He's No Angel (Heaven Can Wait Book 1) (18 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Liam continued his desperate, useless CPR, knowing it was hopeless but unable to stop. He silently counted off the compressions as the wail of sirens sounded in the distance.  He checked her pulse again. Nothing. He began another round of compressions.

“Come on, Emma,” he pleaded. “Breathe for me. Come on.” God, this could not be. This just
could not be
. She’d been laughing, smiling at him only moments ago. They had their entire lives ahead of them.

Except they didn’t. One single instant had snatched it all away.

“Breathe, Emma,” he shouted. “Damn it,
breathe
.” The word ripped from his throat, a feral, desperate cry of terror and despair.

Suddenly the air around them seemed to shimmer. Like the heat waves that rose from the pavement on a steaming hot day. Never pausing in his ministrations, Liam glanced up. Must be some sort of illusion. He shook his head to clear his vision, but instead of disappearing, the shimmers grew more pronounced. And in the next instant he heard a gasping breath.

His hands on Emma’s chest stilled and his gaze shot back to her. And he stared. At the utterly beautiful and utterly impossible sight of Emma blinking up at him. “Liam,” she whispered.

“Emma.” Her name rushed passed his lips, a fervent prayer of shock, disbelief and heart stopping relief. He pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse throbbed, steady and strong.

She turned her head slightly and winced. “Don’t move,” he said quickly. He heard the rescue vehicles approaching, but Liam couldn’t tear his gaze away the miracle of her clear-eyed gaze staring up at him.

“Wh… what happened?” she asked.

“An accident.”

Concern filled her eyes and she scanned his face. “An accident? Are you okay?”

A half laugh, half sob escaped him. Okay? Not even close. But he was a hell of a lot better than he’d been half a minute ago. “I’m fine.”

Car doors slammed and orders were called out. Liam looked up and saw Andy West, the paramedic who’d come on shift as Liam’s had ended, running toward them with his medical gear, wheeling a stretcher beside him. A second ambulance pulled up. Paramedic Linda Dawson exited the vehicle and headed swiftly toward the SUV.

When Andy knelt next to Liam, his eyes widened. “Jesus, it’s Emma,” Andy said, opening his bag. “What’ve we got?”

“SUV hit her.” Emma bouncing off the windshield then hitting the pavement replayed in Liam’s mind and a shudder ran through him. “She was unresponsive. No pulse or respiration. I stabilized her neck and began compressions. She came around about a minute ago.”

“Unresponsive?” Emma murmured. “I was unconscious?”

You were dead
. “Yes,” said Liam.

“Okay. Let me take a look.” Andy focused his attention on Emma.  Liam held her hand, watching Andy check her vital signs and examined her. “Everything looks good,” he reported.  Blood pressure and all vitals are stable. She’s alert, no signs of concussion. No bones appear broken.” He shot Liam a quizzical look. “You sure she was hit?”

“Positive. I saw it happen.”

“Must have just grazed her. Lucky. Let’s get her on the stretcher so we can get her to the hospital.”

Grazed
her? Liam looked at the SUV. Saw the windshield that had shattered from the impact of Emma’s body smashing against it. As he swung his gaze back toward Emma, he noticed her glasses in the street, a good fifteen feet away. Grazed her? Like hell. He was about to correct Andy when he saw that same weird shimmering he’d noticed right before Emma came around. He narrowed his eyes at the odd phenomenon taking place near one of the soaring pine trees that separated the library’s property from the adjacent historic town hall. The sight suddenly vanished and Liam stilled. A man now stood beneath the tree where the shimmering air had been. A man who had not been there a second ago. A man who’s attention appeared riveted on Emma.

“What the hell?” Liam muttered.

“On my count, Liam.” Andy’s voice recalled Liam’s attention and together they transferred Emma to the stretcher.

“I hate hospitals,” Emma said, clinging to Liam’s hand.

“The one here in London is really nice,” Liam assured her as they wheeled her toward the ambulance. “Lots of excellent doctors and nurses to take care of you and lots of big x-ray machines to make sure nothing’s broken. Plus, forget everything you ever heard about hospital food. The cafeteria there serves the best fried chicken on the planet.”

After the stretcher was secured
in the ambulance, Liam ran to grab her glasses then climbed in the back. Gripping Emma’s hand, he settled himself beside her then looked out the vehicle’s open double doors. The man still stood beneath the tree. Liam studied him for several seconds. He was certain he’d never seen him before. But given that less than ten minutes ago he’d been certain Emma was dead, he wasn’t about to swear to anything.

Just then the air behind the man began to shimmer. Liam frowned and leaned forward. What in God’s name was going on? The air ceased moving and once again in its place stood a person, this time a dark haired woman. “Jesus, I need to get my eyes checked.” Before he could see anything else, Andy slammed the doors.

“Your eyes?”

Emma’s voice jerked Liam’s attention back to her. She was looking up at him with a worried expression.  The fact that she was even looking at him at all defied logic. And made him believe completely, one hundred percent in miracles.

“My eyes are fine,” he said, clasping her hand tighter as the ambulance started forward, its siren cutting the air.

He just prayed that the results of whatever tests, x-rays and scans the doctors ran on Emma would prove
she
was fine.

~~~

I watched the ambulance drive away. After it turned the corner I drew in a long, slow breath. Miss Heely was alive. I hadn’t been too late. My Crisis Clause had worked.

I’d saved her.

I closed my eyes and allowed the wonder of that to wash over me. The sensation that infused me when she’d pulled in that gasping breath was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. For the first time in my existence I felt… useful. And… worthwhile. Completely foreign feelings, I assure you. I didn’t quite know what to make of them.

On the heels of that came a bombardment of questions. What would happen to me now? Whatever fate awaited me, I only knew it didn’t include Heaven. I’d forfeited that option when I chose to save my human. Would I go back to Pre-Pearly Gate? Or be sent directly to Hell? A shudder of dread ran through me at the thought. I suppose I should have asked about my eternal destination before I left Pre-Pearly Gate, but in truth it wouldn’t have mattered. Even if I’d known my actions would condemn me to eternity in Hell, I still would have saved her.

So I suppose now all I could do was wait. Until my fate found me.

“You saved her.”

That voice…
her
voice came from directly behind me. I whipped around and there she stood. Director Foscari.
Still
the bane of my existence. Dressed in her severe black suit, hair pulled ruthlessly back, clutching her electronic tablet. An odd heat suffused me, one I instantly put down to irritation.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

Instead of answering me, she repeated, “You saved her.”

“Yes. Which explains my presence. Why are
you
here?” Yet even as I asked the question, I realized the answer. “Ah. I understand. You’re here to tell me where I’m off to now. So, are you escorting me back to Pre-Pearly Gate? Or am I to be zapped straight down into the fiery jaws of Hell?”

“Where you go next depends entirely on you, Lord Ryland.”

A bitter sound escaped me. “You make it sound as if I have a choice.”

“You do.”

“You know bloody well that I don’t. I know the consequences of what I’ve done. I accept them. So stop playing games with me and just tell me my fate.”

“There is no game, Lord Ryland. The way you choose to live your life from this day forward will determine where you spend eternity. And if your actions warrant it, you will be granted entrance into Heaven.”

Anger assailed me. “Why do you persist in spouting these falsehoods? You know damn well I gave up all claims to Heaven in exchange for Miss Heely’s life. As you said, I saved her, therefore… ” my voice trailed off as horror dawned. “Bloody hell. Are you telling me I
didn’t
save her?” I reached out and grabbed Director Foscari’s arms. “Is Miss Heely going to die?”

Chapter
Eighteen

Liam paced the length of the hospital waiting room. How much longer? A quick glance at the clock revealed he hadn’t been here very long, but it felt as if he’d been trapped in this room for decades. Letting go of Emma’s hand, allowing the medical staff to wheel her away from him had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. Harder even than administering CPR to her lifeless body. Releasing her hand, losing that physical connection struck abject terror in his heart. If he wasn’t touching her, the miracle of her living, breathing, looking at him, talking to him might disappear. Because that’s what it was-- some sort of incredible, impossible miracle.

He paused by the window and raked his hands through his hair. Once again the accident played through his mind, like a slow motion horror movie.  And once again he couldn’t explain what the hell had happened. He pressed his palms against his forehead and groaned. If he lived to be one hundred he’d never erase the memory of that SUV ramming into her. The sound of her hitting first the windshield then the pavement. The sight of her lying in the street. Broken. Bleeding. Her head bent at that unnatural angle--

“Liam.”

He turned at the sound of Dr. Durham’s deep, southern accented voice. Liam had met the Emergency Room doctor several times during firehouse calls and liked his calm, decisive manner. Liam hurried across the room, his stomach knotting as he noted the doctor’s grave expression.

“How’s Emma?” he asked.

“She’s fine. Every test came back normal.”

Relief walloped Liam so hard his knees nearly gave way. “No internal bleeding?”

“None.”

“Concussion? Broken bones? Fractures?”

“Nothing. She’s perfectly fine.”

The dread crushing Liam’s chest eased and he drew his first easy breath in what felt like decades. “That’s great news, doc.”

“Yes.” Dr. Durham shot Liam a look he couldn’t decipher. “Great and frankly very surprising. She told me she was standing on the sideway and was hit by an SUV that jumped the curb. Obviously the vehicle barely grazed her because except for a few minor scrapes, Miss Heely didn’t sustain any injuries. She’s an extremely fortunate young woman.”

The image of Emma bouncing off the windshield flickered in Liam’s mind. “Grazed her… yeah.”

“She said you just got engaged. Congratulations. I’ve authorized her release. She’s in room three.”

“Thank you,” Liam said. After shaking the doctor’s hand and promising to see to it that Emma rested, he hurried down the hall. When he opened the door to room three he found Emma standing by the foot of the bed. Emma, looking perfectly healthy. The instant she saw him she smiled and ran toward him. Liam caught her in his arms and held her tight for several seconds, savoring the feel of her, absorbing her warmth and scent. Keeping her anchored against him, he leaned back and scanned her face, searching for any signs of injury. And finding none.

“I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my whole life,” he said.

“Me, too. Although I can’t see you all that well without my glasses.”

“I found them.” He pulled them from his pocket and slipped the black frames on her. “Can you see me now?” he teased.

“Perfectly. Good thing I invested in shatterproof lenses.” She smiled. “Glad to see you, too.”

“Doc says you’re totally okay and cleared to leave.”

“Yes.” She pressed her lips together then frowned. “Liam… I need to ask you something.”

Based on the confusion clouding her eyes, he had a pretty good idea what was coming. “Sure. Ask away.”

“I know the doctor said I’m all right, that all the tests came back normal. And I absolutely feel fine. Prefect, in fact. Not so much as a single ache or pain. For which I’m eternally grateful. But I just don’t understand it. I
saw
that SUV bearing down on me. I actually
felt
it hit me. Then the next thing I know, I’m in your arms and I’m perfectly okay.” Her troubled gaze searched his. “Am I
imagining
that I was struck?”

“No. I saw it, Emma. It happened just like you said. I can’t explain it, either. I thought you were… ” he couldn’t bring himself to say the word
dead
.  “I thought for sure you were badly injured. But you’re not. So let’s just accept that for the inexplicable gift that it is and give thanks for the miracle.”

“I do. But it’s just so… weird.”

“Yeah. Like the shimmering air.”

A frown creased her brow. “Shimmering air? What do you mean?”

He drew a deep breath. As much as he didn’t want to relive the horror, he had to tell her. With his gaze steady on hers he told her exactly what happened. How she was unresponsive. His unsuccessful attempts to revive her. Then the shimmering air.  “I don’t know how else to describe it other than to say it
moved
. Like in waves. I could see it. Then just like that-- ” he snapped his fingers, “you breathed. You were alive. Alive and uninjured.”

Emma regarded him through wide eyes. “Okay, I think I’m officially freaked out.”

“Me, too. But there’s more.” He quickly told her about the how he saw the shimmering air two more times and the man and woman that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “What do you think about that?”

“I think: one-- we’re extremely blessed. Two-- that we should just accept the blessing without questioning it any further. And three-- that we should keep all this to ourselves because anyone else would think we’re insane.”

“Couldn’t agree more. It’s our secret.” He pulled in an unsteady breath then framed her face between his hands. “Emma, I’ve never been so frightened in my entire life. And I thought I was scared when you’d cried happy tears in the pick-up.” A humorless sound escaped him. “Clearly I need to remind you that you’d promised not to scare me again.”

“Believe me, I didn’t mean to.”

Liam rested his forehead against hers. “If something had happened to you… ” A shudder racked his body and for about the hundredth time in the last few hours his damn knees felt weak.

“I’m fine.” She leaned back and studied his face. “But I’m not so sure about you. You look a little pale.”

“As long as you’re okay, I’m okay.”

“Do you know what happened to the driver of the SUV?”

“Yeah, I called to check. Broken leg and collarbone, but otherwise okay. He’s seventeen. And according to Linda Dawson, the paramedic who treated him at the scene, the kid was really upset. Kept asking about you.”

“I’m glad he’ll be all right.”

“Me, too. Now what do you say we get out of here? The doctor gave me strict orders to make sure you rest and I intend to follow them. As soon as I get you home, you’re going to bed. I need you at full-strength for our ring-shopping date tonight.”

She smiled into his eyes. “I feel great. Besides, I don’t think ring shopping is very strenuous.”

“Humor me.”

“I’ll take a nap if you take it with me.”

“Deal.” He clasped her hand and raised it to his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you right back. Let’s go take that nap then
nostrae exordium vitam pariter
.”

“If that means us staying this close,” he drew her tighter against him, “then I vote yes.”

“It means ‘begin our life together.’”

“Perfect.” He brushed his lips over hers then took her hand. Together they walked out of the hospital and into the sunshine.