Chapter 2
I’m just looking for an angel with a broken wing.
Jimmy Page
Abrupt sunlight filtered through the church, sending dust motes dancing on the air and alerting Noah Ford.
Sitting back on his heels, Noah stopped the music playing on his phone and pulled the AirPods from his ears. Then he looked to see who’d entered the sanctuary.
An angel.
Aflame in blinding rays streaming from the open doorway, her wavy auburn hair glowed. Her skin, alabaster contrasted by a peachy blush of heightened color in her cheeks, revealed agitation. An impatient Hello? seconded the notion of her piqued demeanor.
A spirited angel.
“Hello?” she repeated, basically bellowing. “Is anyone here?” she demanded.
Her disgruntled tone inspired the opposite effect of what she’d probably intended; instead of answering, Noah eased deeper into the shadows. He used the dark corner of the sanctuary to observe the girl while remaining unseen. Noah sensed he’d never regain that advantage once surrendered.
“Oh, good heavens,” she muttered, closing the church doors behind her with a firm push against the heavy wood. Noah had polished them a few days earlier, and they possessed a timeless, all-powerful quality.
The girl turned in a circle, surveying the space.
She ran a hand over the velvet-covered pews as she walked to the perimeter of the room.
There, she studied — but didn’t touch — the quilts that hung from rods along the wall.
After a few minutes, her eyes lifted to study the elaborate stained-glass windows running horizontally along the top of the exterior walls.
A whistle of appreciation escaped her lips, but she didn’t utter a word.
Noah watched her explore his favorite room on earth for a few more minutes, eager to see if she detected the energy and aura he felt deep in his bones every time he entered the hallowed space.
While her back was toward him, Noah tiptoed toward the side entrance at the back of the pulpit stage, opened the door, and pretended to emerge from it.
“Hi there,” he greeted, pleased when she twirled to face him. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. With headphones in each ear, he hadn’t heard her, only seen her. . .glorious in the ethereal light haloing her angelic self.
“I don’t see how,” she quipped. “I about raised the dead next door, banging and pounding to get inside.”
“Aren’t we lucky that the cemetery is secure and the door was unlocked?” he replied, lifting an eyebrow at her drama. A very spirited angel indeed.
Hmph, she sounded, eyeing Noah with a skeptical gleam. “I’m meeting two people here: M’Kenzee Stewart and Maree Larsen. Have you seen them?”
“In that case, you’re here for me.”
“Certainly not,” she retorted. “I’m here for a job M’Kenzee promised and a place to sleep that Maree offered.”
“The new personal assistant, right?”
Her eyes narrowed. Her brow furrowed.
“Yes.” Suspicion dripped from all three letters like sap from a tree.
“And do you have a name?” Noah asked.
“Maybe,” she said. “But if I’m here for you, shouldn’t you already know it?” She crossed her arms and tilted her head with attitude.
Not just spirited. . .salty.
Noah’s heart soared.
“Valid point,” he said, dipping his chin in an indulgent nod. “Safety first,” Noah added with a sly grin as he pulled his phone from his back pocket, scrolled through the contacts, and hit both the call button and the speakerphone.
“Noah!” Scarlett recognized M’Kenzee’s commanding voice when it boomed from the other end of the line.
“Is she there?” Maree’s much bubblier voice asked from the background.
“I believe she is,” Noah answered, never taking his eyes off their subject.
“Oh, you’re going to love her! She’s so sweet,” Maree gushed.
“If you say so,” Noah said in a low voice, teasing the girl as he eyed her.
The girl in question smirked at him.
“How’s Kansas City?” Noah asked. “Does Max feel good about the game on Sunday?”
“It’s wonderful,” Maree answered. “The babies are having a blast playing together. We’re determined these cousins are going to grow up closer than brothers.”
“And you know Max. . .quietly confident,” M’Kenzee added.
“Thanks so much for helping Scarlett get settled this week. I feel terrible for not being around when she arrived, but we just hated to miss the football game when Janie Lyn called and explained about all the hoopla around Max’s award on behalf of the Chiefs. ”
“Scarlett, you say?” Noah asked, letting his gaze stroll over Scarlett with a slow skim from head to toe and back up to meet her fiery bluish-gray eyes.
“Yes,” M’Kenzee said. “Scarlett St. James. She’s just gorgeous — you can’t miss her.
Please ask Scarlett to help you set up the pumpkin patch this week, including a backdrop staged with three sets: one for babies, one for couples, and one for families.
Can you also introduce her to Jinx? Let her know to put whatever she needs on my account at the hardware store; she should be able to find everything there that she wants to use in building the props.
Whatever she comes up with will be great.
All my lighting equipment is in the storeroom at Maree’s shop, and you have both the store and apartment keys on that blue Lodge at Daisy Lake key ring I left for you to give Scarlett.
Please encourage her to make herself at home there—”
“It is her home,” Maree said over her sister. “She can move, paint, and change anything she wants!”
“We’re rambling,” M’Kenzee declared with a laugh. “You’re the best, Noah. I know you’ll make her feel welcome and help her find what she needs until we get back next week.”
“Happy to help,” Noah said with genuine cheer, pleased he could be of assistance. “Y’all have a great time, and tell Max we’re proud of him.”
They finished their call. Noah slid his phone back into his pocket and leaned against the pew with a victorious grin.
“Fine, Noah. Now you know my name. And it seems you’re stuck babysitting me for the week.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Scarlett,” he said, eyes dancing with delight while a smile tugged at his mouth.
“And let’s not think of it as babysitting.
In fact, I’d say I’m tasked with being your gopher.
For that matter, the entire youth group is at your beck and call around their scheduled school and sports activities. ”
“To set up a pumpkin patch?” Scarlett asked, disbelief threaded through her words.
“Not just a pumpkin patch,” Noah corrected with a pointed look. “The Pumpkin Spice Fall Festival, a Green Hills tradition since 1974, and one that brings thousands of visitors to town every October.”
“Thousands?” Scarlett sounded less than convinced.
“Possibly tens of thousands.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Noah confirmed. “And the photography booth is the biggest attraction.”
“Really?” she asked again, clearly unconvinced.
“Really,” Noah repeated with a chuckle. “I’ve heard you’re quite the portrait photographer.”
Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. Her eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m not making this up. . .heard all about you when the girls asked me to be your guide.
M’Kenzee said your work speaks for itself and that festival visitors are in for quite a treat, sitting for one of your portraits.
I’m telling you, they’ll hang your pictures in their homes and plaster them across their social media. You’re about to be in high demand.”
“She said that?”
“She did. And Maree agreed. They both said the festival will be the perfect place to introduce your work to the world.”
“They said that?” Scarlett asked, surprised yet again.
“I believe their exact words were, Stunning backdrops, autumn colors, natural lighting, and Scarlett’s vision — amazing! What a blessing for Green Hills.”
“You’re teasing,” she said, wrinkling her forehead in distrust.
“Trust me. . . I’m not,” Noah reassured her.
Scarlett glowered at him, a picture of derision and doubt.
“Scout’s honor — I promise.”
“Trust me. . . I promise. . . You sure possess a lot of self-confidence,” she scoffed.
“And you, Ms. Scarlett St. James, are about to become the belle of the ball. . .or at least the Queen of the Pumpkin Spice Fall Festival.”