Her stomach dropped to the floor, her intestines twisting into a knot. His words meant he also knew everything about her life—about what had happened last year.
About a time she didn’t want to ever revisit. But knowing that he knew, knowing Dex knew, was almost more than she could bear.
That humiliating time in her life was best left where it belonged. Buried in the past. But how could you hide it from angels? Didn’t they know everything? See everything? Or was that only the person in charge who knew everything? And if Dex had been her guardian for almost a year, had he been sent because of what happened?
Her eyes fell to his broad chest, but Titus tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “George, you’re a true warrior. And if you don’t know that now, you will. I promise you’re right for the job. With pain comes the assurance of understanding. But for the moment, I want you to remember, experience like yours will make a difference in someone’s life. In many someones’ lives. That much I can promise. Can I ask you to trust that? Trust me? Trust that I know what I’m doing because I’ve been doing it for a very long time?”
A hot tear slid along her cheek, one she couldn’t hide. “Okay,” she whispered. “But if I mess up someone’s life, I don’t want it on my angel resume, because I was honest about my qualifications and they weren’t exactly a Heavenly fit.”
Titus chuckled, deep and resonant, using his thumb to wipe her tear and chuck her under her chin. “Noted. So, questions? Thoughts? More misgivings?”
“I have a million questions. I just can’t articulate them right now. They’re all like a big wad of chewed-up gum, stuck to my brain. I want to know everything and nothing. Does that make any sense at all?”
Titus winked. “It makes mad sense, George. And don’t you ever be afraid to ask anything of me. Never.”
Gulping, she nervously wrapped a strand of hair around her index finger. “Dex said I can stay here and be a guardian angel. Is that true?”
Titus winked as he pulled out a silver flask and took a long gulp before he offered some to her.
She shook her head. “No, thank you,” she declined. That’s what had gotten her into this in the first place. And what the what was happening here? A head guardian angel who drank and smoked?
“Tell her it’s true, Titus,” Dex coaxed.
“It is for sures. As long as you handle your assignments—some harder than others, mind you—you can stay here with occasional check-ins upstairs. I’m sure he already told you that you don’t need much shuteye. I mean, you can sleep if you want, but it isn’t necessary. So if keeping your job and handling assignments is the goal, yeppers. You can do that.”
“That’s good…because my job…I…”
He nodded his curly red head, putting his hands behind his back and rocking on his gold sandals. “Love it. Yep. I know. The folks at Mom and Dad’s really love you, too, George. We’d never want to take you away from them if it can be avoided. And before you wonder why anyone would choose to leave Earth if they can stay as a guardian and keep all their earthly possessions, too—because that would mean no one would ever die, right? But the truth is, not everyone can be a guardian. That aside, you’re a special case anyway, George—because technically, you didn’t really die.”
“Right, I get that, but if my wings are detachable, and all I’m going to do is offer my help and advice, why do I have to be an angel at all? Guardian or otherwise?”
His smile was almost secretive. “Because there are things you’re going to be able to do that humans can’t, and they have to be monitored by your upstairs superiors to be sure they’re used appropriately. Things you’ll see soon enough. Things that make you undeniably an angel. Also, we need people like you in our ranks, George. People with life experience.”
Yeah. She had loads of that. Loads of it she’d prefer not to share with the people in the room.
Nibbling at her thumb, George blew out a pent-up breath. “How about the permanent wing thing. How long does it take to get permanent wings?”
Because if her life was any indication of the kind of guidance she’d dole out, she’d be slapping those temp wings on her back for eternity.
Titus smiled easy and relaxed. “It takes as long as it takes, George. There’s no rush. This isn’t a race. You’re afforded every luxury any other angel with perm wings is, with very few exceptions—like the hassle of having to take them on and off when you need to prove to a human you’re an angel or if you need to fly. But that’s it. And the day you do get your perms? Oh, George, it’s magic.” he said with a soft laugh of wonder. “You can’t even believe how magical. For right now, you should just focus on the assignment. Believe me, you’ll know when you get your perms. Ask Dex. He can—” Titus quite suddenly stopped, likely realizing his mistake.
Now she stared at both of them, leaning her hip against the sofa. “I thought Dexter only had temporary wings. You’ve had permanent wings before, Dex? I don’t understand…”
Dexter and Titus both looked at each other before Dex said from a tight jaw, “It’s a story best left for later. I did once have permanent wings, and how I lost them is very personal.”
For the first time since this whole thing had gone down, George heard a bit of anger in his tone. Instantly, she reached a hand out to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude—”
“It’s not an intrusion,” Titus insisted, his eyes bright and cheerful. “It’s a valid question your team leader Dexter should and will explain.
