Authors: Tiffany Reisz
The Naughty List (26 page)
He dropped his chin onto her head. “I feel the same way.” He sniffed. “That gingerbread bath bomb smells much better on your skin than on mine. If my father or brothers get close enough to smell me, they might kill me out of pity.”
“That’s not funny.” It was a little funny, but she wasn’t going to let him get away with joking about death when he’d called her on it. “Besides, don’t your muscles feel better?”
“Maybe.”
“Tomorrow, I was thinking of extending my stay here at the lodge by a few more days. I have vacation time coming. We could share a room.”
Despite the noise of the party around them, she heard him sigh again. She hoped he’d play along. Making plans might stop her heart from racing. “That sounds good.”
“I mean, I’m not sure how you pay for things to know if it even matters…”
“I have a bank account… well, a joint bank account with all of my brothers. We don’t have that many expenses so it’s grown. We could buy a country at this point.” He said it so casually.
“Oh.”
He’d been scanning the room, and suddenly pushed off the wall, and stepped in front of her. With his hand behind him, he trapped her up against his back.
An older version of Zeit walked toward them.
“Hello, Father,” Zeit said, reaching out a hand. The two men clasped forearms rather than shaking hands.
“Good to see you. This must be your Hannah?”
Zeit held her from stepping forward to greet him. “You can’t take her.”
Father Time was dressed like Zeit—all in black with long black trench coats. Zeit’s father tilted his head. “We are servants to Time, my son—to the Fates.”
“I don’t care. I’m no longer their puppet. They’re not getting her lifetime.”
“Someone must pay the Fates.”
“Not Hannah.”
“One life for many.”
Zeit shook his head. “It’s not even. We’re wrong. Hannah is worth a thousand of every other mortal around.”
His father smiled. “Well, that sounds like an objective opinion.”
“One minute until midnight,” Mrs. Cowper called.
Hannah held her breath and pressed against Zeit’s back.
Father Time held out both his hands. “Someone must pay the Fates.”
“I will. My life for hers,” Zeit said.
“No!” Hannah said, trying to get out from behind him. Zeit held her fast. “No, no, take me.”
“Hannah, it’s fine.” He nodded at his father. “Take me. Take my life.”
“No!” She shoved at him. “No.” He wouldn’t let her by, and it was like she wasn’t even speaking. Father Time was only watching his son. “Nooooo,” she moaned as tears started streaming from her eyes. “No. It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”
Neither man acknowledged her.
“You’re sure?” Father Time asked.
“Yes.” He was going to die right in front of her. “But Hannah’s lifetime is never held in the balance again.”
“Of course not,” Father Time said.
“Zeit, no.” She pressed her face against his back. This couldn’t be happening.
Zeit turned to her, tipping her chin up with a finger. “Hannah, it’s my choice.”
She shook her head. “No, Zeit. Just let him take me. Please.”
He shook his head again. Then, he leaned down and kissed her softly before he whispered against her mouth, “I love you.”
The sharp bite of loss exhausted her. She couldn’t even tell him that she loved him, too. It was too hard.
The crowd counted down as Zeit turned back to his father and moved her behind him again.
Father Time reached out a hand and pressed it against Zeit’s chest.
There was nothing she could do other than close her eyes and hold on to Zeit.
“Five… four… three… two… one.”
She clenched her eyes closed.
This couldn’t be happening.
It couldn’t be.
And as she pressed herself against Zeit—all around her people cheered and bells rang all around them—as others rang in the New Year.
The New Year she’d spend without the man she loved.
She kept waiting for Zeit to go slack and fall over—just like that man last year.
Then, she heard the rumble of his voice in his chest as Zeit said, “I don’t understand.”
What?
Her eyes flew open.
Father Time stood in front of Zeit with a smile on his mouth, and his hands clasped in front of him. “It’s done. You’re mortal, my son. Your lifetimes other than this one—in return for Hannah’s.”
“What?” Zeit asked on an exhale.
His father shrugged. “It’s what the mortals call a loophole. The Fates knew one of their servants might be out of reach if you discovered a way to keep her alive, but your immortality is yours to give, and I knew with a taste of mortality for a few days you’d make the right choice.”
“I like biting,” Zeit said suddenly, making her blush.
His father laughed.
“But no one will harm Hannah?”
“Her life has been paid for—as has yours. The only power that can take either one of you is time itself.” He held out his hand, and the two men clasped forearms again. “Have a wonderful life, Zeit.”
Then, Father Time said to Hannah, “I’m sorry you never received a doll, but I hope this makes up for it.”
She blinked, and his father was gone, and they were surrounded by a room full of cheering and hugging people who’d begun singing
Auld Lang Syne
.
Zeit turned back to her, blinking and shaking his head.
She grabbed his face with her hands. “Don’t you ever do that again, you crazy man!”
Laughing, he dipped his head to kiss her. “I love you, Hannah.”
“I love you, too,” she murmured against his lips.
“I guess this means…” He jerked his head up and then spun, jumping toward the fireplace to catch the little blond kid mid-trip before the six-year-old fell into the spiked fireplace grate. As Zeit pulled him away, Mrs. Cowper’s bell rolled off the mantelpiece and bounced, ringing loudly.
Hannah grinned. Apparently, the old thing about an angel getting his wings wasn’t so far off.
Zeit set the boy on his feet with a stern admonishment to find his parents. As he turned back to her, Zeit said, “I don’t think I’ve seen him with any adults this entire time. If we have kids, I hope we’ll keep better track of them than
that
.”
The thought of having kids with him made her heart pound. Zeit would be a fantastic dad. “At least you were paying attention.”
He shook his head. “Apparently, I still have some sight. I’m not off the hook for improving mortals’ fates.”
“So you’re going to be all of Boise’s guardian angel?”
He pulled her into his arms. “In my spare time… maybe. I’ll be the only angel getting coal at Christmas.”
“Back to earning a spot on the naughty list?”
“As soon as possible,” he said with a wink.
“Well, I could swipe some ribbon, and you still have that mistletoe.”
“Ribbon?”
“All tied up and nowhere to go. And if you can’t unwrap me, you could break out your pocketknife for the job.”
His forehead scrunched up. “My pocketknife?” Then, his mouth dropped open. “You just told me what was in my last present, didn’t you?”
Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his mouth.
“Oh! Let me get a picture!” Mrs. Cowper said from beside them, producing a camera.
A picture—a picture for her locket, to put in her heart along with this night that would forever reside there.
Zeit hugged her close. And it felt like he’d stopped time… but it was probably just magic.
* * *
After a childhood spent wandering as a military brat,
Wendy Sparrow
found her home in Washington State. Her days involve convincing her two kids she knows how to properly parent and her nights showing her husband all the cool things romance authors know… or goofing around online… or reading, but mostly the first thing. She’s active in OCD and autism communities and writes on her blog to support awareness in both. With her whole heart, Wendy believes everyone deserves a happily-ever-after. If she’s not writing or wrangling kids, she’s on Twitter, @WendySparrow, where she’ll chat with anyone about anything.
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And turn the page to find out about the anthologist and sample more great fiction.
Anthologist
In addition to being an Assistant Editor for Red Moon Romance, Cori Vidae likes to write steamy stories and collect shiny things. Her story, “Circles Within Circles” is in RMR’s
Demons, Imps and Incubi
anthology and when she’s not on Twitter at @CoriVidae you can find her at her website at corividae.com.
Cori’s next anthology,
Rough Edges
, featuring sexy cowboys will be hitting store shelves in 2016.
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