Love Letters: Saving Gideon (The Angel Chronicles Book 4)

by Mary May

  Raphael suddenly yelped, causing Gideon to look at him in surprise.

  “Gideon! What is happening to me?” Luke’s guardian was bathed in a golden glow, his wings stretching out by their own accord, growing darker and sharper. The standard issue white robe was replaced with a shorter tunic, and a bronze breastplate appeared on his chest. His short guardian sword was replaced with a longer, heavier sword much like the one Gideon and the other warriors carried.

  Raphael got to his feet the moment the glow disappeared, checking himself over. He looked up at Gideon in amazement. “I’m a warrior angel! Just like you!”

  He did look a lot like Gideon now, but there were some key differences. The once snowy white wings were now a steel gray and could bristle into razor sharp daggers, but they were not black. The armor he now wore was also not quite as heavy as a warrior angel’s.

  Gideon walked around looking him over. “I have never heard of this happening. Have you?”

  Raphael nodded. “Yes, but I have never had it happen to me!”

  Gideon was puzzled. Why would Raphael change into a different type of angel? Raphael answered the obvious question on Gideon’s face. “It’s because Luke made the decision to go into the ministry. But not just any ministry… missionary work. They draw far more attention from the dark side than a typical saint or even a minister. That’s why I had to change to be more suited to protect him. Like I said, I have heard of it but never seen it, and I certainly never thought it would happen to me. This is so great!”

  He swooshed his now much darker wings to and fro, letting the feathers sharpen and bristle. “This is too cool! Look at my wings! They become weapons like yours!” He hefted his new sword, swinging it and making practice jabs. Gideon chuckled as the unfamiliar weight of the longer sword made the angel somewhat clumsy. He gave him a few pointers as the siblings chatted on into the night, and the snow continued to fall.

  Chapter 16

  The sound of the barn doors being opened woke Charlie up from a most beautiful dream. In her dream it was her wedding day. The area next to the pond was sectioned off with white chairs to create an aisle, and the wooden arch covered with flowers and white tulle was perfect. She was standing at the end of the aisle with Devon waiting for the wedding march to start. When the familiar notes began, she waited for Kinsley, who was a bridesmaid, to start walking down the aisle then Lakyn, who was her maid of honor, to make her way down to the archway. Finally it was her turn. She had to make herself walk slowly. She counted her steps, trying to pace them exactly right so she would be at the front when the final notes faded away. Devon lifted her short veil and kissed her forehead softly.

  “You will always be my little Charlie-girl. Don’t you ever forget that!” He turned, placing her hand into the warm male hand that was extended for her. But when she looked up at her groom, it wasn’t Logan’s hazel eyes looking down at her…It was Nate’s dark brown ones…

  Charlie rode in Devon’s truck, thankful for the heater that he had on full blast. The hay and the horse blankets had held the worst part of the bitter cold at bay, but she was still chilled to the bone. Luke was racked with shivers as he held his hands up in front of the vents.

  “I’m sorry. I tried to get to you as fast as I could. I know you had to be freezing.”

  When Charlie didn’t reply, Luke looked over at her.

  “Hey, sis? You ok?” He reached out and touched her arm, bringing Charlie out of her thoughts.

  “Oh! I’m sorry! Did you say something?”

  Devon looked at her with concern. “I was just apologizing for not getting to you sooner. This weather has cell phone service down to zip, so I didn’t know until I got back from town. You sure were lost in thought. Anything you want to talk about?” he asked.

  “No!” Charlie nearly shouted her reply.

  When both her brother and her dad looked at her startled by her outburst, she smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears.

  “I mean…no…it’s nothing…just wool gathering, I guess.”

  Devon watched her closely. “Luke told me that the mare didn’t make it. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I was afraid of that. Are you ok?”

  She smiled faintly. “Actually I am. I couldn’t give her a longer life unfortunately, but I was able to give her a better death.”

  Devon nodded. “That’s very true and very wise of you to see it that way.”

  Charlie looked over to Luke. “Well, I wish I could say that I came up with it on my own, but it took someone wiser than me to point it out.”

  Luke’s cheeks turned a pale pink as Devon’s eyes pinned him down.

  “Is that a fact? Well done, son.”

  Luke just nodded under his dad’s praise.

  “Luke, have you talked to Mom and Dad about your goals?” Devon’s eyes met Charlie’s in the rearview mirror. When Luke shook his head, Charlie pushed him. “I really think you should. I know they will be so proud of the choice you are making.” So the rest of the way Luke shared his vision for his future with his dad while Charlie fought to shake off the effects of her dream.

  Raphael turned slowly in a circle to show the other angels his new look. Spreading his now silvery gray wings wide, he bristled to make the feathers sharpen into deadly points. Skye whistled low in admiration.

  “That is so cool! Maybe D.J. will decide to follow Luke so I can be a super ninja angel, too!”

  “Super ninja angel, you say?” Zareck arched a blonde brow at Skye’s comment. “You never said that Gideon and I were super ninja angels. Why does Raphael get the special title?” Cocking his head, Skye looked over at the warrior/guardian angel.

  “Because you and Big G were always warriors. Raphael was turned into a new souped up big bad demon-slaying NINJA ANGEL!”

  Zareck opened his mouth to reply when Charlotte reached up and covered his mouth with her hand. “Just let it go, Zareck. Not all of us were cut out to be ninjas!”

  The group all laughed at the expression on Zareck’s face. Well…everyone except Zareck!

  The next day the snowstorm had ended, leaving the area covered in over three feet of glistening white snow. Charlie sat curled up in a chair in front of the large plate glass window in the living room looking out at the yard and fields. With the fire blazing at her back and a warm blanket draped over her shoulders, she was thankful for her blessings. Her gaze landed on the barn where she knew the horses were warm and comfortable and she thought of the horses in Mr. Hicks’ barn that were also taken care of. Then she thought of the mare that had died so tragically with so much life yet to live. Most people didn’t know that if properly taken care of a horse can sometimes live into its thirties. The mare was only around fifteen, so she had a lot of life left to live. It still made her heart ache that she couldn’t do more for the horse, that she didn’t get to her in time. She wanted to rescue every neglected horse she could find and save them before it was too late. Suddenly she sat up straight in her chair, then tossing off the blanket she ran upstairs to tell her parents that she had just decided what she wanted to do with her life.

  “Honey, that sounds like a wonderful plan, but taking care of abused and neglected horses would be a constant drain on your resources. Even with the substantial amount you would have if you don’t have something coming in, you will end up broke. Expenses add up real quick when you start paying vet bills.”

  Charlie sat on the couch in her parents’ bedroom and nodded her head thoughtfully. Devon was right. Even with all the money Sherrilyn had left her, it wouldn’t last forever.

  “Have you thought about what you will do with the horses once they regain their health?” Sabrina asked. “Maybe you could sell them to help recover some of the expenses.”

  Charlie nodded again. “Maybe I can. I know I can’t keep all of them. Let me think on this some more. I just wanted to run the rough idea past you. I know there are still a lot of details to be worked out, but I really feel like this is my personal calling. You know how much I love horses and there
may be more to this than just helping them. I feel like…I feel like maybe God wants me to help people with this, too, somehow. I don’t know. Like I said, the idea just popped into my head.”

  Sabrina got up from the bed where she had been sitting and knelt down in front of her daughter on the couch. Looking up into Charlie’s blue eyes, she knew her little girl was growing into someone very special.

  “Honey, I know that God has a very special plan for you. I have prayed over you from the moment I knew you were coming. I know He will lead and direct you as long as you seek His guidance. Whatever the plan turns out to be, you make sure that you keep asking for that, ok?”

  Nate stepped off the plane and searched for his grandpa’s face in the crowd. Finally spotting him, he smiled and started towards him. He felt the stares of the people surrounding him, but he knew he would have to get used to it. He said a prayer for strength and courage then lifted his eyes and nodded at a few that were still looking at him. Some smiled and nodded back at him but others just turned their heads. He finally made it to where Seth was standing. His grandfather looked him over, seeing his scars and the changes in his appearance. He accepted them then seemed to dismiss them as he smiled up into Nate’s eyes.

  “It’s so good to see you, boy!”

  Nate hugged him tightly, feeling the slight burn of tears in his eyes. Ever since giving his heart to Christ, he cried at the drop of a hat, it seemed like. He really hoped that wasn’t going to be a permanent thing. After stepping back from his grandfather’s embrace, he looked around the airport. He couldn’t hide his disappointment when he didn’t see his parents there. Seth saw the hurt look cross his face briefly.

  “Nathaniel, your folks are not here. I’m sorry. I told them you were coming home. I swear I don’t know what is going on in their heads.”

  Nate smiled as he picked up his bags. “It’s ok, Grandpa. I understand.”

  Seth unlocked the door of the truck so Nate could toss his bags in the back seat. “Then you are doing better than me because I sure don’t.” After settling in the truck, Seth slowly pulled out into the traffic.

  “It’s hard on them after Ellie,” Nate said.

  That earned him a hard look. “Losing that baby girl was hard on all of us, but what in tarnation does that have to do with ignoring you in your time of need?”

  Nate stared out at the passing scenery. “I guess they just can’t cope with any more loss.”

  A hard slap on the steering wheel brought his head around to look at his grandpa in surprise. “They didn’t lose you, now did they? The good Lord saw fit to spare you and they couldn’t even be grateful enough to come meet you at the airport to welcome you home? No, there just isn’t any excuse for that.”

  Nate placed his hand on Seth’s. “Really…it’s ok. I’m not even angry.”

  Seth shook his head. “Well, you should be. You shouldn’t have been up there alone. I was surprised when Charlie came back. Figured her to be more loyal than that.”

  Nate looked at him sharply. “Hold on. I sent Charlie home. She never would have left if I hadn’t. I’m not proud to say that I was pretty rough on her. I pushed her away.”

  Seth looked over at him and something in his expression told Nate there was more to be said.

  “Ok, so what else do I need to know?” he asked. Seth was quiet for so long Nate thought he was going to need to repeat the question.

  “I guess it’s best that you know right away. Charlie is engaged to Logan Russell. They are supposed to be married next summer.”

  Nate felt the words hit him hard. He suspected that might be the case. Charlie was too beautiful and too sweet to stay single for long, but still it hurt to hear that she had moved on.

  “Are you ok?” his grandpa asked softly.

  Nate nodded. “Yes, like I said, I pushed her away. I all but told her that I didn’t want her anymore, so what else could I expect her to do but move on? I am happy she has found someone.”

  His grandpa made an odd noise. “That was a fool thing to do. Why would you push someone like Charlie Blakely away? That gal has loved you since kindergarten. You think you find girls like her on every street corner?”

  Nate grinned at the sudden changing of sides. “Just a second ago you were mad at Charlie for leaving me; now you’re mad at me. What happened?”

  “That was before I knew what a mule head you had been. I should have known that it would take something like that to get her to leave. So, what are you going to do about it?”

  Nate shook his head. “Other than wish them both the best, I’m not going to do anything.”

  “But you still love her. I know you do. You are just going to let her marry that Logan fellow?”

  Turning back to look out of his window, Nate answered, “That’s right.”

  Nate didn’t feel comfortable going to his parents’ house, so he had Seth drop him off at a local hotel until he could find a permanent place to stay. Plus he was tired…bone tired, in every way possible -- physical, mental and emotional.

  The day had been a long one and he was hit with some hard to take news and wanted, no he needed, to be alone for a day or two to process everything. Then there was Charlie.

  His heart wasn’t ready to see her with another man, but he knew he had to apologize for his behavior if nothing else. He would be lying if he didn’t admit he held out a tiny bit of hope that she might be happy to see him.

  Sitting on the side of the bed, he reached down and unstrapped his prosthesis. Rubbing the area just above his knee, he sighed in relief. He was glad that Dr. Reed was able to save his knee. That made walking with the prosthesis easier and more natural looking. He had enough for people to stare at without adding an odd gait or missing leg to the equation. Pulling his bag over, he got out his bottles of medications, setting them up on the night stand so he could reach them easily from the bed. There were nine of them that he had to take daily and two more that he took when his night terrors became too bad. He hoped with time to wean himself off most of them. Finally he said a brief prayer of thanks for a safe arrival back home then he fell asleep where he lay.

  Shana was as surprised as Nate to hear about Charlie’s engagement. She still held out hope that they could work things out. Nate loved her so much and would often call out for her in his sleep. He had changed so much since accepting Christ. Softer and less prone to angry outbursts were the most notable changes. Oh, he would still get frustrated, especially at himself when his recovery wasn’t progressing as fast as he wanted, but he had a lot more regard for the staff at the hospital.

  The biggest miracle, aside from his own salvation, was Dr. Reed’s. After seeing the miraculous change in Nate, the doctor had asked him what had happened. Nate told him that he had accepted Christ. To Shana’s surprise the doctor didn’t really understand what that meant. After Nate had explained everything, the doctor had prayed the sinner’s prayer with him. It was truly a beautiful moment that she knew she would remember forever.

  “So, that’s some tough news hearing about Charlie, wasn’t it?” Mac asked as he shimmered into view. Shana nodded.

  “Yes, but I just have a feeling that things are not as over between these two as it looks.”

  “But she is engaged to another man. Doesn’t that pretty much say she is done?”

  Shana laughed at Mac’s expression. “Mac, you will learn that when it comes to the female heart, very little is written in stone. All I’m saying is until she actually walks down the aisle and offers her hand to this Logan person…we still have hope!”

  Sabrina walked into Charlie’s bedroom a few days later with the cordless phone held to her chest. She found Charlie standing in the middle of her room sorting her winter clothes and spring/summer clothes into two piles.

  “Honey, you have a phone call.”

  Charlie looked up and the expression on her mother’s face told her just who was on the other end of the line.

  “It’s Nate, isn’t it?” she whispered.


  Sabrina nodded as she watched the color drain from Charlie’s face. The mama bear instinct rose up inside Sabrina and roared. She wanted to protect her cub.

  “You don’t have to speak to him if you don’t want to. I will tell him that you don’t want to speak to him. You don’t owe him anything.”

  Charlie reached for the phone that Sabrina held slightly away from her. “It’s ok, Mama; I can speak to him. I’m fine.” Taking the phone she sat down on her bed then took a deep breath. “Nate?”

  “Hello, Charlie. I hope it’s ok that I called. I won’t take much of your time. I just called to tell you how sorry I am for my really bad behavior at the hospital. I know I hurt you and I am truly sorry for that.” Charlie closed her eyes as Nate’s voice rumbled in her ear. She had forgotten how deep it was. Taking a deep steady breath, she willed her voice to sound natural and relaxed.

  “I don’t mind that you called. How are you doing? I heard that you were walking. Is that true?” She got up, walking over to the window. Looking out, she saw the horses grazing in the field on the new green shoots of grass. Focusing on that helped her keep calm.

  “Yes, I have been fitted with a prosthesis and I can get around pretty well. I have something else to tell you, but I would rather tell you in person. Can we arrange to meet somewhere?”

  Charlie felt her eyebrows go up in surprise. “Nate, California is a really long trip. Wouldn’t be easier to just tell me over the phone?” His next words had her reaching quickly for her desk chair and dropping down into it.

  “I’m not in California, Charlie. Hasn’t anyone told you? I’m home.”

  A few minutes later a visibly shaken Charlie walked into the kitchen.

  “Mama…did you know that Nate was home?”

  The look of surprise on Sabrina’s face told Charlie that she didn’t.