Page 17 of When the Angel Falls First

His entire body seemed to tense, as if he was listening to something I couldn’t hear. His smile faded, replaced by a look of concentration that hinted at something urgent, something important.

“What is it?” I wanted to know, but I also didn’t. I could already tell this meant our moment was ending before it really began.

He blinked back into focus, turning toward me again. His face was alight with an excitement I hadn’t seen before. “Josie,” he breathed out. “One of my matches… they’re so close. And they are a hard one. I hate to go, but?—”

“Of course,” I said, against my desire to demand he stay right where he was. “It’s okay.”

With that, he was already moving, heading toward the door. But just as he reached it, he turned back. In two quick strides, he was in front of me. Before I could react, he leaned in, pressing a quick, tender kiss to my cheek. It was over before it registered in my brain that it was happening, leaving a trail of warmth that spread down to parts of me I’d forgotten existed.

“See you soon, Josie,” he called over his shoulder, his voice full of promises. I touched my cheek where his lips had been, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched him disappear into the Seattle afternoon.

But those promises? He’d made many of them, and they didn’t fade so easily.

EIGHT

Caleb

After a frustrating afternoonof trying unsuccessfully to pair the most stubborn of my matches, the next day dawned to find me at Alki Beach. I was following Marigold, the female half of said match. She and Axel were ordained by the heavens, and yet I’d tried and failed to get them together no fewer than a dozen times. Having him accidentally deliver her flowers. Causing a minor fender bender between them. Having them run into each other at a nature conservation conference… I’d tried it all.

And each time, they reacted with more firecrackers and napalm than sparks of joy.

So, here I was, dreaming of Josie while tramping through wet, sticky sand. I didn’t see the appeal of the beach now that I no longer had wings, but it wasn’t optional. If I couldn’t get this couple matched, and soon, they might miss their chance at forever, andthatwas irreparable. The dominoes that would fall the wrong way were irreversible, and they impacted untold generations.

It was not a screwup the Host would overlook, especiallynot for me. After all, I was the angel whose own transgression was unforgivable. The one where I had fallen myself—right into Josie’s arms.

That was specifically why I was sent back, to put these couples back on the right track, prove my worth, and save love-meant-to-be from going down the drain.

Axel and Marigold were not making it easy.

Marigold was blithely unaware of my struggle to give her the gift of true love, contentedly following her daily routine of picking up trash from the beach as she walked. They were both very dedicated to the environment, and I knew I needed to use that, but I’d tried and failed with that tactic already.

No, what I needed was something new, something fresh. Something like Josie’s perfect insight with the books yesterday. Damn, she was stunning. And she didn’t even seem to realize it. Probably because her family didn’t appreciate her, which pissed me off. But at least that was something I could help her with, and the thought excited me.

Not as much as the excuse to get and stay close to her again, but it was hard to match that level of need. Josie called to me. Every second I spent in her presence lit a fire inside me that drove me to touch her, claim her. Bind her to my light. But the claiming required a Chosen, not to mention wings, and mine were gone.

I still felt them, sometimes, ghostly beats against my back, the ruffle of wind that wasn’t there in my hair. It was a constant reminder of my failings, and the sting brought me back to the here and now.

The couple.

Could I send Marigold and Axel to the Bookish Cat, or would they somehow object to the use of so much paper?

It was an endless back and forth. Maybe I’d just go backand ask Josie what she thought. I’d need to bone up on what her family was up to lately as Victory had suggested, and Josie could help me with the perfect fix-up for a pair of Earth-conscious lovers.

It definitely wasn’t just so I could get another whiff of her shampoo. She hadn’t changed it, all these years later. And the scent brought back memories. Memories of us tangled up together in her sheets the first time. Memories of kissing her forehead before I walked away, sucking in a lungful of that uniquelyherscent as if I could memorize it.

Watching Marigold pick up trash certainly wasn’t sparking anything for me, except for the fact that she was lonely and could pick up twice as much with Axel by her side.

I tried not to let the comparison sink too close to home, but it was hard not to think about how much happier I had been once with Josie at my side. I left the beach, no more able to shake the regret from my heart than I could all the sand from my shoes.

The Bookish Catwas already growing familiar, and the happy jingle of a bell overhead made me smile as I scanned the cozy scene for Josie. She wasn’t at the checkout counter, though the glass surface glistened, free of fingerprints. Her pride in the shop was palpable, folded into every nook and cranny.

But where was she? I let my senses unfurl and located her tucked together with Barb in the back right corner. A purr reverberated up my leg, and I looked down to find a fluffyCalico cat circling my left ankle. I let my power brush up against it gently and discovered she was a girl.

“Well, hello there. You’re friendly. Can I give you a scratch?” I murmured, and offered her my fingertips to sniff.

Some animals didn’t like supernaturals—wolf shifters particularly got a bad rap with the animal kingdom—but this little feline was as bold as brass. The purring intensified, and she rubbed her face against my hand, scent-marking me.

“You little hussy!” Barb’s voice made me jump, startling the little cat into hissing. “That’s Josie’s man—you can’t steal him after she gave you a roof over your head.” The cat looked up at me as if to confirm this, so I shrugged. She strutted away, tail flicking her annoyance overhead as she left. Barb tutted and left me standing there like an idiot as she went into the back room.

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