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  “We were talking about your father,” Julia said, shifting her gaze back to the portrait. “And how the handsome-devil gene seems to have been passed down.”

  “Lucky for me, then, if that’s how I landed you.”

  “Really, Alex,” Mrs. Williams scoffed. “Landed? She’s not a fish.”

  A smile played on Julia’s lips as she watched the exchange. Though she enjoyed their banter, she felt a pang of jealousy. Even when her adoptive family was alive, they never got along that way. In fact, the only thing she had heard about them in the last ten years was that they had died in a house fire six years ago.

  Thinking about their deaths and about her introduction to Gabriel the night before caused the words to spill out before she could stop them.

  “How did he pass?” Julia asked quietly. Seeing the surprise mixed with old hurt in Mrs. Williams’s eyes, she quickly added, “If you don’t mind my asking.”

  Mrs. Williams sat back in her chair, her shoulders squared and her head high. Julia admired the strength and composure the woman always displayed. She folded her hands on the table in front of her and opened her mouth to answer when the serving woman, Sophia, interrupted them.

  She set a large silver tray on the table, then lifted the cover to reveal a steaming roast duck. Keeping her eyes lowered, she delivered the rest of the food in silence. A wild rice dish was so aromatic Julia’s mouth started watering the moment the lid was lifted. Several vegetable dishes and a steaming pan of au gratin potatoes were placed on the table before the serving woman, her dark, shiny hair in a tight bun at the back of her head, retreated to the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Julia said.

  “Not at all, dear,” Mrs. Williams said, looking back at the portrait with obvious adoration. “We lost him overseas. He had gone to London on business and died of a heart attack while driving. I’m surprised Alex hasn’t told you. After all, you’ve really known each other since middle school.”

  Julia was beginning to think her cheeks were meant to stay rosy for the entire visit. She hoped Mrs. Williams didn’t take that as a sign that she and Alex didn’t talk about important things.

  “We did go to the same middle school,” Julia said, hoping she didn’t sound as defensive as she felt, “but Alex was two years ahead of me and we never met.”

  “Oh, I know, dear. The same happened to you in college, and…”

  “Mother,” Alex cut in, a pleading look in his eyes.

  “It’s okay, Alex,” Julia said, placing her hand over his. She met his mother’s gaze. “I didn’t want to pry, and Alex tries not to talk about family with me. My family life was…less than perfect.”

  Mrs. Williams nodded. “I suspected as much. You’ve never mentioned your parents. It’s unusual.”

  The food remained untouched in the middle of the table as they spoke, until finally Alex leaned forward, snatching a serving spoon out of the potatoes. “Let’s eat.”

  Small talk continued as they ate, and the tension eventually lifted. That is, until Mrs. Williams asked Julia what her parents did for a living.

  “They had some property in Texas,” Julia answered. “Though we lived outside of Baltimore for most of my life. She was a stay-at-home mom. I don’t really know what he did. He traveled a lot. I left home when I was fairly young, so I didn’t really get the chance to find out.”

  Watching Mrs. Williams nod, Julia suspected that she was not hearing anything she did not already know. Alex shot his mother a look that Julia was sure she was not supposed to see. A look that asked for silence. A look that Mrs. Williams pointedly ignored.

  “And your biological parents?” she asked. “Do you know anything about them?”

  Julia almost choked on her food. It had never been an easy question when she wasn’t aware of the truth. Now it was impossible. Somehow, “My mother is a raving lunatic, and my father is the Archangel Gabriel. Please pass the potatoes,” just didn’t seem to fly.

  “I really don’t know,” she replied without lifting her gaze from her plate. “This duck is fabulous, Mrs. Williams.” It was easy to distract Mrs. Williams with compliments, a tactic Julia noticed everyone around her used often to escape her relentless interrogations.

  “Why, thank you. The recipe has been in the family for many years.”

  Alex cleared his throat and took a long drink of wine. He looked almost as uncomfortable as Julia felt.

  “I don’t mean to overstep, dear,” Mrs. Williams began. Her eyes were on Julia, but Julia was certain her words were for Alex. “I just want to know more about you, since my Alex enjoys your company so.”

  “You didn’t overstep, Mrs. Williams,” Julia said. “I just don’t know much about them. I don’t mean to be awkward.”

  “Have you ever thought of tracking them down?” Mrs. Williams asked, smiling sweetly. “If I had eyes like yours, dear, I would want to know where they came from, that’s all. Eyes of an angel, truly.”

  Julia’s stomach turned somersaults. She needed to get out of there. Mrs. Williams was striking too many nerves and Julia didn’t have the capacity to deflect her.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Williams,” she said. She looked at her watch with feigned worry. “Oh my goodness, look at the time! I completely forgot I have to pick up my friend’s dog from the kennel for her. I hope you can forgive my rudeness, but I really must go. I promised Sheila I would look after Mitsy for her tonight.”

  She pushed her chair back from the table, lifted the napkin from her lap, and set it on the table next to her plate. “I will be sure to stay longer next time, and you simply must share that fantastic duck recipe with me.”

  In true Southern hostess style, Mrs. Williams rose to see her guest to the door. Though the look in her eyes spoke to her confusion, she maintained her smile.

  “Oh, not at all, don’t you trouble yourself, Julia. Why, I would be delighted to share that with you, the recipe has been in my family for generations!” She added in a whisper, “It’s one of Alex’s favorites, you know,” with a twinkle of shared mischief. She touched Julia’s arm lightly, marking her as co-conspirator. It was all Julia could do to keep from rolling her eyes.

  Alex came to the door to see her off. He searched her eyes, and Julia could tell he knew she didn’t have to pick up Sheila’s dog. Mitsy had died two years earlier. With a look she hoped begged forgiveness, yet exuded appreciation for keeping her secret, she leaned forward and gave Alex a respectable kiss on each cheek.

  “I’m so sorry to interrupt your dinner this way. I’ll call you later.”

  Somehow she managed not to run down the long walkway and jump into her car, tires squealing as she peeled away.

  Gabriel’s answers to the questions she hadn’t voiced were ringing through her head, and she tried to align them with questions she knew were hers. She drove down the highway back toward the city, barely paying attention to what was going on around her.

  She thought about all the times in her life she had wished for her father to be there—birthdays, graduations. She spurned even the thought of getting married because she knew she wouldn’t have anyone to walk her down the aisle.

  Now she had finally found out who her father was, and it did not change anything. It made things worse. Julia seethed.

  Why couldn’t he have just stayed away?

  “It pains me.”

  Michael raised an eyebrow, studying Gabriel more closely. “What pains you?”

  “Her sense of abandonment. Above all else, that is at the core of her. She feels…” Gabriel searched for the right word.

  “Disposable,” Michael offered.

  Gabriel nodded gravely. “Disposable. A hard existence. Necessary, but hard. She’s so clouded.” He sighed.

  “She will come to know her worth soon,” Michael said.

  They looked through the clouds at their feet, watching Julia as she continued her long drive down the highway. Wisps of her rich, chestnut hair framed her face. Her high cheekbones emphasized
her steely blue eyes with their unique brown flecks, compounding her beauty. The tears streaking down her cheeks only heightened the effect.

  “She doesn’t see the impact she has on those around her, and that has worked quite well for us thus far,” Michael said. “If she knew how physically pleasing she is, it would consume her. If she knew how much difference she makes in the world with her spirit, it would devour her, and we would lose her to humanity. The same way we have lost so many others.”

  Gabriel nodded, reflecting. “Diana.”

  “Yes,” Michael agreed. “Though she was assassinated, it was clear we lost her to societal woes long before it happened. It confounds me at times, why they would choose to remain on Earth.”

  “Heroes,” said Gabriel. “The Earth needs heroes as part of the balance. They recognize that and choose to stay.”

  “Their heroes always become their biggest targets. The struggle for balance continues to intensify,” Michael added.

  They were both silent for a moment. Diana had been Gabriel’s favorite. Her termination had sent him into a rage the angels would be talking about for centuries. In fact, the Earth’s weather patterns still held telling signs of his outburst.

  When William Congrave coined the phrase about Hell’s fury and a woman scorned, he certainly had not witnessed Gabriel’s wrath, Michael thought.

  VI

  JULIA’S tires chirped as she refocused on the road, cutting her steering wheel sharply to the right to get back into her lane. Her cell phone was ringing, causing her to regain her focus, and she narrowly avoided swerving into oncoming traffic. She laughed nervously and said to the sky, “I guess it’s not always you guys who keep me from dying.”

  A chill ran through her as she heard her own words, and the meaning of them seeped into her marrow. She glanced at the phone, knowing it would be Alex wondering why she had bailed. She pressed the button on the steering wheel to engage the voice command function on her cell phone. “Answer.”

  Her cell phone connected and Alex’s voice boomed through the speaker, making her jump in her seat. She reached forward and lowered the volume a bit.

  “Is everything all right, Julia? You really have me worried tonight. You were so distracted when you got here already, but when Mother asked you about your birth parents, you turned white as a ghost! I actually thought you were going to be ill!”

  “I’m fine, honestly. I wasn’t feeling well and when she mentioned them I started to think about my childhood on the ranch and it put me off.” The part about thinking about her childhood was the truth, at least. “I didn’t want to upset anyone, so I excused myself. It’s just a bit of an upset stomach, really. No need to worry. I’ll make it up to you next time, okay?”

  “I asked her not to interrogate you about your family again, Julia. I really am sorry; I didn’t think it still bothered you so much to talk about them.” Alex sighed heavily, a loud, crackling sound through her speaker.

  Her car ran so quietly that even when someone on the phone was whispering, it sounded like they were right in her ear. She leaned forward and turned the volume down again. “Normally it doesn’t. Please don’t make a big deal out of this. I really am fine.”

  “Sweetheart, I’m just worried about you. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He lowered his voice. “I almost choked on my supper when you said you had to pick Mitsy up.”

  A small amount of Julia’s tension lifted with a laugh. “I’m sorry, Alex. I promise I’m not out robbing doggy graveyards. I just need to go home and lie down for a while. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

  “All right. Drive carefully. I love you.” He hung up the phone, and the car was once again filled with eerie silence. She rolled the window down a touch, so she could hear some outside noise. She was not in the mood for music, but she didn’t want creepy silence, either.

  Dogs, she thought, what was it he said about the dog?

  Julia thought back to the story her adoptive mother had told her about her first pet. It was always told the same way, starting out with the acknowledgement that Julia’s birth mother was crazy. Julia had heard the story more times than she could count.

  When Julia was three months old, her birth mother had been locked away in an asylum. Julia was to be cared for by a large, state-run orphanage. When Bill Samson heard where his sister’s baby girl had been placed, he and his wife Natalie made the long drive out to see her. From the moment they saw Julia in her little crib, they knew they had to have her. For the Samsons, the timing couldn’t have been better. They had a boy—a real son—and wanted a baby sister for him but were no longer able to conceive. They knew very well a pretty little baby in perfect health wasn’t going to last long in the orphanage.

  Bill and Natalie Samson were quite wealthy and lived on a cattle ranch south of Dallas. They did not want the court battle that would have been necessary to have the adoption go through the process properly. They found a judge who wasn’t averse to lining his pockets to push things through faster. Ten thousand dollars and less than a week later, the Samsons drove down the long, dusty road to their ranch with their new baby girl in her new mother’s lap. After spending the entire day and most of the evening retrieving the baby, nobody had the energy for conversation.

  Bill slammed on the brakes of his Cadillac and cursed, then guided the car over to the side of the road, threw it into park, and jumped out of the car.

  “Bill, what happened?” Natalie exclaimed, clutching the baby to her chest.

  Bill ignored his wife and ran around to the front of the long sedan, where the puppy he had almost run over lay whimpering. It was shaking, eyes rolling wildly, and it was holding one furry little paw in the air. The pup let Bill take her paw in hand, and her tail started to thump into the dirt of the road, causing small plumes of dust to rise. It was of no particular breed that he could be sure of; it had the general body and facial shape of a small German shepherd, but with longer, shaggy brown hair.

  Bill chuckled softly, picking the puppy up and looking it over more carefully. It was only a few months old.

  Natalie could now see the dog for the first time in the light of the headlights. She gasped. “Is it hurt? Did you run it over? It looks so scared and hungry!”

  Bill came back around to the driver’s side, opened the back door, and gently put the dog inside. “It’s a she, Nat, and I think she just twisted her paw trying to get out of the way. Nothing seems really hurt. She does seem to be lost, though, so I think we should take her home and see if we can’t figure out where she belongs.”

  While the Samsons were talking, the puppy and the baby stared at each other. The baby reached one hand toward the puppy, who returned the interest with a bob of her head and a wagging of her tail. When Natalie noticed the interaction, she looked at Bill and said, “I think maybe we just got ourselves two babies!”

  “You may be right about that,” he said, laughing. He shifted the car into gear and continued on the way home. “What are we going to call her?”

  “Let’s wait and see if we can find her owners first.”

  The Samson family made their way home, where Julia’s new older brother, Jamie, waited with a babysitter. Jamie was two years older than she, and fascinated by both her and the puppy.

  The Samsons were not able to find the puppy’s owner, so she became part of the family. She stayed close to the children at all times, and was very quiet and well behaved. Nine months had passed and they still hadn’t thought of a suitable name for her, and referred to her simply as “the puppy.”

  One particular visitor at the door changed all that.

  It was a warm day in mid-October when the puppy barked for the first time since they had found her. Natalie had the doors and windows open, airing the place out. When the puppy sounded off, Natalie jumped to her feet and rushed to the window.

  In the distance, she could see two dark sedans speeding toward the main house, their tires kicking up long trails of dust that seemed to hang in the air. The puppy�
��s bark took on a note of urgency. Natalie didn’t recognize the vehicles at all, and she scrambled to lock the front door and windows, then hurried to the back.

  Just as she threw the last bolt lock, securing the back door, there was a sharp rap on the front door. The puppy’s hackles stood up on the back of her neck and she growled deeply. If Natalie hadn’t been standing right there, she would have thought it was a wolf growling. She opened her mouth to ask who was at the door, and the dog barked so loudly it drowned her out.

  “Natalie? Open the door, Natalie, it’s me, Lori.” The muffled voice of Natalie’s mother-in-law came through the door, barely audible over the barking. “Open the door, sweetheart. I just came to see the baby.” Something about the tone of Lori’s words made Natalie’s skin crawl. If she had had hackles, they would be rising, too.

  The dog barked even louder. From where Natalie stood, she could see Lori through a crack in the curtains, standing on the front porch, making every effort to sound casual and friendly, but looking very impatient, and even angry. There were two hulking men just behind her on each side, muscles bulging out of their tight, black T-shirts. They looked like they were trying to stay out of sight of the peephole.

  Natalie had no idea why Lori would show up unannounced, nor why she would feel the need to bring bodyguards, and by the look of them all, she wasn’t about to ask. Her mind raced. She quickly convinced herself that they were there to take Julia back to her birth mother. No way was Natalie about to let that happen.

  “It’s not a good time, Lori. I’m sorry; you’ll have to come back when Bill is home.” Natalie had to shout to be heard over the dog. With a bark like that, it no longer seemed proper to call her a puppy. It almost seemed as though she had saved up all of her barks just for that day.

  It occurred to Natalie that there might have been more men, so she ran to the back of the house to peek out the curtains. As she thought, there were an additional two large, muscular men, one trying to pick the lock on the door, the other trying to pry open the windows.