Page 2 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
He jumped.
Chapter Two
Lord, the water was cold. The shock hit him and brought him out of the funk he’d wallowed in recently. It wasn’t only himself he had to save but the poor, old man begging for his life.
By the time he’d hauled them both to the side of the river and up on the bank, he was wasted… done. Surprisingly, his new friend took over and forced him awake and to keep moving, hounding him not to curl up.
“Noel don’t go to sleep. The snow is falling, and it will freeze us into two popsicles if we don’t get up, man.” He jiggled Noel’s arm and shook him so hard, he got his attention. “Come on, now. Let’s go to your car and get warm. These old bones can’t take this chill any longer.”
Feeling sorry for the old guy’s blue lips, his trembling torso and the barely perceptible words, Noel forced himself to his feet. Struggling ferociously, he maneuvered them both, pushing and pulling on the senior’s body, feeling sympathy when he heard the groans.
They finally reached the car, and he thanked God for having a smart system where as long as he had the key on his person, the door would unlock. With his fingers stiffened up from the cold, the two of them would probably have died trying to open the door.
Once he helped his new friend inside, he stumbled around to get behind the wheel where all it took was his foot on the brake and a button to push. Heat instantly swirled around them, the fans strangely on high.
“I’m glad you were there tonight, my friend.”
“Why in the world would you jump into a freezing river? Darn lucky you were close to the edge and your old heart didn’t stop.”
“I jumped in to save you, Noel.”
“How could you save me by trying to commit suicide yourself? And another thing, Bub, how do you know my name?”
“Oh, I’m not Bub. My name is Clarence. I’m your guardian angel. And I knew you were on that bridge tonight because your life is in shambles right now. And I might add, none of it’s your fault.”
“Well thank you for having faith in me, but I don’t know you, Clarence. Fact is, I’ve never met you before in my life.”
“And yet you jumped into the icy river to save me.”
“Did a damn good job of it too if I may say so myself.” Noel looked skyward to excuse his language. “Sorry.” And then he realized what he’d just done and shook off the silliness. “No, I’m not sorry. Look here, old man. You can’t go around spooking people this way. You’re right about one thing. On that bridge, I’d hit bottom, I was in bad shape, and I asked for help.” He threw up his hands. “And look what I got. A suicidal old goat who thinks he’s an angel. I should have known better.”
“No, no, you don’t understand. I jumped in the water so you wouldn’t die. I jumped in so you’d save me.”
“How did you know I’d do such a wacky thing?”
“Because I’m your guardian—”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Well if you’re my angel, how come you let the people I love die?”
“Oh, I can’t change the inevitable. Don’t you see? But now you’re still alive and you can make a difference in the world. If you were to die now, many people would suffer for not having you there to help them.”
Noel’s previous pain returned, and it overwhelmed him to the point where he lost his patience. Agony burned in his chest and stomach so much that he felt like bending in half and screaming. Testy, he growled out his reply, “What’re you jabbering on about now, old duffer?”
“The name’s Clarence.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Clarence. You’re talking foolishness. What can I do to save all these souls that you can’t do yourself? You’re not making any sense.”
“Well, for one thing, you have a lot of money.”
“Well, let me tell you something you should have learned in angel training, Clarence. Money doesn’t buy you happiness, sometimes just the opposite. Just ask the people who are rich and yet destructive and mean.”
“If used the wrong way, I agree. The magic is finding the right way to use all that money. There’re so many in need of help right now. If you can find a way to make a change in their lives, you’ll find happiness again.”
“How am I supposed to find any happiness when it’s my fault my family is dead?”
Clarence swiveled to face Noel. “What’s this nonsense? You can’t take on that burden.”
“Not so. Harry, my brother, hated driving in bad weather conditions. I was the one who was supposed to drive to the resort. If I had, they’d still be alive. Instead, I selfishly stayed home and sent them to their graves.”
