Love in the WINGS Read Online Free PDF

‘Oh, I love to hear Aria sing.’ I’ve never seen a bride more relaxed about the little details of her wedding.”
    “Well…yes, I suppose I could sing. But are you certain they don’t have someone they know…or maybe a CD they’d like to use…?”
    “Yours was the only name Kaci mentioned. So, you’ll do it then? You’ll sing?”
    Aria chuckled. “Sure, Miss Viv. Count me in.” She still wasn’t comfortable calling the older woman by her first name, but Viv had insisted from the day they met.
    Aria’s busy brain was already trying to shuffle this new task into her crowded schedule. Most weeks she spent well over forty hours working her two jobs, and another half dozen or so tending to the music program—rehearsing, lining up songs, scheduling the musicians. Singing at the wedding would add another several hours to a schedule that was already straining at the seams, especially now, with the Easter program to think about. Were there even enough hours in the day?
    “You choose a song, dear. I know it’ll be perfect.” Viv stood and crossed to the sink, where she ran water over her hands and dried them on a tea towel. “That’s a big load off my mind. And now, I need to get out of your way and let you enjoy your weekend.”
    “You’re not in my way. Come back any time.” Aria quickly washed the plate her landlady had brought over and handed it to her. “I always welcome visitors who bring lovely smiles and delicious food.”
    Viv laughed and patted her cheek. “Well, don’t forget that you invited me, dear, because I will be back.” She stepped out onto the porch and shook her head. “I hope this awful humidity lets up before the wedding.”
    A familiar unease squirmed in Aria’s belly. “I’m not completely sure it’s humidity.”
    “No? What do you mean?”
    She didn’t want this sweet woman to think she was losing her mind. “Oh, nothing, I guess. Thanks again, Miss Viv.”
    Viv hurried off toward the big house. Aria remained on the porch for a moment, trying to shrug off a vague sense of unease. A shadow seemed to overhang the place this morning. She looked up, expecting to see dark clouds obliterating the sky. Her searching gaze found only clear blue in the heavens.
    But something was there. She felt it.
    Her gut clenched, and she stumbled backward, clutching at the doorframe as the air around her fluttered and waved, as if folding in on itself. In that brief instant, she caught a split-second vision of clashing swords, heard a distant shout. The phrase “battle cry” crossed her mind, though she had no idea what it meant.
    And then it was gone, and Aria realized she was clinging to the doorframe with white-knuckled fingers, whimpering like a frightened child.
    She hauled in a deep, steadying breath and hurried inside, praying no one had witnessed her moment of…what? Insanity?
    She needed more coffee. And for the first time in her life, she wished she had something stronger in her cupboards.
    Whatever had just happened to her had something to do with what Zoe Manning had called about yesterday. Of that, she had no doubt.
     
    ****
     
    “Going into town?”
    Aria had her car door open and was getting ready to brave the furnace-like interior when Corbin’s voice rang out from the next driveway.
    She bit her lip. She was headed to the church for Pia’s meeting with the WINGS team. Corbin stood next to his pickup, twirling a set of keys on one finger. Of course. He was headed there too.
    “Yes. To the church.”
    “Pia’s meeting?”
    She nodded. “And a couple of other little things I need to do.”
    “Me too.” He gave her a crooked smile that would have melted the hearts of several young ladies Aria could think of. Not hers, though. She barely noticed that his smile wasn’t quite straight, and that his thick eyelashes were TV-commercial long. “Want to ride with me? We’re going to the same place, and coming right back here.”
    No. She definitely did not want to ride