“Too close,” Bex said, hugging her against his side.
“What is Samuel right about?” I asked.
Bex glanced at Jared, waiting for his brother to answer. When he didn't, Bex began, “We just started a war. The only way to win is to convince Heaven to fight with us.”
I shook my head. “But we've tried. They won't help.”
One side of Bex's mouth turned up. “They will if you give them something to fight for. They won't let Hell destroy the baby once it's born. We just have to protect you until it gets here.”
“What baby?” I said.
Jared peeked at me from under his brow. “The baby you're carrying.”
Everyone in the room stared at me, waiting for my reaction.
“Me?” I said, touching my palm to my chest. “But I'm not pregnant. We haven't….”
“Ew…ew…stop,” Claire said, shaking her head.
“Just once,” Jared said, looking up at me sheepishly.
I remembered the night I begged Jared to help me forget about the chaos surrounding us; the night he said it wasn't a good time to tempt fate. I didn't realize at the time he had spoken literally.
“How long have you known?” I said, taken aback.
“The following morning. I knew something was different…it took me a week or so to pin point exactly what.”
“I'm….”
“With child,” Bex said. “Expecting. Bun in the oven. Knocked up.”
“Hey,” Jared said, disapproving of Bex's last choice of words.
“Pregnant,” Claire said, her eyes bright.
Kim sighed. “You totally ruined my Spring Break. Just saying.”
I took internal stock of my body, waiting to feel different, but it never happened. “No. I mean…I don't feel pregnant.”
Kim raised her hands, letting them fall with a slap on her thighs. “Seriously. How are we going to travel to Jerusalem with Preggo over here?”
“She'll go,” Jared said, letting a small smile pass over his lips.
The nurse knocked on the window, gesturing to the gurney she was wheeling down the hall. It was Ryan. She whispered into his ear, and he lifted his hand, giving us the thumbs-up.
Claire stood to follow, pausing at the door way. “We'll all go.”
“Looks like we'll be waiting until Ryan is better before we're going on our trip,” Jared said, pulling my hand to his lips. “We could tend to a few things while he heals.”
“What's that?” I asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“There's a pretty little chapel on an island I'd like to take you to.”
I couldn't help but smile. “I guess we'd better.”
“What are you doing Saturday?” he asked.
“Homework,” I said flatly. “Mountains of homework.”
Jared frowned. “Sunday?”
I mirrored his expression. “I guess you're busy tonight?”
Jared's brows shot up. “You want to go tonight?”
I nodded.
He shook his head enthusiastically. “We can go tonight if you want. We can go now.”
“I'm ready,” I said.
Jared grabbed each side of my face, pressing his warm, wonderful lips to mine. “How is is possible that I just went from almost losing everything I've ever loved, to getting everything I've ever wanted…all in the same night?”
“Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked, kissing him again.
Epilogue
“One bathing suit, one white dress, and a few undergarments. That's what I've packed for my wedding getaway,” I said, watching as Jared effortlessly clicked closed the buckle of my seat belt.
“That's all you need, Sweetheart,” he smiled, checking the buckle one last time.
The stewardess went through her routine, and then the pilot came over the speaker, informing us of our place in line for takeoff and the current weather in Nicaragua.
“Should be a pleasant flight, Mr. and the soon-to-be Mrs. Ryel,” the pilot said.
Jared's grin stretched the width of his face. “I might have paid him extra to say that.”
“I figured as much,” I teased. I looked out the window to the dreary Providence weather. In just a few hours, I would be lying on my favorite Caribbean beach with my husband. It didn't seem real.
The chartered jet taxied out to the runway, and within moments gained momentum, shuttering until the wheels left the ground. The lights of Providence became smaller, until they were just a cluster, separated from other cities by the dark countryside.
I relaxed against Jared, my eyes heavy.
Jared kissed my hair. “Do you think you'll have good dreams?”
“Yes,” I said without pause. “Maybe I'll dream about our baby. Maybe I'll see what she'll look like.”
“She?”
“Yes, it's a girl,” I assured him.
“And what if it's a boy?” Jared asked, playfully nudging me.
“It's not. It's a girl.”
“Blonde, of course,” Jared said.
“With blue-grey eyes,” I sighed.
“No. She'll have your eyes,” Jared insisted.
Before long, I dozed off, sleeping deeper than I had in months. I didn't dream of our baby, or of Jack or Gabe, or anything at all. I closed my eyes and was lost in a peaceful darkness until Jared kissed me awake when we were about to land.
The pilot made his announcements on the intercom, and Jared checked my seat belt one last time.
“It's fastened,” I said, smiling.
“I just want to make sure….” he said, laughing once to himself.
We landed without event, and once we set foot on the pavement, I grinned. “It hasn't changed a bit, except for the number of people waiting on us this time.”
“We only have two suitcases, and no tech cargo. It's been an easier trip for me this go-round.”
“I'd say so,” I laughed.
Jared carried our suitcases to an old, rusted pick up truck, after a short drive, our island chauffeur slowed to a stop beside the pier. As we boarded the small boat Jared had secured for us, it occurred to me how unlikely it would have been for anyone else to have made arrangements at such late notice, and so early in the morning. Jared, however, had enough connections to do whatever he set his mind to.
“It's awfully dark to be wandering around in the ocean, isn't it?” I said, unsure as the boat captain steered in the general direction of the island. The boat was quickly swallowed by the night, and the cool air off the water won over the thin fabric of my jacket.
“Cold?” Jared said, wrapping his arms around me.
“Not now,” I smiled.
“He's made this trip enough times, I'm sure he could do it blind-folded.”
“When it's this dark, he pretty much is,” I said, a bit anxious.
A half-hour later, the boat docked at the small pier of Little Corn, and I sighed with relief. The waves had just begun to rock the boat a little more than I was comfortable with, and lightening had begun to spark across the horizon.
We met another small truck with our luggage, and a small, sleepy man by the name of Jose drove us to the same Casita we'd stayed in during our previous trip.
Speaking above the distant thunder, Jared spoke kindly to Jose in Spanish, and then pulled our suitcases from the back of the truck, opening the door for me.
It had just begun to rain when he set our suitcases on the floor beside the bed, and the smell of the rain combined with the sound of raindrops tapping on the roof and bouncing off the palm fronds took me back to a not-so-distant past when everything seemed innocent and exciting.
Inside was the same simple accommodations, with only two differences: every surface was adorned with glowing candles, and a tall fan stood at the end of the bed. It stood stationary, ready to serve it's purpose while I slept next to Jared's feverish body in the Caribbean heat and humidity.
I covered my mouth with my hand as I yawned. My long, undisturbed nap on the plane left me feeling grogg
y. “It's beautiful! Better than I remember,” I said, trying to muster the appropriate excitement in my tone. Speaking through a yawn dampened that prospect, but thankfully Jared could feel what I couldn't adequately express.
He lifted me off my feet, and carried me to the bed, his body outlining mine. It felt as if we'd never left.
“You should rest, Miss Grey. We have work to do.”
“Work?” I asked, sleepy. “What kind of work?”
“We're changing your name tomorrow,” he whispered in my ear.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my sister, best friend, cheerleader and number one fan, Beth. You know exactly what to say at the best possible moment, and your encouragements always seem to turn into reality. Without you there would be no Providence;
To my daughters for understanding they are more important than Mommy’s work, but sometimes creativity keeps strange hours;
To Brenda for her time, and being excited for every unit sold,
and to Mandy Morris for being a Super Fan! You are always willing and eager to fly the flag and share the story;
I would also like to thank Dr. Ross Vanhooser for his unending generosity and faith
Thank you to Ben Scroggs for his selflessness, flawless work, and patience;
To Trisha Johnson of Shutter Full of Dreams photography for her generosity and talent;
To Justin McClure of justinmcclure.tv for his time, absolute professionalism, and remarkable consideration and aptitude for excellence; and to
Bobbi Washburn for her generosity.
Saving the best for last, I would like to thank all PROVIDENCE fans! The positivity you bring to my daily life is invaluable to me. Your unwavering passion for Nina’s story drives the completion of every chapter. You are the reason Requiem came to be, and you are the reason the PROVIDENCE series will continue with a third book! Thank You All!
Thank you for being a part of the Providence series! The third and final installment of Nina’s journey is currently in the works. You can find updates on The Providence Series and other works by author Jamie McGuire at www.jamiemcguire.com, and on Facebook by searching ‘Author Jamie McGuire’.
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Requiem p-2 Page 25