Wounded Wings (Cupid Chronicles) Read Online Free Page A

thank—”
    “Emma, leave the poor man alone,” his waitress cut in and scooped her daughter up. She smiled at him. “I’m so sorry if she bothered you. She can be a bit overly sociable sometimes.”
    “No bother.”
    She nodded and walked away, but little Emma kept her smiling eyes on him over her mother’s shoulder as if she was onto his secret. Well, he only hoped he could befriend her and she wouldn’t tell. His heart skipped a beat as another more terrifying thought occurred to him.
    His eyes flew to Elijah. Surely he’d lost his angelic ability to recognize another of his kind?
    If not, this assignment was doomed worse than the Tudor Incident.
    Michael stayed around long after the lunch rush had cleared out. He watched as interesting characters came and went for their mid-day meal, some in a hurry, some relaxed and taking their time over cups of coffee.
    The Sheriff must’ve grown up in the town, he seemed to be friendly with everyone from tiny little Emma to the elderly couple in the corner. And it was more than an official capacity, Michael could tell, as he rehashed rushing someone named Delaney to the hospital the day before with a younger man who had a stethoscope draped around his neck.
    Michael sipped the last of his Coke and tried to act casual as he studied the rest of the locals. An older man next to him in a faded blue chambray shirt with a patch that read ‘Sam’s Plumbing’ nibbled on a piece of apple pie from the display case.
    Michael nodded down toward his plate. “That any good?”
    The man glanced up and focused on Michael’s face. “Any good? You askin’ if Vi’s pie is good ?”
    Michael nodded.
    “Well, heck, boy, that’s like askin’ if the Grand Canyon is big.” He forked another bite. “This here pie is the next closest thing to Heaven you can get without actually goin’ there, I’d say.”
    “No foolin’?”
    “I never fool around when it comes to Vi’s pie.”
    “Hmmm.” Michael lifted his hand to flag down his waitress and ordered a slice. He’d just see about that Heavenly claim.
    Well, the pie was pretty divine, Michael decided as he set his fork down on his empty plate. Some things were worth being trapped in a human vessel, and taste buds were one of them.
    The older man also finished up his pie and bid him goodbye. A few minutes later, the waitress brought by the bill and picked up his dirty plate. “Will you be needing anything else?”
    Michael didn’t miss the way her eyes roamed to the clock. He hoped his hanging around wasn’t holding her up. He just couldn’t leave . . . not until he figured out how he was going to get a start on this assignment.
    He shook his head. “Nah. I’m fine.” He reached for his wallet, but his hand stalled as Elijah came out of the kitchen and untied his apron then hung it on a hook by the door. The closer he got, the more Michael saw his shimmer, like he had a fine coating of pearl dust—faint, but it was there. How could humans not see that?
    “It’s fine, Eli,” the waitress called out as he began gathering dirty dishes off the back tables. “You’ve been busy in the kitchen all day. I’ll get it. You go on.”
    Elijah glanced up, making eye contact with Michael for the first time.
    Michael’s breath seized up in his chest as his heart thundered. This was it. If he was going to be found out, now was the time.
    He stared unflinchingly into those deep brown eyes, seeing all the pain only a fallen angel must know, and waited.
    Three agonizing heartbeats.
    Silence filled the diner for a moment. Nothing moved.
    Elijah’s brows dipped ever-so-slightly as if recognition niggled his subconscious, but he seemed to push it away and moved back to picking up the dishes. “It’s all right, Maura. I don’t mind helping.”
    The waitress shook her head. “Just got here yesterday and so far hasn’t done anything but work and help people. Not even sure he went to sleep.” She picked up Michael’s check and cash. “I