Angel's Mission

by Pamela J. Nerren

  “I’m scared. Does this…change things between us?”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I love you, Angel. I want to be here with you.”

  Angel smiled back, fighting the tears she felt.

  “And I hope as we get to know each other, you’ll feel the same.”

  “But I already do. I love you too.”

  “But will you ever be able to make love with me without thinking of today?”

  No response.

  “Angel, you have to know that I would never hurt you.”

  “Not on purpose, but things happen. People change.”

  “I promise, I will never push you to do anything you’re not ready for. You set the pace, you set the limits, and I’ll still be here.”

  She nodded but didn’t speak.

  “Still scared?” he asked.

  When she gave a tiny nod, he moved over and patted the bed next to him. “You’re welcome to stay, if you want.”

  She hesitated, unsure whether to follow her heart or hold back, giving them both room to breathe. She didn’t want things to go too far. Not again.

  “Just sleep, I promise,” he reassured her.

  She nodded again and quietly slipped into bed next to him. With her back to him, he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, and she closed her eyes. After several minutes, he whispered to her, “I love you, Angelina,” and kissed the hair tucked behind her ear.

  Oblivious to anything but the feel of his heart beating strong against her back, she murmured, “I love you,” as she drifted off.

  * * *

  The sun was about to rise over the horizon when Kevin nudged Angel’s shoulder. He hated to wake her, but he didn’t want the girls to walk in and find their mom in bed with him. She had slept soundly, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Spending the night with her curled up next to him had been priceless. “Angel,” he whispered. “Honey, it’s time to get up.”

  She turned over and nestled into his body. She looked so content, her breathing slow and even, as she snuggled against his shoulder. He gently brushed her tousled hair away from her face, loving the feel of her next to him. He’d never get enough of her. Halfheartedly, he tried again. “Honey, the kids will be up soon. We have to get up.”

  “Hmm,” she murmured.

  “We have to get up. It’s almost six, and if I remember correctly, Grace is an early riser.”

  “Tell me about it.” Angel muttered against his chest, reaching to touch his cheek. She tilted her head up to snuggle deeper into the space between his neck and his shoulder and sighed contentedly, giving him a slow deliberate kiss there.

  Kevin closed his eyes and drank in the feel of her lips on his skin. He would have liked nothing better than to strip her of her gown and kiss her from head to toe. If only they weren’t sleeping in the living room of a hotel suite filled with her family. If only yesterday hadn’t happened. Somehow making love with a woman he’d been forced to have sex with the day before simply didn’t seem right, no matter what his body might want.

  He turned his head and kissed her lightly. “You know, you’re gonna have to make an honest man of me now that you’ve spent the night in my bed.”

  She giggled. “Never.”

  For a moment, he just looked at her. Only after he’d heard the words come out of his own mouth was he aware of how much he’d actually meant them. He was surprised at how much he really wanted to marry her, to build a life with her.

  “Kevin?”

  He shook off the feeling of disappointment and smiled. She had told him mere days ago that she wasn’t ready for marriage. Could he possibly change her mind? They would have to discuss that at some point, but now wasn’t the time. “What time is the appointment with the minister of children’s affairs?”

  “Nine.”

  “We’d better get in the shower now if we’re gonna make that.” He gave her a quick kiss and jumped out of bed, grabbing his suitcase as he headed for the bathroom.

  Three hours later, as they waited for the minister of children’s affairs to call them into his inner sanctum, Kevin’s words still echoed in Angel’s head. Make an honest man of him. He had said it so flippantly she’d been sure he was kidding, but then his demeanor had changed. He’d looked shocked, either at his own words or her answer. She wasn’t sure which. He’d taken off for the shower so fast that they hadn’t had a chance to discuss it further. Had he really been talking about marriage? Just a few days ago, he’d called it a trap. Has he changed his mind? Have I?

  The girls had been delighted to find Kevin staying with them at the hotel. All three of them had peppered him with questions over breakfast, wanting to know where they had been and why they’d been so late the day before. Kevin had fielded their questions beautifully, with just enough information to satisfy their curiosity but not enough to embarrass her. She would be eternally grateful for that.

  The telephone ringing brought Angel back to the present. The stern-looking secretary picked it up. “Si, Minister Sanchez,” she answered, then turned to Angel. “The minister will see you now. The first door on your right.”

  Kevin and Angel hurried into the luxurious office down the hall. Rafael Sanchez, the minister of children’s affairs, stood as they entered. He was a massive man, standing six feet tall, and judging by the size of him, he was well fed. He walked out from behind his equally huge desk and greeted her warmly, shaking her hand vigorously, his enormous hands engulfing hers.

  “Hello, Ms. Meeker. I’m delighted to meet you. I have heard so much about you and the work your foundation does here in my country.”

  Angel smiled. “Same here, Minister Sanchez. You have a very impressive record as well. Your work with the local orphanages here in Mexico City is impeccable.”

  “Thank you. You are very charming to say so.” He looked beyond Angel to the man behind her. “Who do we have here?”

  Angel turned to make the introductions and smiled faintly at Kevin, a small gleam twinkling in her eye. “Minister Sanchez, this is Kevin Martini. He’s been volunteering with us this past week.”

  * * *

  Kevin almost swallowed his tongue when he heard Angel mispronounce his name. He still hadn’t enlightened her on exactly who he was. He couldn’t seem to find the right time to break it to her. How to tell her he was well-known the world over? Well, except to Angel, that was. He would have to work on that and soon. He gathered his wits and turned to the minister. “Please, call me Kevin.”

  The large man offered his hand to Kevin, eyeing him curiously. “It’s very good to meet you, Kevin. You are an actor, yes?”

  Kevin smiled nervously and took his proffered hand, hoping the man wouldn’t elaborate. “Yes sir. I hope you won’t hold that against me.”

  The colossal man laughed heartily. “Certainly not. Shall we sit?” He escorted them to a small area on one side of his vast office. When the minister’s back was turned, Angel gave Kevin a confused look, and he shrugged it off.

  The three of them took their seats, and the minister looked over expectantly at Angel. “Now, tell me, what can I do for you?”

  “Well, sir, I’m here about my application for the adoption of Isabel Ramirez. Her mother, Nina, as I’m sure you know, is very sick, and she has asked me to adopt her only child, Isabel. She doesn’t have any other family.”

  “I see.” The minister nodded.

  “Minister Sanchez.” Angel leaned forward in her seat, waiting until she had eye contact with the minister. “Nina’s in the last stages of a very aggressive form of cancer. If we’re lucky, she may live for several more weeks, maybe a month. Hopefully she will live long enough for her to see this adoption go through. It’s important for her to know that Isabel will be well taken care of after she’s gone. I would be most honored if you would do me the courtesy of helping me to fulfill a dying woman’s last wish.”

  The minister smiled.

  Angel went on. “You can check my references and my background. I’ve never been
in any trouble. I am willing and able to support her and give her a good life, the kind of life she deserves.”

  When the minister sighed reluctantly and looked away, Kevin reached for her hand and leaned forward in his seat to address the man himself. “Minister Sanchez, if I may?”

  The minister nodded for him to continue.

  “Angel’s an excellent mother, sir. The three children that she already has are well fed and looked after. She makes sure they get a top-rate education; she wipes their tears when they hurt, she hugs them all the time. They adore her, and she adores them. She’s the kind of mother that every child should have. I can personally guarantee that Isabel will have a good home and a loving mother. I’ve seen it.”

  He looked over at Angel when she squeezed his hand and as she smiled, tears welled in her eyes. Kevin moved to the edge of his seat to finish addressing the minister. “This law concerning single parents and adoption are keeping a lot of deserving children out of good homes. Like Pedro and his sister, Lucia, from the orphanage outside Cabo San Lucas. There’s a good possibility that Lucia will be adopted, and then the two of them will be separated for the rest of their lives. Can you imagine going through the rest of your life not knowing where your brother or sister is? I have a problem with that.”

  “Do you wish to adopt those two children?” asked the minister.

  Kevin looked taken aback. He hadn’t really thought about it. Oh, who was he kidding? Yes, he had. Ever since they’d left the orphanage last week, those two tykes had been floating in the recesses of his mind. He’d felt powerless to do anything about it. He looked at Angel. Wide-eyed, she stared back at him. Then he turned back to the minister. “Yes, I do.”

  The minister stood and walked around the room. “If it were up to me personally, I would gladly say yes. Unfortunately, there are people I have to answer to.” He turned back to them. “You are both unmarried, correct?”

  They both nodded warily.

  “Are either of you involved with someone else?”

  They each looked at the other and then both shook their heads. “No,” they said, one echoing the other.

  The minister took a deep breath and pressed on. “What you are asking me to do is illegal. No matter how sympathetic I am to your cause, I am unable to help you with this.” He circled the chair and stood in front of it facing them. “However, you already have the solution to your problem right in front of you.”

  Kevin’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What solution?”

  The minister smiled and sat in his chair. “You seem well suited for each other. Get married, and I will approve the adoptions of all three children by the end of next week.”

  Kevin arched an eyebrow, and Angel shot up out of her seat and blurted out, “What?”

  The minister arched an eyebrow as well. “It is merely a suggestion, Ms. Meeker. The choice, as they say, is yours.”

  She turned and walked behind the settee. Not sure what to do next, she stood there, staring blankly at the bookcase in the corner.

  Kevin stood and walked around the settee to face her. “Can we at least talk about this?”

  She looked doubtful. “What is there to say?”

  The minister headed for the door. “I will give you a moment.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.

  Angel waited until the door closed behind the minister before she turned on Kevin. “Have you lost your mind?” she whispered forcefully as she paced the floor.

  Kevin looked incredulous. “Me? You come in here thinking you’re gonna change the law in one fell swoop, and you think I’m crazy for wanting to marry the woman that I love?”

  She stopped and stared at him in astonishment. She knew he loved her. And she knew she loved him, but she hadn’t thought beyond that detail. She was terrified. “Kevin, we’re not ready for this. I’m not ready for this. I don’t want a marriage of convenience. I want the real thing.”

  He reached out and took her hand in his, bringing it to his chest. “It’s real for me, Angel. I love you and I want to marry you, with or without the adoption.”

  Angel put her other hand to her head, pushing her hair back from her face. Panic took over. “Oh God, oh God, oh God,” she murmured.

  Kevin continued. “Furthermore, if we do adopt these kids, I’m pretty sure there won’t be anything convenient about it, but it is what I want and I think you want it too. Angel, I’ll beg if that’s what it takes.” He got down on one knee in front of her, still holding her hand in his. “Angel, will you please, please do me the honor of being my wife?”

  She stared down at him in disbelief. He was the answer to her prayers and more, but to marry him for the children would be foolish.

  It was almost as if he could read her mind when he uttered his next words. “Don’t marry me for the children, Angel. Marry me simply because you love me, or don’t marry me at all.”

  13

  Early that afternoon, Kevin and Angel walked back into their hotel suite. Miranda closed the book she was reading to Grace and looked up expectantly. Kevin appeared decidedly pleased with himself when he walked into the room while Angel stopped to lean back against the wall, looking like she needed the support. Somehow, she managed to look pale and flushed at the same time.

  Miranda sat aside the book and stood. “Well, how did it go?”

  Tomás and the older girls left their schoolwork on the table and stood, anxiously waiting to hear her answer as well.

  Angel looked strangely amused. “We um…We kinda got more than we bargained for.”

  Kevin shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor, his face giving nothing away. He glanced over and smiled secretively at Angel, who gave him a nervous smile back. Miranda crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you mean, more than you bargained for?”

  Angel started to laugh, sounding slightly hysterical.

  “They approved the adoption?” Miranda continued hopefully.

  Angel nodded. “The minister said he’d push the adoptions through before the end of the week, and we can pick them all up next week if we want.”

  Miranda ran over and hugged her friend fiercely. “Angel, I’m so happy for you. I can’t believe you got them to approve the adoption!” She let go of her friend and stepped back so the girls could hug their mom. “Wait a minute. What do you mean you can pick all of them up? I thought you were only adopting Isabel. And who is we?”

  Angel looked over at Kevin, her eyes begging him to help her explain. He walked over and reached for her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on her palm. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and turned to face the bewildered crowd in front of them. “Angel and I are the ‘we’ and ‘them’ is Isabel, as well as Pedro and Lucia from the Cabo San Lucas Orphanage. We’re going to adopt all three of them.”

  For a moment, no one spoke. Angel took a step forward, staring at her friend. “Miranda?”

  “Are you okay, honey?” Tomás put his hand under his wife’s elbow. Miranda nodded, her suspicion becoming apparent. “I’m fine.” She looked from Angel to Kevin and back again. “Did you two get married this morning? Because I know you didn’t change the law in one day.”

  Kevin grinned from ear to ear. “No, we didn’t. But we will be getting married on Friday night at the home of Minister Sanchez. It’s his wedding gift to us. Apparently the man loves to throw a good party. We spent most of the morning with his staff, working out the arrangements.”

  The girls screamed excitedly and jumped up and down, hugging Kevin in the process.

  He laughed at their enthusiastic reaction. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re happy about it.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Miranda hugged her friend again and whispered in her ear, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  “Oh God, Miranda, I’m not sure of anything. Am I doing the right thing?”

  Miranda squeezed her friend’s hand. “Do you love him?” she whispered.

  Angel bit her lip and n
odded.

  Miranda smiled warmly and put her arm around her friend. “Then it’s the right thing.”

  Tomás kissed Angel’s cheek, then hugged her tenderly. “Congratulations, Angel.”

  “Thank you, Tomás. So how do you feel about getting a few more students in your class? Do you think you can handle it?”

  Tomás smiled. “Bring it on.” He reached over to shake Kevin’s hand amid all the girls’ chatter. “Congratulations, Kevin. Let me know if I can help.”

  “Thanks, Tomás. That means a lot to me.” Kevin beamed and looped his arm around Angel’s waist.

  Tomás turned to the two older girls. “Okay. Come on, girls, let’s get back to it. This schoolwork isn’t going to do itself.”

  The two girls muttered complaints, but they walked back to the table. Grace reached up and pulled on Kevin’s hand, wanting his attention. He leaned down to hear her. “What is it, munchkin?”

  She leaned in to whisper, “Aren’t you glad we played the falling-in-love song?”

  Kevin smiled and nodded as he whispered back, “Yes, I am. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Grace smiled broadly and ran to sit down on the sofa with Miranda to finish reading her book.

  Angel sat in a chair and picked up a phone directory. She knew she needed to start looking into some of the places that the minister’s staff had told her about. She and Kevin had already called to invite a select few of their friends and family to the wedding, but she still had a lot to do. Tomás and Kevin’s new suits were already being altered, and the flowers had been ordered. Minister Sanchez’s staff was in charge of the catering, but she still had dresses to buy for herself, Miranda, and the girls, and she only had two more days to get it done. She quickly jotted down the name, number, and addresses of the different boutiques, and she and her entourage headed out to shop.

  Late that afternoon, after they had tried on what felt like every gown in the world, Angel finally found her dress. The shop wasn’t one of the most expensive boutiques in Mexico City, but their selection suited Angel better. Unpretentious was what they were—simple but elegant.