After the Fall

throat.

Jeremy looked at Naomi curiously. “Anything wrong?”

Crap! He heard.

“No. Nothing. Everything’s fine,” she said, her eyes wide with innocence.

Good grief. Who knew angels could feel things like anger and jealousy? That was something she’d never heard of. She’d always thought they were perfect. Meeting Lash had of course changed that theory and tossed it out the window. And now that she was an angel, she didn’t feel any different.

She turned her attention back to Megan, who was leaning into the truck holding her arms out. A little girl, no more than four years old, climbed into them.

“Megan, can you open this for me?” The girl waved what looked like a candy bar in her hand.

“Not now, Emma,” said a woman who was the spitting image of the little girl. She grabbed her mass of fiery hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. “You’ll get chocolate all over your dress.”

“I won’t,” Emma’s pink lips pouted. “I’m a big girl.”

Megan smoothed back Emma’s unruly ginger curls. “Yes, you are, and you’re growing up so fast. But your momma’s right. We don’t want you to accidentally get candy all over your pretty face before we get your picture taken, do we?”

“Oh, all right,” Emma said as Megan placed her on the ground. “Can Teddy be in the picture?”

“Of course.” Megan poked her head back into the truck and took out a stuffed bear. “Aunt Verna, where do you want us to sit?”

Naomi sighed as Megan’s aunt gave directions on where to sit in the sea of bluebonnets. She remembered the springtime Texas tradition of taking family photos with the pretty blue wildflowers. When she and Chuy were small, Welita and her parents would drive them out to a meadow not too different from this one and have them pose in their church clothes. At the time, she had hated it: having to put on a scratchy dress and then having to deal with Chuy, who teased her. For some reason, Welita thought that wearing a velvet dress in the Texas heat was a good thing.

She always got back at Chuy though. She’d show his friends the photos of him in his little suit and tie. She even threatened to show his friends a photo Welita had taken when he was a baby. It was one that showed his bare bottom. That seemed to shut him up.

As much as she had hated taking those family photos at the time, she’d give anything to have it all back again.

“Now, Emma, sit on Megan’s lap and tilt your head a little bit,” Aunt Verna instructed.

“Momma, when is Daddy coming to visit?” She asked.

“He’s on the road working. He’ll come when he feels like it.” Verna cursed under her breath.

Emma’s lip trembled. “He’s not coming ’cause of the ’vorse.”

“Don’t worry, Emma.” Megan gave her a squeeze. “Divorce or not, he loves you. He’s just busy working. He’s in his big truck traveling through Colorado, remember? He’ll come to visit soon.”

She bobbed her head and then turned her attention to the bear in her arms.

“Megan, can you read to Teddy later?” Emma clutched her toy close to her chest. “Teddy wants to know what happens to the princess.”

“Megan has to work tonight,” Aunt Verna said as she looked through the camera lens, snapping photos. “I’ll read to you.”

“I want Megan. She does all the voices.” Emma looked up at Megan. “And Teddy thinks she’s pretty.”

Megan kissed the top of Emma’s head. “I think I can squeeze in a few minutes for my favorite little cousin, and Teddy too.”

“Emma, put your head down so I can see ya. Look over this way.” Aunt Verna pointed in the direction where she and Jeremy were standing.

Emma’s big brown eyes widened as she looked directly at Jeremy. Then she flashed a big smile. “Do you want to be in the picture too?”

Naomi gasped and then she turned to Jeremy, who grinned back at Emma, his dimples flashing. “Is she talking to you?”

“I believe so,” he said, waving his fingers hello at Emma.

If she could see Jeremy, then that could only mean one thing. She turned back to the petite red-haired girl.

No!

“Please don’t tell me that she’s your next assignment.”

His smile disappeared, and he looked at her sadly. “You know I can’t tell you.”

“Can you give me a hint?”

He studied her for a moment, blue eyes searching her face. He was so close to her that she could see thick dark lashes that any woman would die for, and a smattering of blond stubble on his strong jaw. His eyes held hers, and for a moment, she felt a strange pull towards him.

He blinked and then looked away, releasing her from the strange spell that held her captive. She let out a breath. What was that?

She inched herself away from him carefully, trying to keep her distance and at the same time not wanting to hurt his feelings. Was Lash right about him? Did he have feelings for her?

“We each have our assignments. Let’s just focus on those, okay?”

“Sure.” She watched him as he turned his attention to Megan and Emma. She was being silly. Obviously, Jeremy didn’t want to upset her about the little girl.

“Who are you talking to, Hon?” Megan asked.

“The man with the boots.” She lifted the bear’s arm and waved it at Jeremy.

“Stop that nonsense, Emma,” Aunt Verna said. “I told you ‘bout your imaginary friends. You can’t have them if ya want to go to school with the other big girls. Dag nabbit! I’m runnin’ out of battery. Hold on, girls, while I get another one. Don’t move.”

Emma sniffled, and tears formed in her eyes.

Megan gave her a squeeze and whispered in her ear. “I see him, too.” She waved to the left.

“Not there. He’s over there,” Emma said, pointing in the opposite direction.

Jeremy chuckled. “Sweet girl.”

“Who? Megan?” Naomi asked.

“Yeah. Not that many people like to pretend they can actually see me.”

Naomi looked at Megan as she waved in the direction Jeremy was standing, making Emma smile again. Okay, so Megan wasn’t that bad. Maybe she even was starting to like her a little. Megan seemed like a natural mom the way she was taking care of Emma. Someone who cared for children couldn’t be that bad.

The thought made her feel a little bit better—more angelic.

“I guess you could say—”

Naomi was cut off as squawking birds fled from the nearby trees and took off into the sky. Then a strange feeling hit her, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

She glanced at Jeremy. He was on full alert. His thick arms tensed, ready for action, as if he sensed danger nearby.

“Okay, I’m ready now. What da hell?” Verna lost her footing as the ground shook, and she fell.

“Mommy!” Emma shrieked, jumping out of Megan’s lap. “What’s happening?”

“No, Emma.” Megan gripped her arm and pulled her down. She looked up at the swaying utility poles that lined the road. “Stay here with me.”

The ground continued to rumble. Emma clutched Megan’s neck and cried into her chest.

“What’s happening?” Naomi asked Jeremy.

“Earthquake.”

“Earthquake! Texas doesn’t have earthquakes.”

“Not normally, but over the past few years, they’ve been increasing in frequency.” Jeremy looked at her with a surprised look. “Don’t you watch the news?”

“Not lately. I’ve been busy being chased by fallen angels and demons, you know, little things like that,” she snapped.