Free Angel Be Good by Kathy Carmichael Page A

favor."
    "What do you need? Money? A house?"
    She shook her head. "I told you, I'm not
staying here, my body is only temporary. It's just that I'm worried
about my parents. Could you—would you make a note in your book to
check on them?"
    She looked into her empty glass. "I'd feel
more comfortable knowing that someone would look after them, make
sure they're okay."
    When she glanced back at Nat, she knew her
eyes had filled with tears but she was hopeless to stop the flow.
"It's unlikely I'll ever see them again."
    "You got it."
    She gave him their names and the address of
their farm in Arkansas. He made a note. "So, you're Daphne
Jones?"
    "No, that's my stepfather's name."
    He waited. "So, are you going to tell me
yours?"
    She shook her head. There was no way on
earth she'd tell him her last name. It was too humiliating.
Oppenwiedski wasn't a name that could pass without comment. "I
think Leonard would prefer I keep it to myself."
    Nat shrugged. "Anything else I can do for
you?"
    "No. Checking on my folks is more than
enough." She wiped her face with the back of her hands. "Thank
you."
    "It's a small price to pay for what you've
given me."
    "I haven't done it, Nat. Only you can change
yourself. I'm just here to help in case you need someone while
you're reexamining your life. And you've helped me as well."
    "Me?" Nat seemed surprised.
    "You have!" She leaned forward. "I wouldn't
have been ready to accept my new life if I hadn't had this time
with you. Reevaluating is good for the soul, and I'm discovering
myself in the process. Before, I thought I had a pretty good idea
of what was important. Now I know and can take that with me. I
guess I'm saying that you're my friend and I'll miss you."
    "Having a friend is new for me, Daphne. I
just wish you didn't have to leave, could stay with me always."
    "Why? So you can chase me around your
office?" She giggled. "I think I could do without that part."
    "Very funny." Nat gave her a serious look,
so intent she could feel it down to her toes. "I wish you could
stay. Always. I don't think I can do this without you. I need you.
Can't you ask Leonard?"
    "It's not his, or my, choice to make."
    "If it was yours, what would you decide?"
Did she see in his gaze a mixture of expectancy and hope?
    Daphne, for one of the few times in her
life, felt shy, bashful. "I think I'd like to stay, too."
    Nat rewarded her with a melting smile, one
she'd never seen on his face before. The wide curve of his
masculine lips revealed tips of white teeth in stark contrast to
his tanned face. His smile washed through her and touched her in
the one place he hadn't previously gained access. It touched her
soul.
    She gasped in a gush of air. The clarity of
the moment was unlike any she'd experienced in the past. Now she
knew the consequences of their time together, now she knew the real
danger.
    Nat reached her on many levels and she was
in serious danger of losing her heart. It was hard enough to leave
before, but how could she blithely go when she'd be saying goodbye
to him forever? Had she exceeded what the Angelic Council asked of
her? Had she given Nat her love?
    Had she done the unthinkable? Had she fallen
in love with a man she was destined to leave? Surely not, she tried
to convince herself. Surely it was just the enforced intimacy of
their situation, the sharing on a level most people don't
experience outside of marriage. Surely it was illusion and not real
love at all.
    But what if she were wrong? What if she
loved him? Daphne struggled with her emotions, determined to check
them, bring them into control. This couldn't be love. Love was what
her mother and stepdad had, in the small looks and blushes, the way
they held hands, the knowing that you're a better person because
you have the other.
    If this wasn't love, it sure was a close
imitation. Jumping from her chair, Daphne moved restlessly about
Nat's office, hoping to distract her thoughts. If she didn't admit
it, there was a chance it would go away