“Oh? What church is that?” said Joyce.
“The church of—” Erin glanced frantically at Andy.
“Of—” said Andy.
“Yes?” prompted Joyce.
Andy said the first string of vaguely appropriate words that popped into his head. “The Church of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady of the—”
“Sea,” finished Erin. “The Church of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady of the Sea.”
If Joyce’s eyebrows went any higher, they would have climbed off the top of her head and run away. “Never heard of it. Catholic, then?”
“Yes,” said Andy firmly. “Exactly.”
Joyce nodded. “Why don’t you stop by the house afterward for lunch? Since you’re shopping, you can pick up something to bring.”
Andy and Erin looked at each other. Andy couldn’t read Erin’s pleading expression clearly enough to determine whether she wanted him to accept or decline Joyce’s invitation, so he winged it. “Of course we’ll come. I’ll bring my famous devil’s food cake.”
“Oh, you bake?” said Joyce.
It didn’t sound like a complimentary remark. Andy felt a rebellious impulse of mischief coming on. “I do bake,” he said.
“Well, then,” said Joyce. “I’ll see you Sunday.”
Andy and Erin stood together, their arms still linked, until Joyce turned down another aisle.
“What were you thinking?” whispered Erin. “Now we have to go to her ridiculous lunch!”
“I’m not the one who started a new relationship in the middle of a grocery store,” said Andy.
Erin pressed her hand against her forehead. “I panicked!”
“Not hard to do around your mother,” he said.
She hit him in the arm. “My mother is a saint.”
“Your mother thinks she’s a saint. There’s a difference.”
Erin snorted with suppressed laughter. “All right, truce. Mistakes were made. At least I get some devil’s food cake out of it.”
Andy leaned down to her ear and whispered, “I put the ‘devil’ in devil’s food cake,” and had the pleasure of bringing another smile to her lips.
23
After Erin fell asleep that night, Andy slipped out of the house and winged his way to his favorite overlook in the area. The 29-story condo building towered over the beachside peninsula, with a clear 360 degree view perfect for contemplation.
Unseen on the roof of the building, he stared out across the ocean waves dappled with moonlight. As an immortal, it was all too easy to become jaded, but Andy held on to an eternal optimist’s sense of wonder. He closed his eyes and felt the humid air blow over his face and ruffle the feathers in his wings.
An English-accented voice rang out behind him. “Thought I’d find you here.”
Andy turned his head. “Phoenix,” he said. “How’d you know I’d be here?”
“On top of the tallest landmark in the area?” Phoenix shrugged, the motion rippling his glossy red wings in the moonlight. “Of course you’d be here.”
“You’re not wrong,” said Andy. “What brings you out in the middle of the night?”
“Same as you, I assume. Escaping your assigned mortal.”
