Page 16 of If This is Love

“Yes, Lord.” The light was now blinding and white, and I couldn’t see anything other than an outline of a head.

Oh my heavens, it’s the face of God.

Right?

I couldn’t see very well, and it was all a lot more confusing than I’d ever imagined, and it also meant I wasdead. I wasn’t prepared to die when Jax and I left for our run twenty minutes ago, but I also wasn’t prepared for the kiss I shared with Michael before he slipped out the door on that day seven years ago to be ourlast.

But on the upside, if I had justdiedit also meant I was about to see Michael, too. And for a second, being dead seemed as great as everyone from church always acted like it was.

But wouldn’t Michael be right here greeting me? That’s what everyone always said happened when you arrived in heaven, so where was he?

“Ruth? Can you hear me? Try to look at me.”

“Yes, Lord.” AlthoughtheLordsuddenly sounded like a thirty-something man whose voice had a hint of New Orleans Yat spliced with a slight southern inflection, and that couldn’tpossiblybe right.

The Lordwouldn’t have a Louisiana accent, would he?

That didn’t even begin to make sense.

“Hey, Ruth? Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

I blinked, and the silhouette of the head started to morph into an actual face. The features were sort of hazy, but then the eyes came into focus, and they weresilver.

A gunmetal gray; a clear, bottomless, striking pewter. They were kind, gentle, andbeautiful, but also full of strength and focus.His face had strong features and a dark beard, and tousled, dark brown hair framed it like a halo. He had large, muscular shoulders that made him seem like he could easily hurt someone, but his hand on my arm was as gentle as could be.

There wasno waythis was the Lord.This had to be one of his mighty archangels, who’d ushered me away from the gates of heaven back to Earth so I could keep running my race.

“Keep looking at me, Ruth, but try not to get up for a second, okay?”

Now, why would the Angel of the Lord say something like that? That’s not what the Angel of the Lord would say. The Angel of the Lord would say something like,Get up and keep running your race.

A serious breakdown in communication was happening. This angel suddenly looked a little too human to be believable.

“Can you move your arms and legs?”

Now it was really confusing, but I wiggled my fingers and toes anyway.

“Good. Do you feel any numbness or tingling or shooting pain?”

I blinked, and his face came into view.

This wasn’t heaven.

The creature hovering above me and looking at me through beautiful, silver eyes wasn’t an angel.

No, he was a fully-human male—and an extremelyhandsomeone at that.

The reality of what just happened sank into my brain like a stone plunking into a river, and adrenaline started leaving my body so fast that I was trembling.

“Oh myheavens,” I croaked, my voice suddenly fragile and as shaky as my body. I lifted my hands to shield my face from the concerned and too-attractive good Samaritan. “LordJes—”

“Easy there, sweetie,” the good Samaritan murmured, his voice deep and soothing as he gently clasped one of my wrists and drew my hand away from my face. “You’ve got a few scrapes.”

I could feel how many scrapes I had in a number of different places. A lot of things were stinging and smarting and throbbing and aching, and I hadreallyjust been standing in the middle of the road, out of my mind, while a car was headed straight for Jax and me. My eyes started to burn with tears of stress overwhat if, and I pressed my lips together so I didn’t make this poor, kind man uncomfortable from crying in front of him.

“I’m so sorry,” I squeaked out of pure, ingrained reflex and then paused to compose my voice. “I’m so sorry I troubled you like this. I’m so sorry.”

“Shhh…” His fingers tenderly touched the side of my face while he canted his head to one side, his silver eyes skimming and darting like he was inspecting me for more injuries. “No need for any of that, Ruth. Just hang on another second, and I’ll help you sit up.”

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