Catch a Fallen Angel

by Maureen Child

  Her gaze swept the crowd until she found him. He stood across the street at the edge of the party he'd created. A part of things, yet separate, distanced. As always, her breath caught in her chest as a swirl of emotion rippled through her. She wondered if forty, fifty years from now he would still have the same effect on her? But that was foolish. They didn't have years. They had only weeks now. A handful of days before he would be as much a part of her past as childhood scrapes and bruises.

  A sudden sheen of tears filled her eyes and she blinked them ferociously back. She wouldn't cry. Not now. Not while he was still here. There were long empty years to come when she could fill the cold nights with buckets of tears. As she had the last two weeks.

  That thought ricocheted around inside her mind for a full minute before she realized exactly what she'd been doing. There was so little time left to them and she'd already wasted the last two weeks. By nursing her anger and her disappointment in him, she'd cheated herself out of time she might have spent with Gabe. Instead of lying alone in her bed missing him, she could have been with him. He'd never made any promises. He'd told her that first day that he wouldn't be staying. And now she was punishing them both because he wouldn't—or couldn't—change those rules. It wasn't fair. To either of them. Time was passing too quickly and every minute gone was another stolen from what they might have had. Another memory that might have been.

  Everything inside her screamed to go to him, and Maggie finally stopped fighting that urge.

  Stepping down from the boardwalk, she moved through the crowd, her gaze fixed on Gabe. Around her, people talked and laughed, but she heard only the voice in her head telling her to claim the happiness she could, while she could.

  And then he was there, in front of her, just a touch away.

  "Hello, Maggie.”

  "Gabe." She smiled and waved one hand to indicate the crowd. "You did it. You said you'd bring the customers to us and you did."

  "No,” he said with a sad smile. "I may have brought them out onto the street, but they stayed because of you.” He looked at the people nearby then shifted his gaze back to her. "You're one of them. A part of this town. You always were, though you didn't know it."

  "Maybe," she said. "And maybe you had more to do with this than you're willing to admit. Maybe-you're just as much a part of this place as I am.”

  He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm not a part of anything, Maggie. It's just me. Always has been."

  Lamplit shadows fluttered across his face, illuminating and then hiding the sadness in his eyes. But Maggie saw it. Felt it. And reacted.

  Reaching out, she laid one hand on his arm. His eyes closed briefly at her touch and she knew he felt the magic between them as strongly as she did.

  "You're a part of me," she told him softly. "And a part of Jake. You always will be, whether you're here or not."

  He actually winced. "Maggie, don't make this harder."

  “Nothing could make it harder, Gabe," she said and swallowed back a knot of pain lodged in her throat. "If you leave—“

  "When I leave…"

  She nodded and lifted her chin. "Fine. When you leave, you'll be missed. Desperately."

  "Maggie," he said, then sighed and stopped.

  “But I’ll survive and so will Jake."

  "I know that."

  She smiled at him and knew it was a sad smile, still, it was the best she could manage under the circumstances. One corner of his mouth lifted in a vague shadow of the cocky grin that had first captured her heart.

  Absently, Maggie noted that the piano had gone silent. After a moment, the fiddler ended the quiet by drifting into a haunting melody. The soft, sorrowful strains of "Barbara Allen" lifted into the night and its tale of love and loss seeped into Maggie's bones until she thought she might weep for the pain.

  But hadn't she already decided that there would be no more tears until after Gabe had left her? Firmly resolving to snatch what happiness she could, Maggie stepped up closer to him and held out her arms. "Dance with me?”

  His features twisted briefly into a mask of pain before he reined in his emotions and took her into the circle of his arms. He looked down into her eyes and Maggie ordered her mind to etch this moment on her memory.

  Years from now, she wanted to be able to look back at this night and feel the strength of his arm around her waist, the firm yet gentle way he held her hand, the shine in his eyes as he stared into hers. She wanted nothing lost.

  And then he began to move, but instead of guiding her into the circle of dancers, he instead shifted them farther into the shadows. There, they danced alone as if the fiddle played only for them. The hum of conversation and laughter faded away. The lamplight strained to reach them and failed and still they danced. Gently swaying, whirling in slow, lazy circles. His touch at her back. Her hand in his.

  Maggie closed her eyes, tipped her head back and busted in Gabe to keep them safe in their shadowy world. She could have gone on forever in silence, but when he spoke, she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

  "Nothing's changed, Maggie."

  "Everything's changed," she said, shaking her head.

  "How?"

  "I won't try to make you stay."

  "And you'll marry me?"

  "No," she said gently and watched that word hit its mark on his heart. In an effort to ease the pain creeping up on both of them, she laid her head on his chest and whispered, “I won't marry you, but I will love you."

  He stiffened slightly and she heard his heartbeat stagger.

  "Maggie," he said on a groan, “I can't let you."

  “You can't stop me." She lifted her head again and looked up into his eyes.

  "I won't risk leaving you with another child to raise alone."

  "But—“

  "No." He shook his head slowly and gave her a smile that spoke more of hurt than happiness. "I'm already halfway to Hell. I won't buy myself a bigger share of the flames at your expense."

  "Don't deny us the little time we have left," she said.

  “Then marry me."

  Marry him and have him in her bed again. Know the rush of pleasure, the tingle of anticipation. The glory of his mouth and hands on her body. Tempting. So tempting. Yet even as she considered it, she knew she wouldn't do it.

  "I can't marry a man I know is going to leave me," she said softly. "I won't be the deserted wife again."

  He smiled grimly and executed a slow turn, keeping her tight against him. "That's it, then."

  She laid her head on his chest again, and listened to the solid, comforting beat of his heart beneath her ear. "You're a stubborn man."

  “That's been said before."

  "I'm stubborn too," she pointed out.

  “I've noticed."

  She tipped her head back far enough to be able to plant a quick, soft kiss to the base of his throat. He shivered.

  "Think you can resist me?" she asked.

  He swallowed heavily. "I’m gonna try.”

  "I’m going to be trying too," she said, feeling it only fair to warn him.

  He sighed. “I know." His arm tightened even further around her waist and he stepped into a series of turns, their bodies moving together as if made to fit one against the other. And as the fiddle music soared to a heart wrenching end, she thought she heard him murmur, "Ah, Maggie…what a time we would have had together."

  #

  When the last of the revelers had stumbled home to their beds, Gabe took a slow look around at the town he'd grown so fond of. Hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks, he'd be leaving it and the world behind. He pulled in a deep breath and cast a furtive glance up at Maggie's darkened windows. He yearned to go inside, climb those stairs, and slip into her bed and her body. To find the warmth that only she could offer him. To bask in the love she wanted to give.

  But he couldn't. Because the dead have no place with the living.

  Shifting his gaze from the one place he wanted to be, Gabe shoved both
hands into his pockets and set off down Main Street, headed for the dark beyond. For the first time since dying at the end of a rope, he was going to seek out the Devil who'd claimed him—and try to strike a new bargain.

  #

  Maggie slipped out of the shadows and quietly followed him. Hugging her worn green shawl tightly around her, she stepped softly, not wanting to make any sound that might alert him to her presence.

  Mooncast shadows seemed to reach for her, stretching out long, black fingers as if trying to keep her from him. But she wouldn't be stopped. She wanted to know what he was up to. Who he was meeting. If it was the friend he claimed to be waiting for, she'd intervene, try to make him stay here. With her.

  And if he hadn't lied? If there was a devil waiting in the darkness? Her fingers tightened in the wool threads and a shiver of apprehension rippled along her spine at the thought before she stiffened her spine and lifted her chin defiantly. If there was a devil out there somewhere, then he'd better be set for the fight of his life. Because Maggie was ready to charge Hell itself if she had to.

  #

  Jake crouched low as his mother hurried down the street, following after Gabe. He'd watched them dancing and even seen them kiss once when they thought nobody was looking. It had felt…strange, watching Gabe kiss his mom. But it was a good kind of feeling too.

  His friend Mickey told him that his ma and pa kissed all the time and how it was kind of disgusting. But Jake thought it would be a fine thing to have Gabe stay with them forever and kiss his ma and take him fishing sometimes. He'd figured on following Gabe himself and telling him to marry his mom, but then she'd shown up and now everything was a mess.

  He looked around to make sure there was no one to see, then he sneaked out of the alley and started after his mother, who was following the man Jake had to talk to. But he sure wished it wasn't so dark.

  #

  Gabe didn't stop until he was well outside of town. When he was sure he was alone, he turned in a slow circle, his gaze sweeping the distant shadowed treeline, and called out, "All right, Devil, you and me need to talk."

  Seconds passed and dripped into minutes. The only sound was the hollow sigh of the wind in the grass. And still he waited. Sure, now when he wanted the demon to show up, he couldn't be found. Overhead, threads of clouds chased each other across the face of the moon.

  From somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted and the bushes close by rustled with the passage of a night creature.

  Loneliness was almost a taste in the air.

  “What do you want?"

  Gabe jumped and spun around. The gunfighter stood staring at him, a sardonic smile on his face.

  “I want to not die of a heart attack in this damned meadow," Gabe snapped as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

  "You've got your wish already. Remember that noose?"

  "Yeah," he said and wished to hell the Devil could go the length of one conversation without bringing up that rope.

  "I think I can manage," he said, plucking the stray thought from Gabe's mind.

  A spurt of irritation swept through him but he tamped it down again. Couldn't afford to get testy with the Devil just now. "I want to talk to you."

  "So I gathered," he said and crossed his arms over his chest. "About what?"

  Gabe rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the Devil. "About making a new deal."

  Twin black eyebrows lifted. "I like the deal we have. You bring your 'friend' to this meadow, on the night of the full moon."

  A cold wind raced across the meadow, wrapped itself around Gabe briefly, then ran on down the lane and into the town where it would rattle shutters and shake windowpanes.

  The full moon. It was too soon. The two months he'd been given had gone by too fast.

  "I want more time," he blurted.

  “Not surprising," the Devil commented.

  He'd known it wouldn't do any good and still he'd had to try.

  "It's the woman, isn't it?”

  Gabe's gaze snapped to the Devil.

  "It is, the gunfighter said and smiled broadly as he walked a slow circle around Gabe. "You're in love."

  "I told you before, leave her out of this."

  "I have no interest in her," the Devil said. "She has no part in our bargain."

  "That's where you're both wrong." Maggie spoke up and had both Gabe and the Devil turning to stare open-mouthed at her as she marched up to join them.

  "Go home, Maggie," Gabe told her and stepped between her and the demon.

  "I will not," she said and darted around him to face the gunfighter down. She'd watched that man appear out of nowhere and still she could hardly believe it. Now, as she looked into the gunfighter's pale blue eyes, she tried to find a spark of kindness there, but all she saw was irritation.

  "You can't have him," she said, forcing a calm she didn’t feel into her voice.

  "Ah, but I can.”

  "Maggie, damn it." Gabe grabbed her arm and tugged her back from the other man.

  But she yanked free and went right on talking. "You like deals, I'll offer you a new one!”

  The gunfighter looked suddenly wary. He straightened up and gave a quick glance around the empty meadow as if expecting to see someone else appear out of the darkness "No more deals."

  "Maggie, I swear, if you don't shut up and go back home I'll—“

  "You’ll what?" she snapped, turning on him with a vengeance. "Leave me? You're already planning to, remember?"

  "Don't you be a damn fool, woman," he shot back. "You have a son to take care of. He needs you. You can't do this. I won't let you do it."

  "He needs you too, don't you see that yet?" She stared up at him, desperate to make him understand. Gabe grabbed her and, even in this tense moment, she relished the warm strength of his hands on her. She would fight to keep him here. Where he belonged. With her.

  Even if it meant facing down Satan himself.

  She pulled free of him and whirled around to once again confront the man in black.

  But he was gone.

  She turned frantically, searching the shadows for him, but there was simply no sign of him anywhere. "Blast and damn, he's gone."

  "Thank God!" Gabe shouted, torn between hugging her and throttling her. He'd never been terrified and touched at the same time before. Figured it would be Maggie to manage showering those opposing emotions on him all at once. And as much as it meant to him that she'd been willing to knock down the gates of Hell in his name, he was furious that she'd endanger herself…her soul…like that.

  "Where did he go?" she demanded.

  "Back to Hell I suppose," he snapped.

  Maggie threw him a wild look. "Well, get him back!"

  "I can't and wouldn't even if I could,” he told her, reaching out to grab hold of her shoulders. "Damn it, Maggie, what were you thinking?”

  "I wasn't thinking," she muttered, shaking her head. “When I saw him… appear out of nothing, I just—“

  "Rushed right in?" His grip on her tightened.

  "I didn't believe you," she said, staring up at him. “When you told me about this before…I didn't believe you. How could I?”

  “But you do now."

  She threw another searching glance around the meadow before looking at him again. “Yes. But God, I wish you'd been lying."

  He let her go, then shoved his hands into his pockets.

  "So do I."

  "A devil. Right here in Regret.” She shook her head as if still trying to convince herself of what she'd seen. Then she slapped his arm. "And you wouldn't let me talk to him!"

  "Are you out of your mind?" he asked, dumbfounded. "You have no business talking to the likes of him."

  "And you do?" she countered.

  "Damn it, Maggie, what did you think you were doing?” Gabe glared at her as his hands fisted in his pockets.

  "Fighting for what I want," she said. "You taught me that."

  He looked down into her face and saw the wild glint in her eye a
nd, for one brief moment, he wondered if she might not have beaten the Devil at his own game. But that moment was gone in a flash and he knew without a doubt that his soul wasn't worth risking hers over.

  "This fight is finished, Maggie. It's done. Bargain sealed. Soul practically delivered." It cost him to say the words aloud, but she needed to hear them. To believe them. So she wouldn't do something stupid when he wasn't around to protect her.

  "I won't let you go," she said, her voice low and fervent.

  “You can't hold me, darlin'," he whispered and, yanking his hands out of his pockets, pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. He inhaled the scent of her and told himself to remember it forever. She burrowed in closer and he took some comfort in the fact that she wanted him so much. It had taken him a lifetime, but he'd finally found a home. Love.

  And he'd give anything to be able to claim it.

  She threaded her arms about his waist and laid her head on his chest. "I don't want to lose you."

  He closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of her head. Sighing, he glanced up at the star-strewn sky and silently prayed for her safety. For her happiness. And he hoped that the prayers of a condemned sinner would be heard.

  Then he cradled Maggie against him and, for one long moment, in a moonlit field, they were together for a small piece of forever.

  #

  Jake bunched his shoulders against the cold and wiped the back of his hand across his face, scrubbing at the tears rolling down his cheeks. He stared at his mother and Gabe, then looked at the spot where the other man had disappeared. That old Devil wasn't gonna take Gabe anywhere, he told himself, scowling furiously. Then he shot a long, angry glare at the heavens before running back to town.

  Chapter Nineteen

  "Michael, you have to tell your gambler the truth."

  ”It's not time," the gunfighter argued.

  "It's past time," his friend said, shaking his head.

  ”It's bad enough when an angel masquerades as a devil, for pity’s sake. But when he stoops to frightening innocent women and children…"

  "Children?" the gunfighter asked.

  "The boy. Jake. He saw you too. He's been praying for Gabe."