Angel Unaware (13 page)

“Dora, I think Uncle Tony forgot me. Can you come pick me up at school?” Penny’s voice shook.

She had to be terrified. What had she thought when no one came for her? How long had she stood in the cold waiting for someone who never showed up?

Dora’s stomach tightened into a knot. She listened absently while the machine announced that the message had ended, then gave the instruction to delete it.

If only she’d been here and not at Millie’s, she would have gotten Penny’s message. If only—

Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Now, do you see why I cautioned you not to become emotionally involved with the mortals? You can’t afford this kind of distraction
.

Great! What a time for him to show up. On top of everything else, this was just what she needed. Calvin and his sanctimonious, I-told-you-so attitude.

“You might show some concern for the missing child, Calvin,” she said to the empty room.

Oh, I am, which is why I’m reminding you of your mission. Had you not been next door chatting about love with Millie, you could have prevented this entire problem
.

Dora swallowed repeatedly, trying to rid her throat of the lump of guilt Calvin’s words had produced. As much as she hated to admit it, Calvin was right. She should have been here instead of next door baring her soul to Millie. This time her screw-up had nearly been more disastrous than any that had come before it.

Jack rolled onto his back and cast a sidelong glance at her, as though reprimanding her for disturbing his sleep.

“In my defense, Tony was supposed to be there to pick her up today. And speaking of being there … exactly what was Penny’s Guardian Angel doing while this was all going on?”

Unlike you, he was doing his job by watching over Penny so that nothing more terrible happened to her
.

Dora sat up straighter. “Does that mean she’s all right?” Silence. Sometimes Calvin could be the most infuriating, the most—

A car door slammed outside.

Dora jumped off the couch and rushed into the hall in time to catch Penny as she hurtled through the door and launched herself into Dora’s arms. Tony followed her, but stopped just inside the front door. Dora glanced up at him from where she knelt with Penny enfolded in her embrace, the child’s face buried against her shoulder. He stared at them for a long moment, then, turning on his heel, he left the house without a word.

Dora glared at the closed door, then led Penny into the living room and held her on her lap while she cried her heart out. The least he could have done was stick around to reassure his niece that everything was all right, and she was safe.

A long time later, when Penny’s sobs had subsided into a few intermittent hiccups, Dora repositioned her in the crook of her arm and settled back on the sofa.

She raised her tear-streaked face to Dora. “Uncle Tony’s very mad at me, isn’t he?”

Dora plucked a tissue from the box on the side table and wiped the moisture from Penny’s cheeks. “No, angel. He’s mad at himself because he forgot.”

“But why did he forget me, Dora?” A lock of coppery hair fell across her face.

Smoothing the hair back behind her ear, Dora kissed the little girl’s forehead. “One of the men who works for your uncle got hurt, and he had to take him to the hospital. I guess in all the excitement, he forgot that he had a meeting with your teacher today.” She held Penny away from her and looked her in the eye. “You know he would never do that on purpose, don’t you, Penny?”

Penny shrugged. “I guess.” Both her tone of voice and her posture said she didn’t believe it at all.

“Well, he wouldn’t. I promise.” She stood Penny on her feet. “Now, let’s go have a snack.” Penny opened her mouth, to remind her Tony didn’t approve of snacks, Dora assumed, but she stopped her. “I think since this is a sort-of special exception that Uncle Tony won’t mind.” She led Penny into the kitchen. On the way, Dora became aware of how she had adopted Millie’s belief that food could cure anything. In the kitchen, she poured a glass of milk for each of them and got out some of Millie’s Christmas cookies. They had just really gotten into seeing who could dunk their cookie for the longest without losing it in the glass of milk when the front door opened. Penny glanced apprehensively at Dora. The little girl laid her cookie on the plate and stared at her lap. Dora patted her hand and turned toward the door. Seconds later, Tony came in. He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and surveyed the scene before him.

He smiled. “Is there enough for me?” Penny’s head shot up and a half smile curved her lips.

“Sure.” Surprised by his request and that he hadn’t gotten upset about their snack, Dora jumped up and got him a glass of milk.

He took a seat next to Penny and smiled at her. “I have a present for you.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small, rectangular pink object. Flipping it open, he held it out for Penny to see.

She studied it for a moment. “What is it?”

“It’s a cell phone, but not just any cell phone. This one is just for kids. See these?” He pointed at the four buttons on the phone’s face. “The one with the picture of the lady is our home number, and the man is my number at work. This one with the red light bulb is to call the police, and this one with the house on it is for Millie. If you push the one in the middle with the picture of the book on it, you’ll find my cell phone number and Dora’s. That’s in case we’re not at the other two numbers.” He handed it to her and watched as she fingered the buttons. “Keep this with you all the time, and if you ever need any of us, all you have to do is push the right button and no matter where we are, either Millie or Dora or I will answer.”

“But I don’t have a cell phone,” Dora said, pleased with the return of the smile to Penny’s face.

He reached in his other pocket, pulled out a silver rectangle, and flipped it open to reveal another cell phone. “You do now.” He handed the phone to Dora. “I already programmed all the numbers you’ll need into your phone and Penny’s. I don’t ever want Penny not to be able to get in touch with someone when she needs us.”

“It’s a very thoughtful gift, Tony. Isn’t it, Penny?” Penny nodded, still captivated with her cell phone.

Dora smiled, but in her heart she was wondering how much more good it would have done Penny for him to hug her and reassure her from his heart that she was loved. Still, it was a step forward, but Dora didn’t have much time left before Christmas Eve, and she wondered how many more steps it would take to get through to him.

She was most certainly going to need the Heavenly Council to extend her time here. Calvin would not be happy about it.

CHAPTER 9

That night Dora waited until everyone in the house was asleep, then hurried to her room and removed the sheet from the mirror. Used to her reflection appearing as an angel, she gave it scant attention. Instead, she called out for Calvin.

“Calvin?” No answer.

“Calvin!” This time her voice echoed around the room like a clap of thunder.

Still no answer.

“Ca—” A ball of light shimmered into shape, cutting Dora’s next bellow short.

But the shape that appeared was not Calvin. Gracie stood before her.

“Where’s Calvin?”

Gracie shrugged, making her wings bob up and down.

“No one’s seen him for a day or two.” She laid aside a star she’d been polishing and smiled at Dora. “What’s up? Can I help?”

For a moment, Dora nearly said no, then she remembered something. Everyone knew the Heavenly Council liked Gracie. When Michael had tripped over a storm cloud and came precariously close to falling into the middle of New York’s rush hour traffic, he’d lost his halo. While a group of stunned angels had stood by and watched it spiral into Central Park’s lake, Gracie had taken action and retrieved it for him, earning her a special place in the heart of the Archangel. And everyone also knew that Michael’s voice held a great deal of sway among the Heavenly Council.

Calvin, on the other hand, held the Council in such awe that he probably would refuse to go before them for her for fear they would lower some terrible retribution on his head.

Taking that into consideration, Dora decided she might be better off having Gracie ask for her time extension.

“Gracie, will you talk to Michael for me?”

The petite angel considered the request for a moment. “What do you want?”

“I need an extension for my time on Earth.” She could almost see the refusal hovering on Gracie’s lips. Before her friend had a chance to say no, Dora added, “Tony is being very difficult. I can’t seem to get through to him, and my time is running out. I need an extension.”

For a moment Gracie merely stared at Dora. “Such a request will need more than just Michael’s approval. You’ll need the unanimous agreement of the entire Council.”

“But Michael can persuade them. Please, Gracie.” Gracie finished polishing the star, then spun it off into the sky like a Frisbee. “Is it really concern for your lack of progress or because you don’t want to leave him?” Words failed Dora. Gracie had read her underlying reason for wanting more time. Deep down she knew she wasn’t making any headway with Tony, or minimal at best. However, if she wanted to be honest with herself, spending Christmas morning with him and Penny had begun to take up a lot of her dream time. The line between what was most urgent for her had begun to blur. “That doesn’t matter, Gracie. Tony doesn’t even know I’m alive.”

“Oh, he knows you’re alive. Melanie, the Angel of Relationships, told me so. She’s heard him thinking about you … a lot.”

Dora brightened, then fear seeped under her happiness knowing Tony had been thinking about her. “But he can’t. I can’t. I mean, Calvin made me promise I wouldn’t. No. That can’t happen.” Her fear grew. “If Calvin finds out, he’ll bring me back.” She couldn’t go back. Not now. Not when she hadn’t proven herself. Not when she wanted so desperately to spend more time with Penny … and Tony.

Gracie frowned. “Calvin made you promise you wouldn’t do what?”

“Never mind. He just can’t know about what Melanie told you. Promise me, Gracie.”

“Easy does it.” Gracie laid a hand on the shoulder of Dora’s reflection. “Calvin is not going to find out. Melanie promised she’d say nothing to anyone about it.” Dora breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Melanie and Gracie would keep their word. “So will you speak to the Heavenly Council for me?”

Her friend considered the request for a moment, then nodded. “Wait here.” Gracie shimmered out of sight.

For what seemed like hours, Dora paced the floor in front of the mirror. Every few seconds, she glanced at the mirror, but only her reflection met her troubled gaze. Then a tiny pinpoint of white light appeared over her reflection’s shoulder. Dora held her breath as it grew larger and larger, finally taking the form of Gracie. And Gracie didn’t look happy.

“They said no, Dora. I’m sorry.” “But did they give you a reason?”

Gracie shook her head. “They’re the Heavenly Council. They don’t need a good reason, and even if they did have one, chances are they wouldn’t tell me or you.”

Dora nodded. “Thanks, Gracie.” Without waiting for Gracie to shimmer out, Dora covered the mirror. She didn’t want her friend to see her tears.

Feeling terrible for Dora, Gracie stared at the back side of the sheet. “This was not the way things were supposed to go. I’m going to have to look into this and speak to Raphael about arranging to give Mr. Falcone a gentle nudge.”

She glanced around her. “As for Calvin, if he doesn’t show up soon, he’s going to be in major trouble with the Council. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they sentenced him to counting raindrops during hurricane season.”

In the construction office the next afternoon, while Tony worked on a bid for a low-income apartment building to be built downtown, his cell phone rang. Absently, he picked it up and flipped it open. As he did, he glanced at the caller ID.
Penny
? His heart stopped.

“Penny? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I—” Hesitation filled the silence. “I just wanted to make sure you’re there.”

For a moment, he considered reprimanding her for using the emergency number for nothing. But a painful twinge in his heart intervened. She just needed the reassurance of knowing he’d keep his word, that he would be there if she needed him. After yesterday, who could blame her?

“Yes, I’m here.” “Good. Bye.”

“Bye.” He closed the phone and laid it on the desk beside him. He stared at it. The guilt of having forgotten her yesterday came back full force. Understanding how he could have done that still remained a mystery to him. But he’d make damned sure it didn’t happen again.

That morning Penny had reverted to the quiet child she’d been before Dora came, and Dora hadn’t even been speaking to him when he left. The worst part was, he couldn’t blame either of them. He knew he wasn’t the best when it came to raising kids, but this went far beyond any of his other shortcomings. This was his niece, his flesh and blood, his responsibility. You didn’t just forget those things. No matter what else was going on in your life, you didn’t forget the people you loved.