arms and cover him with kisses. No, that wouldn’t be good for his sterile environment either. Damn.

  He was struggling to his feet, but he looked like he was smiling as soon as he saw her. Or was he wincing in pain? “Hi, future wife.”

  Thank goodness. He seemed to be okay. A lot of bandages still covered parts of his head and face as well as his hands. She stopped short and blew him a kiss. “Hi, future husband. I hope I can kiss you for real soon.”

  “That’s my cue to leave,” Antonio said.

  They both chuckled as Gabe’s father climbed the stairs.

  “I’m glad you mentioned the whole kissing thing,” Gabe said. “I want to be able to kiss you when we’re pronounced husband and wife. We have a decision to make.”

  “Sure. What?”

  “Have a seat.” He dropped back down on the couch and extended his arm along the back. It looked like he was waiting for her to cuddle up next to him.

  “Don’t you need to be sterile? Shouldn’t I not touch you?”

  “Infection won’t be a problem as soon as I’m reincarnated.”

  “When will that be?”

  “That’s what we need to discuss.”

  “Okay…” She sat on the couch, but not too close.

  “Here are the choices. We can get married now, and then the timeline doesn’t look like we had to get married—just that we had a preemie. And before you worry about my commitment, I’m just using the term had to because other people will. I do want to marry you, Misty.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. There are other good reasons not to wait. We could get you on my insurance right away. You wouldn’t have to work full-time unless you really want to. For me, there’s less time worrying about things like infection, pain, and scarring. I’ll have plenty of time to heal before the baby comes, if we get married before I…well, you know.”

  “Go up in flames?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled. “I guess you’re getting
used to the idea.”

  “It’s weird, but I understand what has to happen and why. Okay. So what’s the other choice?”

  “We could wait seventy-five days or so, and you could plan exactly the kind of wedding you want. I know those things take time.”

  “I don’t care about a big wedding. I also don’t care what people think as far as the timeline is concerned. What do you want to do?”

  “I’m all for doing this as soon as possible.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. If you really don’t care about planning a large wedding—”

  She scooted closer to the spot next to him. “I really don’t. All I care about is that the groom is willing and that the groom is you. I also like the idea of minimizing your pain.”

  “I’m glad we can finally talk about this. It was too risky at the hospital. They’d have transferred me to the psych ward if they overheard us.”

  She chuckled. “I know. Your parents were very helpful as far as telling me what to expect and answering all the questions I had. They were also extremely clear about my never allowing any conversations regarding paranormal life to be overheard.”

  “Good. The timing kind of sucks, I know, but I can’t wait to marry you.” He moved a little closer. “I want to make love on our wedding night. It may require some creative positions.”

  “I don’t want to cause you any pain—especially the first evening we’re married.”

  “If that’s the case, it would mean putting off our wedding night for seventy-five days while I grow up in bird form all over again. It’s only the second-degree burns that hurt. The third-degree burns involve nerves, and there’s no feeling at all. Plus, I’ll be wearing these compression bandages.”

  “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

  “Good. I’m very glad to hear that. I want to make love to you, Misty. It’s all I can think about. I love you, deeply. I want to show you how much.” He leaned in and focused on her lips.

  She tipped her face up, allowing him to take the lead. She had no idea how much pain a simple kiss might cause.

  He puckered his lips carefully. The skin around them was already white and puckered from the burns. She imagined stretching it too far would cause even more pain. Yet he moved toward her and touched her lips with his. After a slight hesitation, he kissed her again, a little longer and harder. She wanted to cup the back of his head, but she didn’t know if that would hurt him or not.

  At last, he leaned back and sucked in a deep breath.

  “Did that hurt?”

  “Not enough to keep me from doing it again.”

  “Oh, Gabe. You don’t need to do anything to make me happy. Just the fact that you’re alive makes me happy.”

  He smiled. “Now that we’ve decided to do this quickly, there’s one other thing I want to discuss.”

  “Anything. What is it?”

  “I want you to consider quitting your job. I don’t want to worry about you while I can’t do anything to help you.”

  “But I need health insurance, just in case anything happens with the baby. I doubt I’ll be added to yours immediately, especially if you’re not working.”

  “You’ll have mine as soon as we’re legally married.”

  Misty thought that over. She imagined she’d be bored, but avoiding Adam or having to put up with his cold shoulder was becoming increasingly tedious. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” He sounded surprised. His eyebrows would have lifted if he’d had any.

  “Yes. If it will give you peace of mind, I’ll quit. I need to give two weeks’ notice, though. I’d like to have a good reference from my first job in case I want to go back to work somewhere else sometime.”

  He seemed to be thinking it over. She wasn’t at all sure he was going to agree to that. “I don’t trust that slimy boss of yours. He’ll probably try to talk you out of it.”

  “He can try, but he won’t succeed, Gabe.”

  At last, he nodded. “Okay. A two-week notice isn’t too much to ask. I respect your decision to do things right.”

  * * *

  Before the bank opened, Misty approached her boss in his office.

  “Adam, can I talk to you?” It seemed odd to be asking him for a private audience instead of the other way around.

  “At last,” he muttered under his breath. Then with a cheery smile, he rose. “Of course. Come in.”

  The weather had been warming up, hinting that spring was finally coming. Misty had worn a light jacket with a deep pocket, and she had her letter of resignation in there. Pulling it out, she set it on his desk and took off her coat. She sat in the chair across from his desk and protectively folded her coat over her tiny baby. She wasn’t even showing yet, but she couldn’t help already responding to the maternal instinct.

  Adam sat in his swivel chair across from her and pointed to the envelope. “What’s this?”

  “It’s my two-week notice. I’ll be leaving as of April fifteenth.”

  “What?”

  His reaction startled her. “I—I’m resigning.”

  “Oh, no, you’re not,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Huh? You can’t stop me. Plans change. People leave. It happens all the time.”

  He shot to his feet and began pacing. “Did your firefighter put you up to this? Because from what I understand, he’s in no shape to support you anymore.”

  She leaned back and gaped at him. “What do you know about it?”

  “I heard about a firefighter in a gas explosion. It was on the news. I—I recognized him.”

  “How the hell could you recognize him? He went straight to the operating room, then the ICU. He was so bandaged up after that, I didn’t recognize him.”

  “They showed another picture. An old one.”

  She folded her arms. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Fine. Don’t. But don’t throw your life away on a disfigured firefighter who might not even be able to return to the job. They only get partial pensions if they quit before thirty-two years, you know.”

  “No, I didn’t know that. Tell me how you knew.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “I listen. Clients tell me all kinds of things when they need a loan.”

  “Well, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

  “I doubt it.”

  She shot to her feet. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing!” He backed away. “I’ve just seen this before. Love is blind. And apparently in your case, also deaf and dumb.”

  “That’s it. I don’t have to take your abuse.”

  He laughed. “Abuse? I’m just telling you the truth. Look, you’re a beautiful girl. You deserve better.” Under his breath, he mumbled, “And I saw you first.”

  Misty was becoming increasingly concerned. Suddenly, she didn’t feel safe. She backed away toward the door, but before she grabbed the handle, he advanced on her and reached it first. She must have looked like a deer in headlights.

  “Just think about what I’ve said. Okay?”

  “Oh, you can count on it.”

  “Good.” He opened the door for her.

  She stumbled as she practically ran to the back room. What should I do? Is he dangerous? She wished she could talk to Gabe right now. He’d probably tell her to get out of there.

  Her coworker Betsy followed her to the break room.

  “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  No, just a weasel who wishes my fiancé were a ghost… “I’m okay, Betsy.” Oh, hell. She had to talk to someone. “No. You know what? I’m not okay.”

  Betsy took her arm and led her over to the small table and chairs where they ate their lunches. “Tell me. I promise whatever it is, I can keep it to myself.”

  Misty let out a deep breath. Then she pr
oceeded to spill her guts. She didn’t tell her everything. Just the highlights. But that was enough.

  Betsy’s eyes rounded as she listened.

  Finally, Adam burst in. “That’s it. I heard what you said, and I won’t have you spreading lies to my employees. Miss Carlisle, you’re fired.”

  * * *

  Gabe heard the door slam upstairs. He needed to stand and walk around anyway. His body was stiff from sitting in the man cave.

  Before he reached the basement stairs, Misty opened the door at the top. “Gabe? Are you down there?”

  “Yes. Give me a minute. I’ll be right up.”

  “No, I’ll come to you.” She jogged down the stairs and greeted him with a gentle peck on his lips.

  “Was that you who slammed the door?”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry. I was just so angry.”

  “About what?”

  “I got fired.”

  “What? I thought you were giving your two-week notice.”

  “Yeah. I did that, but…well…things went south.” She flopped onto the couch. “Sit down. I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “I’ve been sitting all morning. I need to stand. Go ahead and tell me what happened.”

  Misty stood up and wrung her hands as she paced. She proceeded to tell Gabe about Adam’s bizarre behavior. All the way from the car ride, which she still suspected was a ruse, to their argument that morning.

  He was stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. God, Gabe. You had enough on your plate. First, you learned you were going to be a father, something you never wanted—”

  “I want it now,” he reminded her.

  “I know.” She placed her hands on his chest. “That’s such a relief and a joy…you can’t imagine.”

  “I’m sorry I put you through that, before I realized our baby was a blessing in disguise.”

  “It’s all in the past now.”

  “Yeah, but what’s not in the past is your boss firing you. You did nothing to deserve it.”

  “I kind of did. I probably shouldn’t have confided in a coworker.”

  “That chickenshit would have continued if he thought he could get away with it. By your telling a coworker, he knew he wasn’t going to get away with it anymore.”