© 2005-2006 Ann Marie Bradley

Angel Mine

Angel Mine first appeared online in
Shadow Keep E-zine, August, 2002.

Cover art by Linnea Sinclair

Heidi practiced what she would say in front of the mirror for days, changing the words over and over again. Had it really been a whole week since he’d passed her that note in front of the roller rink? Could he actually have written those wonderful words, “Meet me right here at seven on Friday, the fourteenth. I live for the moment I see you again.”

She clutched the note paper to her chest. The handsomest boy she’d ever seen in all her seventeen years truly wanted to meet her on Valentine’s Day. Her. Shy little Miss Nobody-ever-asks-me-out Heidi Combs.

A quick turn in front of the full-length mirror provoked Heidi to wrinkle her nose in disgust. No. This outfit would never do. What flight of whimsy had made her spend an entire six months savings on a hot pink mini dress trimmed in neon green faux fur? It had looked good in the store window.

She tore off the offending garment and pulled on a red silk dress. It looked exactly what it was - her mother’s hand-me-down. After several more failed attempts at chic, she settled on a simple white turtleneck sweater and burgundy wool skirt. As she dressed, she sang, “Oh what a beautiful day.”

Downstairs a few moments later, she gulped a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, downed a cold glass of milk, grabbed her coat from the closet, then headed out the door. Oblivious to her mother’s warning not to be late, she practically skipped down the sidewalk toward her destination.

Just as she stepped off the curb to cross the street, a group of teens sped by in an expensive vehicle. She recognized the class president, Will Blevins, as he leaned out the passenger side window and called out hurtful remarks.

Why wouldn’t the town forget? It’d been nearly ten years since her father had embezzled a hundred thousand dollars from the bank and ran off. It wasn’t like she knew where he was or anything. Couldn’t the people here in Old Oaks see she and her mother barely survived. If they had access to all that money, surely they wouldn’t live in the manner they did.

Rumor had it her father had hid the money in the town cemetery, but the police hadn’t been able to locate it. If only she could find it and return it to the bank. Maybe then folks would see she and her mother were innocent.

With a deep sigh, Heidi shook her head to clear away the depressing thoughts. She replaced them with happy images of her and the handsome new stranger she was to meet. As he’d stepped out of the shadows last week, she’d only seen him a moment, but it had been long enough to notice he stood tall and muscular.

The hand that delivered the note had been long-fingered and strong; his movements swift, full of grace and virility. His good-looking face was pale, but kindled with passion, and his eyes - his eyes were so blue they looked as if they’d soaked up all the color from the sky.

Festive music blared from the roller rink as Heidi approached. She glanced about, but saw no sign of her date. A quick check of her wrist watch showed she was twenty minutes early. Couples walking arm in arm pushed past her to enter the building.

A cold February wind slashed at her face, and she snuggled deep into her coat. Hopefully her date would show up soon. Funny, she didn’t even know his name. He hadn’t signed the note. Suddenly a terrible thought occurred to her. What if it was all a big joke? What if someone from her class had written the note and paid the stranger to deliver it? Her eyes blurred with unshed tears. Nerves at full stretch, she backed against the icy brick wall surrounding the building.

A white ghostly mist rolled across the cemetery next door, and settled like a cold compress. Heidi’s gaze was drawn to the bowels of the graveyard. A dark form rose from the mist, floated a few feet, then disappeared. Before she had time to wonder about what it could be, her date stood beside her.

“Hello, Heidi. Ready to go in?” He said in a strong, smooth voice, then almost as an afterthought, brought a hand from behind his back to produce a large heart-shaped box of candy.

His fingers were cool and smooth as they touched hers, still his touch warmed her frozen skin. She felt a restless energy uncoil within herself as he embraced her elbow and guided her inside. Her date was even more stunningly attractive than she remembered.

A rush of hot, dry air hit them in the face. Smells of burnt popcorn and sweaty feet accosted their noses. Heidi waited while her date paid for their admittance.

After paying their admission fee, he started toward the skate rental booth, but Heidi stopped him with a shaky hand on his arm. “Don’t I even get to know your name?”

“Todd Bailey,” he said in his warm, deep voice, a lop-sided grin lighting up his face.

“Nice to meet you, Todd,” she said, shifting the candy box to her left hand and holding out her right.

He took her hand in his and her body danced with fresh excitement.

His dark eyebrows arched mischievously as he turned to the shoe rental attendant. “She’s a five, and I’m a nine.”

“How’d you know?” she asked Todd, astonished a complete stranger knew her shoe size.

“I’m an angel, and angels know everything,” he said with the lopsided grin she was beginning to love.

“An angel, huh? Guess you’re the answer to all my prayers?”

“Could be.” Joy bubbled in his laughter and shone in his eyes.

She felt a strange peace and happiness, and a warm glow flowed through her. “Well hand me those skates, angel.”

With a tip of his head, he motioned her to a vacant bench, then dropped down in front of her to replace her boots with the skates.

Fingers, tapered and strong, caressed one tiny foot. The tender touch of his hands nearly stopped her breathing. Her heart lurched as he laced the shoestrings tight, then turned to the other foot.

His hands lingered a moment too long, and the warmth of personal contact made her leg muscles tense. His body was so close to hers, her stomach cramped in an unfamiliar fashion. She fought the urge to bury her fingers in his thick black hair.

As if reading her mind, he looked up and pushed stray tendrils from his forehead.

With a few swift movements he had his own skates laced and led her to the crowded skate floor. The arm that encircled her waist was strong, firm, protective.

Heidi could feel everyone’s gaze on her and Todd, and caught snatches of conversations about the stranger. She smiled. The best looking boy in town held her in his arms on the skate floor. For once she forgot the hostility against her; instead felt full of life and high spirits.

The room was jammed but Heidi and Todd never sat. An accomplished skater, he whirled and twirled her to the fast songs, and held her close during the slow ones. She wanted to stay in his arms forever.

Will Blevins skated up to them and shouted, “Better watch your wallet, big guy.” When they paid him no attention, he rolled within inches of Todd and pointed to Heidi. “Stealing runs in her genes, you know,” he snickered then sped away.

In a flash Todd was after him. He caught Will with no problem, grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him back to where Heidi stood, tears streaming down her face.

“Apologize,” Todd demanded.

“To her? You’re new in town; you don’t know who’s who around here yet I guess.”

Todd tightened his grip on Will’s shirt collar. “Apologize. Now.”

Will glanced at the crowd gathered around them. He tried to shove Todd away, but failed.

“This is the last time I’ll ask nicely,” Todd said, shoving Will closer to Heidi.

“Geesh, all right. I’m sorry, okay.”

Todd dropped his hold. Will hurried away, but yelled over his shoulder, “Don’t blame me when you lose your shirt to that bitch.”

Todd catapulted after him. Heidi tried to call him back, to tell him it was okay, she was used to being called names.

Todd grabbed Will and dragged him outside. Both boys were evenly matched in size, but Todd handled Will like a feather.

The exit doors banged open as the crowd rushed to watch the fight. Murmurs of surprise drifted through the spectators then swelled into a mighty roar as Todd taught Will his lesson in no time and hauled him back inside.

This time Will’s apology sounded sincere.

“Can we just go now?” Heidi asked Todd in a trembling voice.

“If you really want to, but I think we should stay and skate. They haven’t called the last song yet,” Todd said, drawing her close.

His extraordinary eyes blazed and glowed with tenderness and love.

Her knees shook. She blinked away unshed tears. No one had ever fought for her honor before.

In one fluid motion he wrapped her in his arms and skated across the floor. She leaned into his broad chest and closed her eyes. Awakening emotions inside her left her reeling.

Just as the announcer called out the last song, another of her classmates, John Chapel, asked Todd if he could cut in. Heidi was surprised and a little hurt when her date agreed, but before he turned her over to the other boy, he kissed her cheek and said, “Promise to remember you’re special.”

Expecting the worst, Heidi steeled herself for a round with John. To her amazement, he held her in his arms gently, almost shyly.They skated across the floor.

“You sit in front of me in Algebra,” John said.

“I do?”

“I’ve, uh, been meaning, to, uh, ask you out,” he said in a whisper barely audible over the blare of music.

“You have?” Heidi nearly stumbled, but John steadied her with strong arms.

“Sure. You’re the cutest girl in our class.”

“I am?”

His smile deepened into laughter. “Do you always reply with questions?”

She couldn’t help herself as she burst out laughing with him. “Do I?”

The song ended, but John was reluctant to let Heidi go. “How about a movie tomorrow night?”

“Sure. I guess so.”

“Great.” He led her to the skate rental booth to retrieve their shoes.

Heidi suddenly remembered Todd. She looked about, but he was no where in sight. She recovered her coat, candy, and shoes from the checker.

He handed her an envelope. “Your boyfriend left this for you.”

Heidi’s name was written in bold script on the outside. She opened it to find the prettiest valentine card she’d ever seen - an angel with feathery wings sitting on a cloud of hearts. It was signed, Love, Todd.

Someone shouted the police were outside. Heidi shrank into her coat. What now? With a sinking heart, she followed the others as they rushed outdoors amid the chaos.

Six state police cars, the coroner’s van, and the county sheriff’s car crowded into the cemetery next door. Uniformed police officers rushed about, holding back the crowd and directing the crime-scene work.

John gripped Heidi’s hand and pulled her through the crowd. They caught bits and pieces of conversations.

“body - grave - money”

They scooted closer and saw a police photographer snap photos of the inside of an open grave. Heidi shivered.

Someone in the crowd called out, “There’s his kid now.”

All eyes turned to stare at Heidi. She drew back and clung to John. When someone touched her arm, she jumped with a start.

“You Heidi Combs?” a detective asked, flashing his badge.

Heidi could only nod.

“Come with me.” When Heidi hesitated, the detective motioned for John to come too. He led them across the cemetery to his car. “Wait here a minute.”

“What’s this all about?” asked John.

“I’d rather wait for the girl’s mother to get here, son.”

Except for the chatter from the radio messages, the three sat in total silence for what seemed an eternity. Finally another detective arrived with Mrs. Combs in tow. Heidi’s mom slid onto the seat next to her daughter and hugged her. Heidi leaned close and drew in a deep, steadying breath.

“Can you tell us what this is about, detective?” Mrs. Combs asked faintly.

The police officer looked from one to the other of the women cuddled in his back seat. His brows drew together in an agonized expression. “We got a report tonight someone overheard a drunk named Blevins in Kelly’s bar bragging about how he’d embezzled over a hundred thousand dollars ten years ago and had never been caught. Apparently, he doctored the books to make it look like your husband was guilty, shot him, then buried him in that grave over there. Ten years ago it was fresh.”

Heidi could barely speak past the ache in her throat. Her lip quivered. “My dad is innocent? All these years he’s been buried in someone else’s grave?”

“That’s about the gist of it, hon,” the detective said.

Heidi set her chin in a stubborn line. “All those years –“

”Of course we’ll have to do an autopsy to make sure the body is your husband, ma’am,” he told Heidi’s mother. If I was a betting man, I’d bet it is.

Mrs. Combs ignored the detective and hugged her daughter tighter.

“I want to see the grave,” Heidi said with quiet, but desperate, firmness.

The detective considered a moment, then motioned them out of the car. He led the way to the gravesite. The body assumed to be Heidi’s father had been taken away by the coroner, and the grave once again was covered.

Heidi fought hard against tears she refused to let fall. She drew a deep breath and bade herself not to tremble.

John gripped her hand in his. “That’s odd. Look at the name; it’s the same as that fellow you were with earlier.”

A soft gasp escaped Heidi as she read the inscription on the tombstone. Todd Bailey. Born February 14, 1974, Died December 22, 1992.

"My angel,” she whispered.

The End