uncanny moment she’d spent with Mike. She realised that even when he’d been a complete stranger to her she’d trusted him implicitly. He’d told her to sell the inn—she’d sold the inn. He’d told her to buy a rundown ice cream parlour sight-unseen—she’d asked who to make the cheque out to. He’d suggested she take a break from the relationship she thought she wanted with Liam and she’d packed her suitcase. “God, Mike—are you like the Pied Piper? If I remember correctly that story didn’t end so well for the ones that followed him.”
Mike reached out and patted her knee. “I will never harm you, Toni. I will never harm anyone. I can’t.”
“So what, you’re an angel?”
Mike shrugged, “You’re on the right track, but not exactly. I’m a guardian. I was born to human parents and I’m essentially human. I’ll age and die just like the rest of you. The difference is that while I’m here, my job is to look after someone and guide that person on their ultimate path—in this case you. Then after this task—this life—is over, I’ll do it all again. I’ll be born, grow up and be guardian to others, live, grow old and die.”
Toni laid her hand on his. “That sounds awful. What about heaven and eternal rest and all that?”
Mike laughed again. “Toni, this is heaven. I’m immortal. Though my body goes through the trial of human death every hundred years or so, my awareness, my being never dies. From the moment I’m born into a new body I have complete knowledge of who I am. I go through diapers and toddling and finger painting and—good God—even junior high with the full awareness of my purpose.”
Looking into his serene face, Toni realised that she’d never seen Mike anything but happy and bursting with an unbridled joy for life. She remembered his excitement at the inn when she’d told her guests about the mysterious hauntings. She remembered his giddiness and awe when he lay on his back on the floor of the ice cream shop—covered with sour, melted ice cream—and stared up at the old tin ceiling. She’d never heard an angry or unkind word pass through his lips. “So, I got you because I’m a psychic?”
Mike shook his head. “No, Antonia. Every human has a guardian. You saw it because you’re psychic.”
“So if you’re magic—or whatever—how come you haven’t been able to catch the ghosts on camera, or tell me if Kip Monroe really started the fire or just tell me exactly what I’m supposed to do?”
Mike laughed. “I’m not magic, Toni. I can’t see your future and I certainly can’t change it. That’s against the rules. I can see options, guide you on your path and hope you make the right decisions, but ultimately the choice is up to you. I can’t read minds either, but I can communicate with other guardians if their charge has some connection to mine.”
When Toni levelled a sceptical stare at him he continued, “Bridget’s guardian was her first-grade teacher who let her sit on his lap and turn the pages as he read, ‘The Little Engine That Could’ to the class. To this day when she faces something daunting she repeats, ‘I think I can’. Thomas’ guardian was his grandmother who taught him to live life to the fullest even if it sometimes means bending the rules. He’s still in the learning stage, but he’s almost there.”
“Thomas’ grandma?”
Mike nodded. “She left that form many, many years ago and she’s on to her next assignment. But she still influences him. In fact, she’s in there.” Mike gestured to the metal locker in the corner of the booth.
“She’s in the cabinet?” Toni asked.
Mike smiled. “Just wait. You’ll see. Dry your tears now. He’s coming.”
Toni hadn’t realised she was crying until Mike told her she was. She swiped the last tear from her cheek before Thomas re-entered the room. “Are you two about done in here? We’ve got a grand opening in less than twenty-four hours.”
In a wink Mike was
Mike reached out and patted her knee. “I will never harm you, Toni. I will never harm anyone. I can’t.”
“So what, you’re an angel?”
Mike shrugged, “You’re on the right track, but not exactly. I’m a guardian. I was born to human parents and I’m essentially human. I’ll age and die just like the rest of you. The difference is that while I’m here, my job is to look after someone and guide that person on their ultimate path—in this case you. Then after this task—this life—is over, I’ll do it all again. I’ll be born, grow up and be guardian to others, live, grow old and die.”
Toni laid her hand on his. “That sounds awful. What about heaven and eternal rest and all that?”
Mike laughed again. “Toni, this is heaven. I’m immortal. Though my body goes through the trial of human death every hundred years or so, my awareness, my being never dies. From the moment I’m born into a new body I have complete knowledge of who I am. I go through diapers and toddling and finger painting and—good God—even junior high with the full awareness of my purpose.”
Looking into his serene face, Toni realised that she’d never seen Mike anything but happy and bursting with an unbridled joy for life. She remembered his excitement at the inn when she’d told her guests about the mysterious hauntings. She remembered his giddiness and awe when he lay on his back on the floor of the ice cream shop—covered with sour, melted ice cream—and stared up at the old tin ceiling. She’d never heard an angry or unkind word pass through his lips. “So, I got you because I’m a psychic?”
Mike shook his head. “No, Antonia. Every human has a guardian. You saw it because you’re psychic.”
“So if you’re magic—or whatever—how come you haven’t been able to catch the ghosts on camera, or tell me if Kip Monroe really started the fire or just tell me exactly what I’m supposed to do?”
Mike laughed. “I’m not magic, Toni. I can’t see your future and I certainly can’t change it. That’s against the rules. I can see options, guide you on your path and hope you make the right decisions, but ultimately the choice is up to you. I can’t read minds either, but I can communicate with other guardians if their charge has some connection to mine.”
When Toni levelled a sceptical stare at him he continued, “Bridget’s guardian was her first-grade teacher who let her sit on his lap and turn the pages as he read, ‘The Little Engine That Could’ to the class. To this day when she faces something daunting she repeats, ‘I think I can’. Thomas’ guardian was his grandmother who taught him to live life to the fullest even if it sometimes means bending the rules. He’s still in the learning stage, but he’s almost there.”
“Thomas’ grandma?”
Mike nodded. “She left that form many, many years ago and she’s on to her next assignment. But she still influences him. In fact, she’s in there.” Mike gestured to the metal locker in the corner of the booth.
“She’s in the cabinet?” Toni asked.
Mike smiled. “Just wait. You’ll see. Dry your tears now. He’s coming.”
Toni hadn’t realised she was crying until Mike told her she was. She swiped the last tear from her cheek before Thomas re-entered the room. “Are you two about done in here? We’ve got a grand opening in less than twenty-four hours.”
In a wink Mike was
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