The woman’s face was hidden, resting against her knees, but Merlin recognized that hair. Strawberry blonde, short and flirty, he would be able to pick out their woman anywhere.
* * * *
Sloan didn’t know how long she’d sat on the curb and couldn’t make herself care. It was Sunday, and except for walk-in traffic, the street would remain quiet until after church let out. But today there would be no after-church crunch which often lasted through the lunch rush. No more Java Stop. No more job. How the hell was she going to pay her rent and keep her phone turned on now? She needed her paycheck, even if the tips weren’t the best.
“Angel? Are you all right?”
She stiffened as the deep, dark voice wrapped around her, offering comfort even in the horror of seeing her here at her lowest. She didn’t answer. She didn’t lift her head. She couldn’t. She was too embarrassed, too humiliated, too weary from struggling just to survive.
She felt them sit, one on each side of her, then hands turned her body to the right and began to massage her shoulders. Only then did she realize her shoulders had knotted as hard as rocks. She tried to relax as the fingers dug into the muscles, but it was difficult.
“Tough day, huh?” Merlin asked, leaning forward and brushing a kiss on the back of her neck.
“Tough life,” she admitted in a distinctly watery voice as tears continued to fall.
She didn’t fight when a large hand worked its way between arm and cheek to cup her chin. She held firm when Dane tried to lift her chin. She couldn’t face him. Not now. Not when she was losing everything.
“Talk to us,” he ordered in a gentle voice.
“And say what?”
“Tell us how we can help.”
The laughter burst forth before Sloan couldn’t stop it. It was sharp and bitter, much as the remnants of her life that lay shattered at their feet.
“Can you turn the clock back ten years so I can take things seriously in school? Or how about seven years so I can choose to stay in college and get a degree in something that pays real money? Or how about three years so I can change my mind about going out on my own so I could spend more time writing and not so much time working? Or even to last year so I don’t trade in my old car for a newer one that just got stolen with my purse inside? Or just twelve hours so Marcie could make sure to unplug all the electrical equipment last night at closing so the coffee shop doesn’t burn down? Can you do that for me?”
Sloan could feel herself growing hysterical, but couldn’t stop. She couldn’t fight the bitterness and self pity any longer. She couldn’t even stop the tears that ran in a steady stream down both cheeks. This was it. Life had won. The challenge of simple survival had sent her over the edge. Now she would end up in a padded room somewhere. They’d talk about her as the woman who went crazy when life kicked her in the teeth once too often.
“Or maybe you and Merlin can…can…” Sloan broke down, unable to finish a crazy offer to prostitute herself. She couldn’t do that. She loved what they’d shared with each other too much to ruin their relationship by putting herself in the middle.
She tried to push him off when Dane wrapped his arms around her middle. She tried to fight when he pulled her into his lap. She tried to remain strong when he cuddled her into his chest and Merlin moved closer to kiss her hair.
Problem was, she was tired of being strong. Tired of fighting to survive. Tired of scraping by, of struggling to get a little ahead only to be shoved back down again. She was just plain tired.
“Shh, sweet Sloan. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of everything. We’ll take care of you from now on,” Dane whispered softly as he nuzzled her temple.
Merlin murmured his agreement as he rubbed a hand up and down her arm then tangled their fingers together.
Their gentle kindness ripped away the last of Sloan’s defenses. They were saying all the right things, but she could not give in and believe them. No one would step in and take care of another one for no reason, would they?
Sloan lifted her head. “Why?”
“Why what?” Merlin asked, looking at her with the dark chocolate eyes of an angel.
“Why are you here? This isn’t anywhere close to your house. What do you want? I don’t have anything.” She sniffed, trying to keep from crying any more.
If she kept this pity party up, she would make herself sick, and that was the last thing she needed.
“We’re here looking for you, sweet angel. We’ve missed you so much this week, but you didn’t leave us your name or phone number. So this morning we went to see Taurus and Jenna.”
“You spoke to Jenna on a Sunday? And you’re still alive?”
“She wasn’t happy, but we left there unscathed. But she only gave us the name of the coffee shop. Which is why we are here,” Dane continued to rub his cheek against her hair, reminding her of the dog she’d had as a child who loved to rub his face against her hand.
Merlin pushed in to lick a trail up her neck before saying, “I wouldn’t turn the clock back for anything. If you’d changed any of those past decisions, we might never have met and fallen in love with you.”
“That’s right,” Dane agreed. “Just think if we hadn’t met last week… No, I don’t ever want to think about that.” He shuddered and tightened his arms around Sloan, pulling her closer into his broad
