Sounds Like Forever Read online

  Sounds Like Forever

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Sounds Like Forever

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Also By Olivia Hardin

  Olivia Hardin

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Copyright © 2015 Olivia Hardin

  Dedication

  To Mom... for sharing with us the joy of discovering the every day miracles.

  CRYSTAL WAS LAYING on her stomach, her chin in her palm and her little finger resting between her lips. Raising her eyebrows, she emitted a weary sigh, and then began to twirl the shiny silver halo suspended above her head.

  Her charge entered yet another pawn shop, still searching for his mother’s missing brooch, and in exasperation, she rolled over onto her back and spread her arms and legs out wide. Without even looking at him, she glided after the old man.

  Somewhere in the back of her head, she could hear Gabriel scolding her as he had so many times before. Crystal had never had an easy time at being a guardian angel. As humans put it, she very often missed the forest for the trees. She could never really see the big picture and often times tried to only do things as she saw fit. Still, she had somehow made it through all of Gabriel’s lessons and had become a guardian.

  Softly she sang some of the lyrics to her new favorite song, one she’d heard on a show Mr. Longstreet’s granddaughter had been watching a few nights ago. She didn’t know all of the words to “How do you talk to an angel?” so she just hummed her way through as she continued to float after her ward, her body passing through tall buildings and trees as she went along.

  Suddenly she heard it. It was a sound every angel longs to hear, a sound like clashing crystal glasses. Just a tiny tinkling sound, really, but when she heard it, she jumped up too quickly and began to drift towards the ground.

  She caught herself and started a frantic search for the location of the sound, but it was impossible to find the source in the bustling crowd. Uncaring that old Mr. Longstreet, her ward, was getting away from her, she tightly closed her eyes and broke another of Gabriel’s rules by pulling herself back in time.

  Now when that tinkling sound filled her angel ears, she could see clearly its origin. A pair of dark jade eyes collided with golden amber ones. It was the only thing that could make that sound: the first meeting of two souls destined for each other.

  She was amazed when she saw that the man and woman did not chance even a second glance but continued on their way. As she stood to ponder this, rolling thunder echoed around her, and she raised her eyes to Heaven at the warning.

  She frowned a moment in indecision, wanting desperately to follow one of the two people but knowing she was already in trouble. Biting her lip, she suddenly spread her wings and sailed upward.

  GABRIEL SHOOK HIS HEAD firmly at the pleading young guardian before him. Not for the first time, she made him wish he had remained a messenger and had not taken on the task of teacher.

  “Gabriel, I know I could do it,” Crystal cried. “If you would only give me the chance to prove myself...”

  “What of poor Mr. Longstreet? Will you just leave him?”

  She sucked in a shaky breath, and her crystal eyes- the trait she was named for- glistened with tears. “I know Mr. Longstreet doesn’t need me, Gabriel. You gave him to me because you don’t believe I can handle a real assignment. But I can, Gabriel, please believe me. I won’t mess up this time.”

  The enormously tall angel looked with remorse at the little guardian before him and knew that what she said was true. He mentally told himself that he would need to see the Father about this selfish mistake.

  You see, angels aren’t completely without blemish, though they are a bit more guided than most humans. And albeit Gabriel took his job very seriously and struggled to be a proper angel, he had to admit that when Crystal was concerned, he usually failed miserably. This time, to keep himself from failing again, he had given her busy work so that she would stay out of trouble.

  “This isn’t your normal assignment. You’ll have to speak to Angel Tylie about it. She manages matters of the heart. But if she gives her approval... then you have my blessing.”

  Crystal stood there motionless a moment, amazed by what she had heard. Then with a little screech of joy, she jumped up to kissed Gabriel’s cheek and fluttered off.

  HART HUTCHISON TOSSED the partly deflated little football to his four-year old son and laughed proudly when the boy was able to catch it. Bradley threw the ball back wildly, still not quite coordinated enough to pitch, though he could catch just about anything his father sent to him.

  “How was school?” Hart asked, then frowned when he saw the child’s green eyes quickly look down. “Didn’t the other kids at day care like your mother’s necklace for show-and-tell?”

  Bradley turned around and began to hurry ahead of his father, kicking stones as he walked. “James brought his new dinosaur... it was a Jurassic World dinosaur he got for his birthday and the mouth moved and...”

  “Did you tell them how old the necklace was, and that your mother’s great-grandmother brought it back from Germany during the war?”

  Bradley shook his head and drew his face into a fierce pout. “I wish I had a dinosaur.”

  Hart ground his teeth together both in agitation that his son had so little pride for the priceless heirloom, and in shame because he couldn’t supply his boy with a proper prize for show-and-tell. Grabbing his son around the waist, he pulled him over and onto his lap, then nuzzled the side of his head against Bradley’s.

  “I’m sorry, son, but... you know, I’m doing all I can.”

  The child sniffed and nodded, “I wish Mommy was here.”

  Hart did, too. His lovely Jenny always knew what to say during times like this. Then again, if Jenny was here now, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Her job as a dental assistant had supplied them with more than enough to live on during the lean times. He labored hard as a carpenter, selling his wares on consignment at a local market.

  But last year, Jenny had been killed in a car accident, and in no time at all, he had been forced to take on two more small time jobs just to make ends meet. He hated it that he could do so little for his son. Hated it even more that he hadn’t been there for his son while the child had grieved for his mother.

  Now Christmas was approaching, and he wondered how on earth he would be able to put gifts around the tree. For that matter, how he would put food on the table? His holiday blues were fast reaching an all-time low.

  “Why did she leave us, Daddy?” Bradley asked softly now. When Hart looked, he saw that the boy was clutching the necklace with the Star of David charm tightly in his hands.

  “I don’t know, Bradley, but... she loves you, you know that. Even though she’s not here with us, she’s looking down at us from up there in heaven, and she still loves you.”

  Crystal chose that moment to make her move. Biting her lip, she raised the stone in her hand and threw it with perfect aim at Hart’s head. From so many yards up, when the rock hit his temple, he immediately collapsed to the ground. She gasped in horror, not having meant to hit him quite so hard. Quickly, she materialized down beside the boy Bradley.

  His little green eyes were wide in panic, and he was just preparing to scream when she took his hand. “Hurry now, Bradley and run to that emergency room and ask for Gloria. She’ll come to help your da
ddy.”

  The child hesitated for just a moment, then darted off toward the hospital. Crystal tore her immaculately white gown and pressed it to the bleeding spot on Mr. Hutchison’s head as she waited. When she saw young Bradley running back to her, followed by the petite doctor, she smiled.

  Patting Hart’s head she stepped away. “Good luck, Mr. Hutchison!” she said and disappeared.

  GLORIA WINTERS FROWNED in bafflement as she tried to decide how on earth the little Hutchison boy could have known her name. She had been right in the middle of examining an old man with flu symptoms when the child had burst into the ER and called out, “Gloria!” She’d turned immediately, and when he’d realized she was Gloria, he’d demanded that she come to help his father and would take no exceptions.

  Now almost an hour later, she smiled as Bradley curled closer to Mr. Hart Hutchison and closed his eyes in slumber. They still weren’t quite sure exactly what had happened to cause the man’s concussion, but he’d needed several stitches to seal up the wound.

  She turned and handed his chart to a nurse then began to walk away. “Call me when he wakes.”

  “I am awake,” she heard a hoarse baritone answer, and when she turned, she saw a pair of groggy eyes looking at her. “What the hell happened?”

  Dr. Winters sighed and crossed her hands behind her back. “We think someone threw something at you and hit you in the head. You have a concussion.”

  “And one hell of a headache.”

  She smiled sympathetically and was rewarded when his lips too curled into a wide grin. It was a very nice smile, and it occurred to her she wouldn’t mind seeing it often.

  Looking in at them from the window, Crystal giggled with glee. The moment Dr. Winters had grinned, the chord of a harp had sounded in her angel ears, and she was filled with a bit of hope that her farfetched scheme had not been in vain. She said a little prayer of thanks to the Father then found herself laughing again. She just knew that when Gabriel heard that sound, his face would turn astonished at the mere thought that she might not fail in her mission. She was making progress, and that gave her hope.

  Love is like a melody of sounds, and each step on the road to love has its own distinct accent. The first smile had been granted the sound of angel harps, just as the first meeting of two lovers’ eyes was the clashing of crystal glasses.

  Inside the two were speaking again. “What time is it?” Mr. Hutchison asked.

  “Just after nine o’clock.”

  “Damn, I have to be at work in thirty minutes.” He began to pull the covers off himself.

  “I don’t think so, Mr. Hutchison. You are in no condition to leave right now.”

  He glared at her so fiercely that she actually drew back the hand that had been about to put the blankets back over him.

  “You don’t understand, lady. I have to go to work.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I do understand, at least partly. Listen, I know it’s a tough time of year, and I’m sure every dime counts, but your son needs you healthy. You need to rest.”

  Hart thought about that a moment, then fell back against his pillows and caressed Bradley’s head.

  “Mr. Hutchison...” She hesitated a moment. “Do I know you?”

  He frowned at her, making her feel foolish for asking. “Of course not. I don’t even know your name.”

  “Well, your son does.”

  “Does what?”

  “He knows my name. When you were hurt, he ran right in here and asked specifically for me. He wouldn’t let anyone else come to help you. Just me.”

  “And what is your name?”

  “Gloria Winters,” she answered, pointing to her name tag.

  Hart shrugged. “I don’t have any idea where he might know you... maybe his school came on a trip here to the hospital...” She shook her head negative before he could finish speaking, and he grumbled in agitation.

  Gloria caught herself before she let the laugh at the tip of her tongue loose. “We’ll keep you here tonight for observations, then you can go home tomorrow, but...” She stressed this. “...you won’t be able to work for a few days.”

  “I have to work!” he told her, then flinched and rubbed his head.

  “C’mon, Mr. Hutchison. Christmas is in three days. Working yourself to death when you should be resting won’t do anyone any good. You don’t want give your son a funeral for a Christmas present.”

  “At least I’d be giving him something,” he muttered under his breath, then side-eyed her with an embarrassed frown. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “Look, it’s just a few days...”

  “I’m a strong man, and I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I just need some sleep. Now I’m really tired,” he said, and it was clear she was being dismissed.

  “Have a good night’s rest, Mr. Hutchison.”

  “... AND WHEN SHE HELPED the two Jewish girls to hide from the bad men, one of them gave her this necklace.”

  When Hart turned his head, he saw Bradley holding out the Star of David necklace to a very interested Dr. Winters.

  He blinked his eyes to remove the fuzziness of sleep, then turned so that he could watch his son finish the story. The boy was just ending the tale when he saw that his daddy was awake. With a bright smile, he hopped down from Gloria’s lap.

  “Guess what, Daddy! Guess what Gloria says. She says you get to go home today! And guess what else! Guess Daddy, guess!”

  “What?” Mr. Hutchison asked with feigned enthusiasm.

  “She says that you don’t have to work till after Christmas is over. Isn’t that great, Daddy? We get to be together for a whole week!”

  Hart glanced up at Dr. Winter’s guilty face, giving her clear notice with his eyes that he wasn’t pleased about her trick.

  “Here you go, Bradley.” She placed several coins in his palm. “Go on down to the snack machine while I talk to your daddy.”

  Gloria watched the child scamper off, then turned to grin at Mr. Hutchison. “How are you feeling today?”

  “You shouldn’t have told him that. I have to work. There’s no way I can afford not to, especially with the medical bills I’m...”

  “Someone paid your bills already.”

  “I don’t want anyone’s pity!” he growled and sat up.

  “I knew you wouldn’t, but some woman came late last night and left enough for your bill and your medication.”

  “What woman?”

  “I have no earthly idea. She refused to leave her name; she just said she owed it to you. I did notice, however, that her dress was made of the same kind of material as that cloth I found against your wound. I got the feeling that maybe she was the one that hit you.”

  “Great,” Hart muttered, then rolled out of bed, uncaring that he was wearing only a hospital gown.

  “Ah.” Gloria turned her eyes to the wall when she saw the gown gape open at the back. “Your clothes are on the table. I’ll go outside and find Bradley while you dress.”

  When she was safely outside his door, she sighed and frowned in confusion. She couldn’t imagine why his bare body had that kind of effect on her. She saw half-naked men every day, but... there was something enchanting about Hart Hutchison. She didn’t know what it was, but there was some sort of connection between the two of them.

  “Gloria! Gloria!” Bradley screamed as he ran toward her. “That machine took my money!”

  “Well,” she looked appalled. “We’ll just have to do something about that.” Putting her hand out for his, she guided him to the lobby.

  IT WAS LATE THE NEXT night, as Gloria was struggling to finish some paper work, when Hart and Bradley Hutchison filled her mind for not the first time in the past two days. She wondered if Mr. Hutchison had taken her advice and stayed home from work. She wondered what kind of Christmas they would be having, and felt tears fill her eyes as she thought of the one they would probably have. It was clear that the twosome had fallen on very hard times.

  Hours later, she stepped out into the cold ni
ght air and looked up at the sky. Shifting her weight back and forth from the balls to the heels of her feet, she watched as a shooting star flashed through the perfect night sky, and she felt loneliness steal her breath.

  Sudden inspiration filled her and she knew what she had to do. Rushing back into the hospital, she searched the files for Mr. Hutchinson’s information, scribbling onto a little notepad and slipping it into her pocket surreptitiously as the nurse returned to the station.

  Waving goodbye to the woman, cheeks blushing, she practically ran to her car as she had several stops to make before heading to the Hutchisons’ home. When she got to their door, she heard not a sound and prayed that they were both asleep now at three o’clock on Christmas morning.

  Quietly she jiggled the rusty doorknob and, not surprisingly, found it locked.

  Gloria put down her bags and then tugged her purse around to her front so that she could delve her hand inside for her multitool. She hadn’t picked a lock since she was a teenager, and she hoped she could remember how to manage it. She also hoped no one would catch her.

  As Gloria wiggled the screwdriver tool in the lock, Crystal appeared on the other side of the door. She swiftly closed the door to both Hart’s and Bradley’s rooms, then unlocked the front door to the apartment.

  Floating through the wall, Crystal saw Gloria hesitating. She knew the woman was just about to turn and walk away, abandon all of her crazy plans and go home. She couldn’t let that happen, so she put both her hands out and gave the woman a slight push from behind. Entirely unaware that an angel had urged her to do so, the doctor tried the knob again.

  A radio was playing Christmas music in the background, and Dr. Winters said a prayer of thanks, hoping the sound would muffle any noise she might make. When she turned, she saw a very short, scraggly Christmas tree in the corner of the main room, with only four or five presents beneath it. It reminded her a little bit of the tree from the old Charlie Brown Christmas special.