♦♦♦
Angelica longed to sit down and relieve her aching feet, if only for a moment, but she’d learned the hard way that Sal didn’t like anyone to sit in his presence. As it was, he sat behind his ostentatious desk and studied her like a king would a subject. Why did he have to call her into his office now? She had only fifteen minutes left in her shift, and all she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed.
She waited for whatever tirade was coming, doing her best to cover herself with her tray to avoid those undressing eyes of his.
Releasing a long sigh, he shook his head at her like a principal would a naughty child. “What did I tell you about spreading your Jesus crap in here?”
Oh, no. Angelica bit her lip. “I haven’t—”
“Don’t lie to me. The customers are complaining.”
“Who?” Everyone she’d spoken with seemed open to her words.
“Doesn’t matter. I told you that if I got one more complaint, you’re gone.”
Fear stabbed her gut. “Honestly, Sal, all I am is nice to people and tell them God loves them.” And that Jesus died for them so they could live with Him forever. Plus a few other things. “What’s the harm in that?”
“The harm is, people don’t like it.” He pushed back his chair and rose to circle his desk. “The harm is they don’t come here to hear about Jesus. They come here to watch half-naked mermaids and get drunk.”
As he approached, Angelica glanced at the door, planning her exit if he got too fresh. “I just give them hope,” she whispered.
“Hope, schmope. There is no such thing!” He halted before her, the gold chain around his neck flashing in her eyes. “I should fire you on the spot.”
Angelica lowered her gaze. “You can’t. I mean, please. I just lost my car, and I have no money in the bank. I need this job.”
She could spot the precise moment in which power took residence in his eyes. He took a step closer. So close she could smell the brandy on his breath and his body odor.
He leaned in to kiss her, and without thinking, she slapped him across the cheek.
Fury raged in his eyes. He rubbed his jaw. “You whore!” He charged her and she backed away. “You’re fired! Get out now!” He pointed to the door.
She hesitated, too stunned to move.
“I said, get out!”
Stumbling on her high heels, she rushed out the door. It slammed, sending a tremble through her as she set down her tray. Shock struck her in morbid waves. She wanted to say goodbye to Greg and Melody, but her mind and emotions tangled in a chaotic spin. Instead, she grabbed her purse from the locker, and darted into the night.
Right into Daniel.
His Aqua Vela scent and rock-hard chest gave him away.
After all the bad news, all the chaos, all the fear, instead of pushing back from him, she fell into his embrace and began to sob.
Immediately, those thick arms encircled her in warmth and safety as he pressed her head against his chest. “Shh. Shh. It’s all right, Angel. Shh.” That deep voice resounded, those words of comfort that swept through her like a warm tide, loosening her nerves, along with her resolve to free herself from this man.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked.
“I just got fired,” she sobbed, pushing back from him.
“What? Why?” He gripped her arms.
“Sal, my boss…” Should she tell him the truth? No. Daniel would only rush in and punch the guy flat. And that wouldn’t solve anything. “I just want to go home.”
“Sure.” Swinging an arm around her shoulder, he drew her close. “You’re trembling.”
She was. She could feel it in her legs as he led her to his car, see it in her hands as she held them out before her. It wasn’t like her to be this weak. But too much had happened. Too many things had gone wrong.
“I can drive,” she said. “I brought Leigh’s car.”
“Not in your condition. I’ll drop you off, and we can get Leigh’s car tomorrow.”
She wanted to argue with him, wanted to shove him away and run. If Thomas saw them together, he’d kill Isaac for sure! But she could hardly walk, barely form a coherent sentence.
And she needed him. Drat, but she needed him.
She barely noticed the drive to her apartment, barely noticed Daniel leading her up the stairs, unlocking the door with her keys, and settling her on her couch. Flipping on a light, he shut the door, and she heard him rummaging in the kitchen. Minutes later, he appeared with a glass of water and a look of concern.
She sipped the water, then set down the glass, her nerves finally settling.
He slid on the couch beside her. “What’s going on, Angel? You’re strung way too tight. It’s not like you.”
Those deep blue eyes of his, so full of love, began to break down her defenses. She longed to pour out her heart to him as she’d done so many times in the past. She wanted to tell him that the world was plunging into chaos, World War III was about to start, her son was being indoctrinated at school, and now, she’d have no money to feed him. And, oh yeah, Daniel’s assistant pastor was trying to kill Isaac. But instead, she only said, “Just got a lot going on.”
He nodded.
“Why were you at my work?” she asked.
“I missed you. You aren’t answering my calls. And you sent the car back.”
“I lost my phone when my car blew up. And I can’t accept such a gift from you.”
He must have noticed her trembling again, for he grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her shoulders. “I was crazy with fear when I heard about the car. I came by here twice and then by your work three times, but always missed you. I was so worried, Angel.”
“There’s just been so much…too much….” And if Thomas knew you were here, my son’s life would be in danger. The thought ratcheted up her heart rate again, and she raised a hand to her brow.
“Here, lay down.” Scooting from the couch, he tucked a pillow behind her and nudged her down.
It felt good. Especially when he took her hand in his and began caressing it. “So, what happened at work?”
She shook her head and exhaled deeply, finally able to speak. “My boss had it in for me. We’ve been arguing for weeks. It’s not worth talking about.”
“How are you for money until you can find something else?”
Last time she checked, she only had twenty NWO notes in her account. “Fine.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She gave him a weak smile.
“I’ll help you until you can get on your feet.”
“That wouldn’t be right, Daniel.”
“Course it would. That’s what friends are for.”
“Is that what we are?” Unsure why she opened that door, she suddenly wished she hadn’t.
He rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “You tell me. You know what I want.”
Feeling suddenly vulnerable, she rose and swung her legs over the edge of the couch. He had told her he still loved her. But she didn’t want to hear that. Couldn’t hear that. Not only for her heart’s sake. But now, for Isaac’s. Perhaps if she was mean, he’d leave. “Daniel Cain’s love always comes with conditions,” she snapped, sending him jerking back in surprise.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve made it quite clear that you only want a relationship with me if I quit my so-called cult.”
His brow wrinkled. “For your own safety.”
She set stern eyes upon him. “For your career.”
“I’ll admit that’s part of it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But not the main part. I simply don’t want to see you or Isaac stuffed in a FEMA camp somewhere.”
She gazed at him, wanting so badly to reach him. “Yet Jesus Himself foretold that some of His followers would be imprisoned for their faith. If that is His will for me, how can I run from it?”
“But you have a son to think of. For Isaac’s sake, I beg you, keep your faith to yourself.”
&nb
sp; “That’s not what the Bible says.”
He leaned back on the couch with a sigh. “I know, I’ve been reading it.”
“You have?” She couldn’t deny her excitement.
“Bits and pieces.” He smiled. “After all, it was the condition of a date.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Don’t get all excited. I’m not quitting my church and casting out demons on the beach.”
She laughed. “Now, that is something to hope for.”
Rejuvenated by his declaration, Angelica scooted back on the couch and drew her feet up. They spent the next several hours just talking—like they used to do when they were young and in love. They spoke of God, and surfing, fishing, and Isaac. They talked about the state of the world, his goal to advise the president, her hopes for Isaac’s future. They laughed over antics they’d done as young adults, the music they had listened to, the beach concerts they’d attended. All the while she watched every spark in his eye, every flex of his jaw, every gesture and movement and the way he squeezed the bridge of his nose when he was uncomfortable.
And it was like twelve years had never passed.
She was falling in love with him again. A wild mix of feelings twisted her insides at the thought, but fear won out—fear for Isaac, fear for risking another broken heart, fear for Daniel’s soul. Yet in the midst of it all, hope burst at the thrill of his touch, at the possibility they had a chance…but more importantly that he was slowly turning back to God. The truth was finding its way into Daniel’s spirit and evicting the lies. She could sense it. Especially when he brought up his days of beach evangelism and his eyes lit with excitement.
Now, as her own eyes grew heavy and her heart full, he eased beside her, swung an arm around her, and drew her head to his shoulder. “Sleep, my angel. It will be light soon.”
He wasn’t kidding. In what seemed like only minutes later, she heard Isaac’s voice.
“Daniel, you’re here!”
Prying her eyes open, she found her son jumping up and down in front of the couch.
She attempted to stretch but quickly found herself wedged between Daniel’s arm and his chest. Horrified, she pushed from him and scooted back, squinting at the sunlight streaming in through the window. It landed on Daniel, glinting on the stubble on his jaw, his hair sticking up in a dozen directions, and the puffiness of his eyes.
And she remembered how wonderful it had been waking up beside this man.
“What are ya doin’ here, Daniel? I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, buddy.” Daniel stretched out his arms. “Your mom and I were talking and we must have fallen asleep.”
“Hey,” Isaac said. “Can we go catch some waves?”
“Isaac, leave the poor man alone. He just woke up.”
“Tell you what,” Daniel said. “I’ll go pick up some breakfast, and we’ll eat on the beach. No surfing yet, though, it’s too calm in the morning.”
“Yay!” Isaac beamed. “I’ll bring my Frisbee. Can I, Mom?”
“Sure.”
After the boy ran off to get dressed, Angel faced Daniel and found him gazing at her with such love, she quickly looked away. She must look a mess with her smeared makeup and tangled hair. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Are you kidding? I want to.” Leaning in, he kissed her on the forehead, grabbed his keys from the table, and headed for the door, whistling. “Meet you across the street at the beach in half an hour.”
So, this was what it would be like to be married, to have a man around the house, a father for Isaac. She smiled, but instantly wiped it away. She shouldn’t be thinking such things.
A half hour later, as promised, Daniel shuffled across the sand, bag of bagels and cream cheese in hand—a half hour in which Angelica had done her best to clean up her face, run a comb through her hair, and wonder what in God’s name she was doing risking her and Isaac’s lives.
She shouldn’t have stayed up all night with Daniel. She shouldn’t have allowed him to take her home. And she shouldn’t have agreed to this picnic on the beach. But she’d been so distraught last night and everything felt so right.
If not for Thomas’ threat.
But what to do? She saw the way Isaac’s face lit up when he spotted Daniel heading their way—as if he already knew, somewhere beneath his conscious mind, that the man was his father.
After shoving down their bagels, Isaac dragged Daniel out to play Frisbee, and Angelica more than enjoyed watching the easy companionship between them. Not to mention, Daniel’s muscular physique as he ran and leapt across the sand.
She sighed deeply. “Why am I so weak, Lord? Is it okay for me to be spending so much time with this man? What about Isaac? I’m so afraid.”
Trust me.
The same two words she’d been hearing for the past week. Trust didn’t come easy when it came to her son. Fear always won whenever she thought of any harm coming to him. She prayed for him every day, left him in God’s hands. But as soon as she got off her knees, Fear returned. She could almost hear the demon chomping on her like a beaver on crack gnawing through wood. The only problem was, Fear was slowly eating away her precious faith.
Tell him.
What? Angelica was surely hearing things.
Tell him Isaac is his son.
“I can’t, Father. You know I can’t.”
If she did, Thomas would certainly kill them both.
Chapter 27
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:26 (NKJV)
Angelica mounted the stairs to her apartment, dreading what she had to do. Fear once more nibbled at her faith…her peace. She needed to pray. She needed to spend time with her Father. To regain her strength. But first, she had to tell Leigh what was going on. She had a right to know.
Closing the door, she dropped Leigh’s keys on the kitchen table and found her friend curled up in a chair, reading. She looked up and smiled at Angelica.
What a wonderful friend Leigh had been. Angelica would miss rooming with her. And Isaac would miss Joel. Even now, she could hear the two of them playing in one of the bedrooms.
“Joel got a new set of Legos,” Leigh explained.
Angelica smiled. “You have your car back. Thank you. I’m sorry we left it at my work.”
“No prob. I told you I didn’t need it today.” Leigh batted the air.
Angelica dropped to the couch and drew up her legs. “We need to talk.”
Leigh’s brows shot up, and she laid the book she was reading in her lap. “Sounds serious.”
“Well, it kinda is.” Angelica sighed. Where to begin? “For starters, I lost my job last night.”
Leigh’s eyes widened. “Crap. I’m so sorry, Ange. What happened?”
“Stupid me. I pissed off my boss. He had it in for me, anyway.”
“The one who kept propositioning you?”
Angelica nodded.
“You probably have a good case to sue him.”
“It wasn’t because of that. I was telling some of the customers about Jesus.”
“Oh.” Leigh grimaced.
“Anyway, I don’t know when I’ll find something else. Or if, in this economy. So you might want to put the word out for another roommate.”
Leigh shook her head. “Don’t be silly. I don’t want another roommate. You’ll find something.”
Angelica’s eyes misted at her friend’s kindness. “We don’t know that, and you can’t afford rent on your own.”
“We do know that.” She gestured to the book in her lap and only then did Angelica realize it was the Bible she had given her.
Excitement wiped away her fears. “You’re reading it!”
“Of course. How could I not after you pointed out all the prophecies coming true.” A new sparkle lit up Leigh’s eyes that warmed Angelica to her soul.
“In fact,” Leigh continued, twirling a strand of her long black hair around a finger. “I believe God says something in here about supplying all your needs.”
Shame etched Angelica’s spine at her own lack of faith. “It does.”
“Then you will find another job. A better job.”
Angelica could only stare at her in wonder.
“And it looks like God has sent you a good man as well.” She winked.
Along with elation about Leigh, emotions Angelica dared not name battled within her at the thought.
“What happened between you two, anyway?” Leigh asked. “I don’t see why you’d ever let a guy like that go.”
Angelica closed her eyes for a moment. She had never told anyone the story. It had been too painful. But Leigh had a right to know.
“I was twenty-one, a cocktail waitress, and he was in his first year of seminary.” She could still remember their first date strolling on the beach. “We had an immediate connection, and over the course of a year, we fell deeply in love. Or so I thought. During that time, he grew closer to God and really impressed me with his zeal and his efforts to reach the lost. He was amazing back then.”
“Apparently, still is. Look at the crowds he draws.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” She would leave the discussion of true and false religion for a later time. “Anyway, toward the end of our first year together, he told me he wanted to marry me, but we couldn’t sleep together anymore. I admired him so much for that. But then I found out I was already pregnant.”
“Wow. Why didn’t you tell him?”
“I was going to, but we had a big argument that night. Apparently, the dean of the seminary found out about me and advised Daniel—strongly—not to see me again. They thought me being a cocktail waitress and a nonbeliever was a bad influence on him.” She shrugged. “They were probably right. Although Daniel didn’t want to split up, I felt insulted. I said some things against his seminary and God that I shouldn’t have said.”
Leigh set the Bible down on the table and leaned forward. “So, that was it? You broke up?”
“No. I didn’t think so. I mean, people disagree all the time. We had already made plans to meet for dinner the next night, but when I went to the restaurant, Thomas was there instead. He told me Daniel didn’t want to see me again.”
When Angels Cry Page 24