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Fun of a Lifetime 25
THE MANATEES WERE BEAUTIFUL. ANGEL HAD ALWAYS thought so. So serene. Content to bob among the shoreline vegetation, these creatures never seemed bothered by any-thing. They took life as it came, floating with the waves, bumping into each other for comfort. Talk about babysit-ters. Any child of the sea was always safe in their care. She still kept in touch with the herd her parents had hired to watch her and her siblings when they’d vaca-tioned off this coast when they were younger. Matter of fact, she thought she recognized a familiar face or two, but luckily, by pretending to have a pebble in her shoe, she had the chance to ask the manatees to treat her as they would any other Human. The birds, however, were another matter. “Can you talk to animals? I saw that in a movie.” Michael asked as a cardinal flitted down from the trees to tweet at them for the seventh time, swooping from one side of the path to the other, garnering her more interest than she cared for. “Of course she ca
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Fun of a Lifetime 26
ANGEL TOOK ONE LAST PASS BY THE MANATEE ENCLOSURE AS they headed toward the park’s exit. She’d loved seeing everyone, but the fact that they were in pens saddened her—and reminded her exactly what Humans were ca-pable of. Oh, yes, this facility was for the animals’ ben-efit, and visitor money enabled the caretakers to care for the manatees, but other Humans weren’t so altruistic. That’s why she was determined to succeed. For every-one’s benefit. The smiles Logan had given her today when she’d sug-gested Michael hold his hand were a personal benefit. “So, Michael, what do you think of the manatees?” she asked as they were departing, not dwelling on per-sonal anything when it came to Logan. Well, trying not to. Michael wrinkled his nose. “Manatees don’t look like mermaids. Mermaids are pretty.” A smile replaced the thoughtful look on Logan’s face. He obviously found Michael’s comment funny, but Angel took the comment for what it was: a compliment. “Perhaps not to you, but they’re b
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LOGAN COULD PUT THIS DAY ON HIS LIST OF GREAT ONES. Michael had obviously had a wonderful time, and Angel… The woman was beautiful, knew a hell of a lot about the creatures the park rescued, and Michael obviously adored her. And, Nadia’s prediction notwithstanding, Logan was coming to adore her as well. He honestly couldn’t say when he’d enjoyed a day—and a woman—more. He followed Angel and his son across the parking lot and clicked the remote opener so Michael could climb in the car, wondering if Angel would sit in the back like yesterday, or the front as she’d done on the ride over. Then she tossed her hair over her shoulder again and he wanted to ask her to sit up front. Right next to him. Every time she’d done that today, every time her eyes crinkled with laughter or she’d sung with the birds, he’d found himself remembering last night. “Angel.” Her name slipped out before he thought better of it. She reached the car and looked up at him with those expressive eyes. “Yes?”
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ANGEL CLOSED THE STORYBOOK AND SET IT ON THE NIGHT- stand beside the bed. “I had a fun time today, Michael.” She handed him his bedraggled, stuffed raccoon. “Me, too.” Michael plunked the animal next to his pillow. “Angel?” “Hmm?” “Are you gonna be here tomorrow?” He made a big pretense of arranging the raccoon’s paws just right, and his eyes didn’t meet hers. “Of course I will, Michael. I had a great time today.” She almost reached out to tousle his hair but stopped her-self. Yes she’d be here, but he was already so attached to her, she shouldn’t encourage more. How would he handle it when she did have to go home? “I’ll send your dad up, okay?” “Okay,” Michael mumbled. “Good night.” She pulled the covers over his shoulder. “G’night.” At the bedroom door, Angel watched him slip his hat back on his head then settle down. One arm wrapped around Rocky, Michael curled the rest of his body around the toy and pulled the covers tight as if shielding them both from the outside world.
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“ANGEL? WHERE ARE YOU?” Logan. Angel’s chuckle was half-groan. Talk about karma, the universe, whatever. She swung her legs off the edge of the lounge and toed around for her shoes. “Right here, Logan.” He rounded the corner before she could get her sec-ond shoe on and stand, which left her gaze at thigh level. His thigh. So not where she needed it to be. She sprang to her feet—and teetered on the new ap-pendages that were now at uneven heights, thanks to the one-shoe thing. Gods, when would she learn? Then Logan reached out to steady her and didn’t let go, and she figured she’d learned fairly well. No no no. The job. She had to remember the job. “Are you okay?” If she could find her voice, she’d answer him. As it was, she could only nod. “Oh. Good.” He let go of her arms. Thank the gods she managed to stay upright. Some learned scientist she was—cool, professional, able to maintain distance when dealing with her subjects— Yeah, she was fooling no one. Least of all her-self
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Fun of a Lifetime 30
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S ON LAND? STILL?” ROD SWAM from one side of the High Councilman’s office to the other in what was sure to be record-breaking time, scat-tering the shoal of synchronized damselfish he’d hired for his wife’s surprise party who were rehearsing in the corner. Mariana backed out of her brother’s way, bumping up against the sideboard that held busts of all the previ-ous High Councilmen and almost knocking the newest addition off. She hadn’t wanted to be the bearer of bad tidings for just this reason. She’d known Rod wouldn’t react well. Angel was so going to pay for this. Mariana righted their father’s likeness. “Yes, Rod. But she was in the water last night, so it’s no big deal. She’ll be back in before her time runs out.” Rod turned around, creating a strong enough whirl-pool that the blennies snoozing in an alcove were sent twirling onto the coral beds on the ledge below. That had to hurt. “How do you know this, Mariana, when none of my informants knew where s
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ANGEL DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE WHAT SHE WAS DOING. Well, okay, she knew what she was doing physically, but emotionally? She was so in over her head here… Walking with Logan on a moonlit beach, him looking at her like that… she was playing with fire in a way she hadn’t imagined. The thing was, she didn’t care—and how crazy was that? They’d covered the basics on the walk: his childhood, his relationship with Michael’s mother, his job, his life. She’d shared what she could of hers, glossing over some of the details, but the believability factor of her story proved her point that Mers could pass in the Human world. Not that she’d include any of this in her argument to Rod. They’d gathered shells on the walk back. She’d found a round piece of abalone that’d make the perfect neck¬lace for Pearl, and Logan had found a piece of driftwood resembling a dinosaur for Michael. He’d shared the story of how Michael had come into his life and his anger with Christine for keeping his son from him and t
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Logan never walked so quickly in his life; truthfully, he felt as if he’d flown. As if Mercury had put wings on his feet and zipped them both up to the bedroom. He leaned back against his door, clicking it shut, fum¬bling to lock it and not drop Angel. She was so slight he could hold her against him with one hand, but he didn’t want to stop touching her at all. He also didn’t want Michael walking in on them, so he managed to move quickly and without breaking the kiss he’d started halfway up the stairs. She felt so good in his arms, her hair stroking him as if she were running hundreds of fingertips all over his body, and Logan groaned into her mouth at that image. He couldn’t wait to have her under him and moving, naked, against him as she was right now. He walked over to the bed and set her on it on her knees. She flung both arms around him, freeing that other arm at last. He hadn’t wanted to be apart from her for even a moment to give her the use of that arm, but as one of her s
Last Updated : 2022-07-20
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Fun of a Lifetime 69
“ANGEL? LOGAN? WANNA PLAY BALL?” MICHAEL’S shadow fluttered on the filmy netting draping their hon-eymoon cabana door. Private island getaways didn’t need doors—unless one expected a six-year-old to make an appearance. Logan helped Angel smooth the sheet on the bed, then checked himself in the mirror. They’d had to scramble into their clothes when Mariana had done the first loop around the island. Good thing Angel’s sister had a big set of lungs—half the Caribbean had probably heard her warn them Michael was on his way. One more reason he’d be indebted to Mariana for the rest of his life. He didn’t mind in the least. “Come on in, Michael.” Logan brushed past Angel, unable to prevent himself from touching her shoulder, then he pulled back the netting. “Oooh, awesome!” Michael bounced in—of course— and picked up the crystal sculpture Mariana had given them for a wedding present. “Awesome? What happened to ‘cool’?” Logan said, rustling his son’s hair. The hat had been left back in
Fun of a Lifetime 68
LOGAN WAS GLAD ANGEL DECIDED ON LEGS FOR THEIR wedding day. And the morning after—if only for the fact that she looked utterly magnificent straddling him. Her skin glistened in the warm Caribbean sun. The pineapple-and-hibiscus-scented breeze wisped her golden hair around them, and the rhythmic arrival of the surf on the deserted island beach set the tempo for their lovemaking. The twilight ceremony last evening hadn’t been his idea. If he’d had his way, they would have been mar¬ried in Atlantis immediately after the trial, but Angel had specifically requested a land wedding with all her family… and no tails. It wasn’t enough that she’d fi-nagled both the job she wanted and had him—by virtue of his experience with green technologies—appointed to her Advisory Board, she’d wanted to make a state-ment about bringing the sea and the land together via their marriage. The earliest the wedding could be pulled together, tails shifted into legs, and Michael brought over had been last night
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There wasn’t a dry eye in the place—oh, that’s right. They were underwater. But Angel knew tears when she felt them, and they were what was sliding down her cheeks. And what she tasted when she kissed Logan. “I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips. “I never lied about that.” “Then it’s settled.” Zeus clapped his hands and a giant golden abacus with different colored pearls floated in front of The Council. Angel looked past Logan as Zeus swam over to it. What was the head god up to? She caught Mariana’s smile before her sister tucked her chin to her chest and draped her long hair in front of her face. She had a feeling Mariana knew exactly what Zeus was going to do—and she had a feeling she was going to be eternally grateful to her sister. “In the system of checks and balances that we use On High, two negatives—” the god slid two small black pearls to the side—“equal a positive.” He slid a pink pearl on another row. “Angel offered herself in Michael’s place. Knowing C
Fun of a Lifetime 66
MARRY? Every head, eye spot, and antenna swung toward the doorway. Angel couldn’t have heard correctly. And then she saw who it was. Logan? As gorgeous as the last time she’d seen him, Logan swam into the Coliseum, Mariana right behind him. Oh gods. What had Mariana done? The Council would crucify him—and she did mean literally. No Humans except her sisters-in-law had ever witnessed a convened Council, but they were married to members of the royal family. “Who are you, Human?” Thorsson’s last word rasped across the silence as tightly as his clipped beard swung against his chin. All the beings in the arena followed Logan as he walked—yes, walked, on two legs, every bit as tall and strong and proud of his heritage as he had a right to be—toward The Council. He didn’t utter another word. Not until he reached her. “Hey,” was that word. Then he hugged her. Chest-to-chest, thigh-to-tail, arms-wrapped-around-her hug and, omygods, it felt so good. She’d never thought she’d see him ag
Fun of a Lifetime 65
SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! Logan kicked his feet, trying to free the one that’d been caught, all the while paddling his arms towards the surface. The creature, whatever it was, let go and Logan swam for all he was worth, managing to grab his knife. Now if only he had his mask on so he could see the thing coming. He wasn’t waiting for it to attack again; the boat wasn’t that far away. He cleared the surface and headed toward it, only to almost crash head-on into a— Mermaid. Right in front of him. Long, flowing red hair and a sparkling emerald green tail. Almost as beautiful as Angel. No one was as beautiful as Angel. “I’m Mariana Tritone. Angel’s sister.” The woman’s voice was almost as lyrical as Angel’s, but it didn’t af-fect him at all. “Do you really want to help her?” It spoke to how far his reality had shifted when he entered into the conversation as if it were completely normal. “Yes. She saved my life and my son’s. I owe her.” Not to mention, loved her, but he wasn’t su
Fun of a Lifetime 64
ANGEL SWAM INTO THE COLISEUM TO THE MURMURINGS OF the assembled members of Atlantian society. Octopi, eels, fish, crustaceans, Mers, Council members. They were all there, every stone seat in the circular building filled. A public lynching. The gold walls of the Atlantian cavern were bathed in the glow from the massive magma wells ringing the circu¬lar building. A gently waving, multihued carpet of every species of anemone known to Man and Merkind covered the marble floor, while thousands of sea beings stared at her with antennae, eyes, or some version thereof. A convened Council used to intimidate her, having all the pomp and circumstance of an entity that dated back thousands, if not millions, of selinos. But now that The Council was convened for her, interestingly, she wasn’t intimidated. Seriously, what more could they do to her? She’d almost cost Michael his life with his father, had almost cost Logan his life, period, and she’d broken the cardi-nal rule of the Mer World. Thi
Fun of a Lifetime 63
LOGAN CHECKED THE COORDINATES GINGER HAD GIVEN HIM, then looked overboard. Somewhere down there, beneath the island of Bermuda, Atlantis waited. He dropped anchor, wondering how much damage that did to the reef, but if this all played out like Ginger had outlined, that would be the least of his worries. Grabbing his scuba gear, Logan scanned the area. A perfect Bermuda day. Sunny with wispy clouds. Logan could see for miles. A pair of boats were well beyond shouting distance, and others farther past them. Windsurfers sailed near the shore, and that party cruise had been headed north. He’d rented the boat for the week, so it wasn’t expected back until then, and no curious Jet Skiers were around to take note of how long he’d be gone. His arrangements were either good subterfuge or suicide. He hoped it wasn’t the latter. One more look at the map and the coastline confirmed that he was at the right spot. Ginger had even mentioned the area off the bow where the greens of the shallows
Fun of a Lifetime 62
“HE’S ASKED ABOUT YOU.” MARIANA SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND her with a swish of her fluke and set a tray of food on Angel’s bedside table. Angel rolled over on the mattress and looked at her. “He has? Who’d he ask?” “Ginger.” Angel groaned. “Great. That bird doesn’t like me.” “True.” Mariana dipped a piece of shrimp in the mango puree. Ginger didn’t like Angel—which was why the bird had been more than happy to share that little bit of gossip with her. The bird knew the news would make its way back to Angel. But rubbing saltwater in the wound only hurt on land. In the sea, things were different. And about to get a whole lot more different if Mariana could pull it off. “So? What did Rod do when he heard Logan was asking about me?” Angel took the shrimp and popped it into her mouth. “Rod doesn’t exactly know.” Angel sat up and flicked her tail over the edge of the mattress. “Why not?” Because Mariana didn’t want to get her sister’s hopes up or jeopardize her plans. “You said yourself
Fun of a Lifetime 61
THE NEXT MORNING, LOGAN STOOD OUTSIDE A YELLOW AND red tent. They’d gotten a new one. A permanent one, according to the sign on the gate: The Flying H Family Circus. Family Circus. The irony wasn’t lost on Logan. “You really lived in a circus?” Michael held onto his hand, the baseball cap tilted back just far enough that he could look up without it falling off. “Yes, I really did.” In another lifetime. And one he was now going to subject Michael to. But he didn’t have a choice. He wasn’t about to take him along to find Angel, and Rainbow… well, Rainbow had enough on her plate at the moment if he could even find her—and he didn’t have time to look. His… parents were the best choice he had. He’d never starved, and Nadia had always been there with a big hug whenever he’d gotten hurt. She’d taken care of him when he’d been sick, asked how his day was. Right now, he’d have to be happy with that for Michael. God willing, this would only be temporary. “This looks cool. Let’s go in.”
