Whisper of Winter by Judi Fennell
During the dark of the night, on a crisp winter eve a whisper on the wind rustled the last autumn leaves. The stage was set. All he needed now were the perfect candidates.
Jonathan checked his watch. Almost ten. They should be along any minute—
if he’d planned this correctly.
That was always the problem. No matter how much Jonathan planned, something always seemed to go awry.
Well, not this time. He was
this close to earning his wings. The buds on his shoulder blades were itching something fierce now. Matter of fact…
Jonathan reached over his left shoulder with his right hand to give a good scratch.
Unfortunately, he hit the inn’s sign so that the woman who’d just emerged from the front door couldn’t help but notice.
She paused, looking both ways down the street.
Jonathan held his breath. She
had to get moving. There were only a few seconds built in for error. And he didn’t mean
his error.
His back itched as if on fire, but Jonathan refused to end his suffering, choosing instead to remain in the shadow of the oak so Nikki would take that first fateful step off the porch.
Finally, she did. And just in time, too. Both for Jonathan to breathe again and for Trent to round the corner.
Jonathan looked between the two of them. Twenty steps separated them. Nineteen now. Eighteen… Moments away from the meeting that would change their lives.
And earn him his wings. Finally.
At twelve steps apart, the street lamp by the inn came on.
At ten, the snow started to fall.
At eight, the puppy waddled into the sidewalk to sit right in the middle.
Well, not that Mortimer was a puppy, but Jonathan had chosen the little white ball of fluff Pekinese because he was small enough to be mistaken for a puppy and he knew how to act the part of something entirely too cute to be ignored. Those two needed to take to notice.
And they did. First of Mortimer, then… each other. Just as Jonathan had planned.
“Is he yours?” Nikki smiled at Trent.
Trent smiled back and shook his head. “No. And I guess it’s not yours either.”
She took the last two steps off the porch with a leap, her sneakers leaving an impression in the coating of snow. “Does he have a tag?”
Trent bent down to pick Mortimer up. Jonathan had counted on the Pekinese being a chick magnet, and he was proven right as Nikki walked up, her hand meeting Trent’s when they both went to pet Mortimer.
They laughed, embarrassed. But they didn’t stop looking at each other.
Jonathan smiled as the moment changed. It was just a slight thing, almost imperceptible—but not to guardian angels. Especially those who were on a mission to bring together two people who deserved the happiness they’d find with each other.
“It’s too cold to leave him here.”
“It’s too late to take him to a shelter.”
Again, they laughed as they spoke at the same time.
Jonathan waved his finger. The sign on the diner at the end of the street came on. It was Christmas Eve, but two strangers in a strange town wouldn’t think anything of it. Nor the fact that they would be the only patrons there.
He tapped his pocket. Best get to work then and put the apron on. They’d need someone to serve them.
Jonathan tapped his nose and pointed to the diner. Mortimer licked his own nose in acknowledgment.
“I think he’s hungry,” said Nikki, her fingers trailing slowly away from Trent’s.
“I am too, actually.” Trent moved his hand toward her, prolonging the contact. “Would you care to join me for something to eat at the diner?”
Nikki nodded. “Thanks. That’d be nice. I’m hungry, too. I think that’ll be nice.”
It would be more than nice; Jonathan would make sure of it.
And he did, dimming the street lamps as Trent and Nikki headed to the diner amid the softly swirling snow and the
whispers of winter.
Judi Fennell
Website | Blog
Thanks, Robin, for allowing me to stretch
my wings. Jonathan is a recurring character in my Once-Upon-A-Time Romance series that I hope will see the light of day soon. Jonathan has to earn his wings like any good guardian angel: by bringing people together for their own happily ever after. Sadly, though, Jonathan’s projects, like the path of true love, don’t always run smoothly, and he finds himself becoming very inventive in his job. Nikki and Trent are two completely new characters to me as of this short intro and I have no idea what their story is. But if you want to learn about one I have written and
do know what happens in, check out
Beauty and The Best, my American Title story
on my website.
But in the meantime, if you’d like to see my latest release that has seen the light of day, Genie Knows Best, the second story in my Bottled Magic series, is now available:
Be careful what you wish for...
Samantha Blaine is about to make a fateful discovery. A tall, dark, handsome, ohmygosh kind of fateful discovery...
Kal is very pleased to meet his attractive new master--especially since he intends to seduce her into granting him freedom.
But when seriously dark magic spells trouble for both of them, Kal can't help himself from falling for the woman who holds his fate in her hands...
Warmly acclaimed by readers and critics alike, Judi Fennell brings to life a fabulous world of magic and mayhem where wishes come true in the most unexpected ways!
