A Fool's Gold Christmas

by Susan Mallery

  No. No way in hell. He didn’t fall for anyone. He wasn’t that guy. He didn’t do love.

  He’d learned that lesson a long time ago and he was never going back. Not for anyone. Now the only question was what to do to fix the situation without anyone getting hurt.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “It’s complicated,” Patience said.

  “But they’re sisters.” Evie glanced at the two fortysomething salon owners, standing on opposite sides of the stage at the convention center. “And they both do hair.”

  “Yes, but they have competing salons and they rarely speak. It’s all very mysterious. No one knows exactly why they’re estranged. A few times a year, they show up at the same event. And they’ve always helped out with The Dance of the Winter King. Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.”

  “They’d better be, because I can’t take on one more thing.” Evie eyed the two women, then figured it wasn’t her rock to carry. Besides, when it came to family, she was hardly in a position to be critical.

  Today was reserved for costume fittings and hair and makeup consults. In front of the stage about ten women sat with pins and tape measures and stacks of costumes. The girls were to show up at a specific time, in groups, so they could try on their costumes all at once. Then they would have their time with the stylists. Evie was already on her second latte and assumed there would be a third.

  There was a planned break between twelve and one. Charlie had called the previous night to inform her that the Fox and Hound and Jo’s Bar had joined together to donate lunch for the volunteers. But before they got to resting, they had to work.

  Fortunately for her, everyone else participating had done this before. The girls were quickly ushered into a makeshift dressing area and sorted by size. The first costumes were handed out. Evie waited anxiously for the parade of seven- and eight-year-old girls in pink leotards and tights with silver tutus and angel wings.

  “Bring them over here first,” Denise Hendrix told her. “Every year those wings need to be anchored. We don’t want any of the angels to have a costume malfunction.”

  Evie ushered each of the girls to a seamstress who made sure the costume fit perfectly and that the wings were secure. After the girls changed back into their regular clothes, Evie led them to the “hair and makeup” station, on the big stage.

  “We want to look like Evie,” Lillie told her mom. “With our hair in braids.”

  Patience smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. With the wings, you’ll want your hair out of the way.”

  She turned to Bella and Julia. “How about silver and pink ribbons woven through their hair?”

  Bella, or maybe Julia, nodded. “That would be pretty. Now for the fun stuff.”

  The girls crowded around the trays of eye shadow and lip glosses. Evie glanced over their heads and realized the colors were bright and glittery. No subtle nudes for her girls. The two sisters tried different glosses on the girls’ lips and took the time to discuss options with each of them.

  “This is really fun,” Evie told Patience.

  Her friend laughed. “I know. For me it’s nearly as great as the performance itself.” She lowered her voice. “On the younger girls, we keep it simple. The eye shadow and lip gloss. We don’t put mascara on them until they’re older. Still, for most of them, this is really special. The costumes and stage makeup add to the thrill.”

  Evie noticed that each of the girls was given a few minutes to make her selections, that no one was rushed and that both sisters made a point of encouraging the girls to enjoy being the center of attention.

  Her next group arrived right on time. They were her tap girls and would wear red sequined outfits with a tuxedo influence. They also had hats and canes they’d been using as props. But the ones in the studio were old and battered while the canes they would use in the performance nearly blinded with shiny glitter.

  And so it went, with group after group moving through hair and makeup. Just before lunch Annabelle and Heidi showed up with the food and drinks. Mayor Marsha made an appearance, along with several of the city council members. By three everyone had been fitted and prepped.

  Evie was the last to leave. She walked to the stage and turned to stare at the waiting chairs. Yes, there would be a large audience, but she knew her dancers would be fine. They had practiced and were excited, and this was going to be the best Dance of the Winter King ever.

  She already had ideas for next year’s performance and was excited about starting a toddler dance class. Dominique had said a second time that she wanted to take Evie on as a partner. Everything she’d ever been looking for was right here.

  Evie walked to her car. Tomorrow was the pet adoption, which meant a morning of setting up and then the actual event. Three days later she’d help stage the first full-on rehearsal. So far each of the groups had danced at the event center but none of them had gone through the entire show together. In a week, they would have the dress rehearsal and then the performance itself on Christmas Eve.

  A busy but satisfying schedule, she thought. So she really needed to get home and get to bed early. But instead of driving to her townhouse, Evie found herself pulling into the parking lot of the local pet store. Today had shown her where she belonged. That meant it was time for her to take the next step in building a home—adopting Alexander.

  She went inside and grabbed a cart, then headed for the cat section. She found litter, a cat box and scooper, food and water dishes, a bed and a few toys. She also picked up a soft cat brush and a blue picture frame with a paw-print and the word Meow in the corner.

  As she waited to pay, she made a quick call to the shelter and asked Tammy to put a hold on the cat. She would fill out the adoption paperwork in the morning and make it official. It might take some doing, but she was determined to show Alexander that he could trust her to always be there for him.

  * * *

  “IF THE PET ADOPTION is here,” Dante said, straightening the table. “Why are there booths in the center of town?”

  “It’s the annual Day of Giving,” Evie told him. “I’m not sure exactly what that means. What I heard is various charities are here to talk about what they do so people can make donations and get involved. That finishes at one, and then the pet adoption starts.”

  They were nearly done setting up for the adoption. The open area they were using was at the far end of the convention center, away from the stage. There was a section for cats, another for dogs and a third area for all other pets. There was a large cage for the kittens to play in and a puppy pen. Tables would hold the cages for the cats, while most of the dogs would be on leashes. Local teens helped with the event, each taking a dog and making sure he or she stayed calm and friendly. The teens also took the dogs outside regularly to mitigate any accidents.

  May and Tammy, along with several shelter volunteers, had left to start caravanning the animals from the shelter to the convention center.

  “My mom said last year all the animals were adopted. Even an iguana. That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Dante told her with a quick smile.

  She watched him carefully. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of days. With everything going on, she’d been running from place to place. Last night she’d thought they would get together, but he’d still been at the office when she’d gotten home from the pet store. He’d said he would be working late and not to wait up for him.

  She told herself not to read too much into his actions, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Although if she was asked to say what, she wasn’t sure she could.

  They stacked the pet care brochures and made sure there were supplies for the animals, along with snacks and items for cleanup. Then Dante pulled out a chair and patted it.

  “Have a seat,” he told her. “You’re going to be on your feet all afternoon.”

  She sank down and smiled at him. “You sure I can’t talk you into staying for the adoption?”

  �
�No, thanks. I’m going back to work. Contracts don’t know a holiday season.” He grabbed another chair and sat across from her. “When’s the first big rehearsal?”

  “In three days. I’m excited and nervous. We’ll go through the show several times, then have our big dress rehearsal in a week. Then the performance. Ack!”

  “You’ll get through it.”

  “I know. I’m telling myself to stay calm. Oh, if you get a chance, you should come to the dress rehearsal. It won’t be as crowded as the actual performance.”

  A muscle in Dante’s cheek twitched. “Evie, you remember what we talked about before?”

  The question was simple enough, and on the face of it, not very threatening. Even so, her stomach clenched and her throat went dry.

  “You’ll have to be a little more specific,” she said, forcing herself to smile.

  “When this started.” He motioned to the space between them.

  The “this” being their relationship, she thought. “Of course.”

  “We agreed it would be easy and there wouldn’t be any pressure. No expectations.”

  He was leading up to something, and she just wanted him to get to the point. Because whatever he had to say, it couldn’t be good. This was not a lead-in to “I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  She tilted her head and stared at him. “You’re stalling, which isn’t your style. Get to the point.”

  “I’m heading out of town in a couple of days. Flying to Aspen. I won’t be here for Christmas.”

  He was leaving? As in leaving? “Oh,” she said slowly, thinking maybe the news wasn’t all bad. The holidays could be intense. Fool’s Gold required a lot of participation, and Dante was still resisting belonging. “I’m sorry you’ll miss the show.”

  “Me, too.” He glanced away, then back at her. “An old girlfriend called. She’s meeting me there. I’ll be back after New Year’s.”

  Evie was pretty sure Dante kept talking, but she couldn’t hear any words. There was only a rushing sound and the sensation of her heart being torn apart. She hoped she didn’t go pale or pass out. Instincts for self-preservation kicked in, and in that moment, all she wanted was Dante gone before he could begin to guess how much this was hurting her.

  She managed to stand and felt her thighs start to tremble. She moved behind the chair and placed her hand on the back to keep herself upright.

  “That’s exciting,” she said, hoping her voice sounded normal. “Aspen. I’ve never been. Of course I don’t ski or snowboard, so I don’t think I’ve missed that much. You have a good time, though.”

  Dante studied her. “Evie,” he began.

  She waved her hand to cut him off. “Don’t,” she told him. “This is what we agreed to. Just fun, right? Getting each other through the holidays. Mission accomplished. You’re going to miss some delicious cookies, but maybe my mom will freeze some for you.”

  She glanced at her wrist—not that she was wearing a watch. “Oh, look at the time. I need to grab some lunch before the pets arrive. I’ll see you after the first of the year.”

  She released the chair and willed her body to stay strong. All she had to do was grab her bag, and then she could escape. If she could just have a few minutes by herself, she could get her feelings under control and survive the day.

  “Evie, wait.”

  She kept on walking. She could see her purse on a table. She reached for the handle and continued toward the exit. Once outside, she broke into a run. Her previously injured leg protested a little, but not enough to slow her down. She turned at the first corner she came to, and then another, ending up on the edge of the big park in town. It was cold and gray, but there still wasn’t any snow.

  She put her hand on the bark of a bare tree and tried to catch her breath. Only instead of inhaling, she began to sob. Deep, soul-ripping sobs that welled up from deep inside of her.

  He was leaving. Dante was leaving. Worse, he was going to be with someone else. There was another woman he would laugh with and talk to and make love with. Someone else would hear his silly jokes and know the warmth of his body first thing in the morning. Someone else would be with him for Christmas.

  After not being willing to trust herself enough to love anyone, she’d finally given her heart, only to have it tossed back at her. Dante didn’t love her, and he certainly didn’t want her to love him. He’d told her that from the beginning. She just hadn’t been listening. She hadn’t believed.

  And now he was gone, and somehow, she had to get through days and days of activities, including the performance on Christmas Eve.

  She gulped in air, then straightened. She could do it, she told herself. She was strong. She’d handled worse and survived, she would get through this. The trick was to not let anyone know. Sympathy, while well meant, would only make it harder to go on. When Christmas was over, she would figure out how she was supposed to stop loving him, but for now, she would simply put one foot in front of the other. After all, she was used to dancing through the pain.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I love him!”

  The girl speaking was maybe six or seven. She hung on to the large black Labrador mix with both arms. The dog, probably four or five and still skinny from being abandoned and trying to survive in the mountains, wagged his tail back and forth, obviously pleased by the turn of events.

  Evie did her best to get lost in the moment, to feel happy for the family and their new pet. The young couple took the offered food and the information on care.

  “We went to the shelter several times,” the wife said happily. “He’s perfect for us. We’re calling him Wally.”

  The little girl beamed up at her parents. “I’m so happy, I almost don’t need presents this year.”

  “That’s pretty happy,” her dad said.

  She nodded. “We could ask Santa to take them to children who don’t have a new puppy.”

  The parents exchanged a look of pride and love.

  “That’s very nice,” her mother said. “Let’s talk about that when we get home.”

  Evie handed over their dog license and the rest of the paperwork. “Have a great holiday,” she said and watched them walk away, Wally trotting at their side.

  “Another happy ending,” May said as she walked over with more completed forms in her hand. “We’ve found homes for all the puppies and kittens, which isn’t a surprise but is still nice. Most of the cats are claimed. Someone took all the fish earlier. Did you see that? I don’t understand fish as pets. They can’t even interact.”

  “I think you’re just supposed to watch them.”

  “I’d rather watch a movie.” Her mother gave her a quick hug. “I see you’re adopting that cat.”

  “Alexander. I’m taking him home with me this afternoon.”

  “I hope you’ll be very happy together.” Her mother studied her for a second. “Are you all right? You’ve been quiet today.”

  “I’m fine,” Evie said quickly. “Just tired from everything I have to get done. The performance isn’t that many days away and we start full rehearsals on the actual stage next week. I need to make sure my dancers are comfortable with the entire show. All those seats are intimidating.”

  She hoped talking about the upcoming performance was enough of a distraction to get her mother to stop asking questions. Eventually she would have to come clean about what had happened with Dante, but right now she couldn’t talk about it. Not only was her heart breaking, but she was also left feeling stupid. It was as if she’d had a party and no one came. There were decorations and food and music, but no guests. While she’d been busy falling in love, Dante had been looking for a way out. He’d found a good one, too.

  All she had to do was get through the rest of the afternoon. Then she could go home and have a private meltdown.

  May stared at her. Her gaze was so intent that Evie was sure she’d figured out the truth.

  “I know what it is,” her mother said at last, then start
led Evie by suddenly starting to cry. “It’s all my fault.”

  “That’s not possible,” Evie said, as tears filled May’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

  “Of course it is. You’re my daughter and I love you so much. But I lost you because I was stupid, and what if you never forgive me? What if I’ve done too much damage? What if you can’t forgive me?”

  She covered her face with her hands and continued to cry.

  Evie stood immobilized by shock. She recognized she was at a crossroads, and whatever she decided at this moment would influence the rest of her life.

  Yes, her mother had made mistakes. There were reasons, some better than others, for what had happened, but in the end it came down to a choice. Hang on to the past and stay stuck or forgive and move on.

  Which meant no choice at all. There was only what was right. While she was still battered and bruised from what Dante had done, she felt a deeper wound finally heal. It wasn’t much right now, but later that healing would give her strength. She wanted and needed to be a part of her family.

  She reached for her mother and pulled her close. “You didn’t lose me, Mom. I’m right here, and I love you, too.”

  May looked at her. “You do? You swear?”

  “I swear. We still have a long way to go. But I’ve decided to stay in Fool’s Gold. We’ll hang out together. You can help me find a place to buy. How’s that?”

  May hugged her so tight, Evie couldn’t breathe. But that was okay. Because right now, this was exactly what she needed.

  “I do love you,” May told her.

  “I know. Now you have to promise to stop apologizing. The past is done. From now on, we’re just going to deal with the present. Together.”

  May squeezed again. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”