A Kiss To Remember | Herophine

Chapter Sixteen - The Wake Up Call

Josephine

You’ve lived long enough now to know that sometimes people do all the wrong things....

"Do you hear bells?” Hardin shouted as the tower above them burst into deafening song.

“No bells, darling," Josephine shouted back, “just angels singing every time I look into your eyes."

He arched one eyebrow, his expression more devilish than angelic as he pressed his mouth to her ear, and murmured, “Tonight I promise to show you a glimpse of heaven itself.”

“Why wait until tonight?" Josephine mouthed back at him. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips as she turned her face to his in invitation.

He was about to accept that invitation when a shadow came plummeting out of the sky, consuming every drop of sunlight in its path. Josephine was still standing with her eyes shut and her dewy lips parted when Hardin gave her a violent shove, sending her sliding down the church steps on her backside.

A tremendous crash sounded, followed by a blinding cloud of dust and a flurry of gasps, shouts, and coughing. For several minutes, Josephine could only lie there in the grass, utterly stunned. Hardin's kisses had been known to have some startling effects on her, but she’d never had one hurl her down a flight of steps.

Fanning the dust away from her watering eyes, she struggled to her feet. The beautiful gown Maggie had labored over with such care was sullied by grass stains and torn in half a dozen places. Her circlet of rosebuds drooped over one eye. She was vaguely aware of people mining around in the churchyard behind her, their panicked shouts ringing over the unrelenting chiming of the bells, but all she could think of was getting back to Hardin.

Weaving like a drunken wood sprite, she started up the steps. They were littered with bits of mortar and chunks of stone. She was picking her way over a jagged fragment when a familiar voice shrieked, “Jo!”

Josephine jerked around to see Katy come flying around the corner of the church with Anthony in tow. Katy’s face lit up like a Roman candle when she saw her, but darkened just as quickly. The children both stumbled to a halt, looking at something just behind Josephine.

The villagers fell silent. The bells ceased their chiming. The angels stopped singing. Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as Josephine turned. The dust had just begun to clear, revealing a man sprawled like a broken puppet against the church doon

“Hardin?” Josephine whispered.

She dropped to her knees at his side. Except for the blood trickling from a shallow cut on his brow, he looked peaceful enough to be sleeping. Josephine blinked, trying to convince herself that the mysterious object lying beside him actually was a severed wing. She turned her gaze to the heavens, realizing for the first time what had happened.

When the statue of the angel had come toppling off the parapet, Hardin had shoved her out of harm’s way, taking the brunt of the blow himself.

As the villagers began to creep up the steps behind her, Josephine slipped her trembling hand in side Hardin's waistcoat. His heart beat strong and true against her palm, just as it had that day in the wood.

Relief coursed through her, swelling to joy as his eyes began to flutter open. But the dazed expression in their depths gave her a fresh moment of horror. If a blow to the head could rob him of his memory, was it possible that a second blow could restore it?

Grasping the lapels of his coat, she gave him a gentle shake. “Do you know me, Hardin? Do you know who I am?”

She bit her lip as his eyes struggled to bring her face into focus. She could feel the villagers holding their breath right along with her.