Dancing With Danger: Book 8: Dancing Moon Ranch Series

by Patricia Watters

  "I would have but we left as soon as we could, and there was no cell service much of the way here, so I figured stopping by for a couple of hours wouldn't matter."

  "Maybe it wouldn't if you and Annie had met before, but she's twenty-three years old now, and out of the blue, you show up, but only to see her little half-sister."

  "Like I told Ruth, I thought she might be better off not knowing me. She has a father who raised her so there's been no reason for me to interfere in that relationship."

  Genie drew in a long breath. "I suppose you're right," she conceded. "Annie's close to both her parents, but I guess since you're here, the two of you might as well spend a little time together and at least satisfy your curiosities. It would make it less awkward if you ever had a reason to come here again."

  As Genie and Sebastian approached Josh, who was standing by the pony while Abby petted it, Genie said to Josh, "This is our father, and Abby wants to show Fancy to him."

  Sebastian stepped forward and offered his hand to Josh, "Sebastian Matthias," he said, introducing himself.

  "Josh Hansen," he responded, clasping Sebastian's hand. But whereas Sebastian's greeting was genuine, Genie knew from the disturbed look on Josh's face that he was not happy with things.

  "She's a fine pony," Sebastian said to Abby. "When you and Genie come to visit it will be nice to have Fancy here for you to ride."

  Abby looked up at her father and said in a firm voice, "I'm staying here forever. Josh is gonna teach me to wide Fancy and he said he won't ever leave me like you do."

  Sebastian eyed Josh in alarm. "What's going on here?" he asked.

  "Nothing," Genie replied, before Josh could respond. "Abby, honey, maybe Josh will take you around for a little ride on Fancy while I explain to Daddy about your party, okay?"

  The muscles in Josh's jaw bunched, like he wanted to say something but was holding back, then he shrugged and said to Abby, "Come on. We'll take Fancy around the stable." He lifted Abby onto Fancy, and saying nothing more, took Fancy's lead line and walked off.

  When Josh was out of hearing range, Sebastian said to Genie, "Abby seems unusually attached to that man. Is there a reason?"

  "Yes," Genie replied. "Josh risked his life to save Abby and me when a dam broke and water filled a box canyon. After that we were stranded and had to spend the better part of a dark night alone on a hill. Abby was afraid Josh would leave us and he assured her he wouldn't."

  "Who is he?" Sebastian asked.

  "He's actually Annie's brother-in-law," Genie replied, and tried to sound indifferent. "He's in charge of the horses and the trail rides here at the ranch. He's also a rodeo clown, a farrier and a very fine artist. He made a life-size statue out of horseshoes for Annie and Ryan to put out at the road to advertise their horses, and he has a commission to make a full-size bucking bull for the rodeo grounds. He also does the artwork for rodeo posters around the country."

  Sebastian held Genie's gaze in the way he did when captivating his audience, although he wasn't aware of it. Only those who were the object of his gaze understood it because they were looking into a pair of eyes that could mesmerize, if the person wasn't aware. Genie never knew exactly what it was about his eyes, but it happened, and Dimitri had the same innate ability.

  "And your connection with the man?" he asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  Sebastian waited.

  Genie decided it was pointless to try and hide the fact that she was in love with Josh. "I was his nurse when he had an encounter with a bull at a rodeo three years ago, and if we can work out some issues we're having, I'll marry him. So now I've laid it all out to you."

  After a long stretch of silence, Sebastian said, "Just because you have guardianship doesn't mean I'll step aside. I'm still Abby's father, and the decisions I make will be with her best interest in mind. Now, I'd better get the men to set up for the orange tree illusion. Can I count on you to be my assistant?"

  Genie paused, mulling over her father's words about making decisions for Abby, while trying to decide if they were a kind of veiled threat aimed at Josh, having come right after she'd expressed her feelings for him. "I haven't assisted you in years," she said.

  "You know the illusion," Sebastian replied. "It will come back."

  It already had, Genie silently acknowledged. What troubled her most was that Abby would probably forget all about the endearing clown who came riding up on a big docile bull that was wearing a hat, because after she sees her father make a tree sprout blossoms and grow real oranges, that would eclipse everything else.

  ***

  Josh peered into the mirror and saw, staring back at him, the fool he was—a clown who'd soon be making an ass of himself for a little girl whose father had the power to perform magic. He had no idea what Sebastian the Illusionist would pull off, but whatever it was, it would be a damn sight more entertaining than a bumbling idiot with a bulbous red nose and round white eyes outlined in blue, riding a bull with balloons tied to its tail.

  If he had any sense, he'd pack away all the clown makeup, head for Pine Grove, and spend the rest of the afternoon at Pete's Pub with a half dozen beers, and try to forget the existence of the woman and her imp of a sister who'd absconded with his sanity. But as he seized a red makeup crayon and carefully drew a large red ring around his mouth, then exaggerated his lips with it, he acknowledged that he had no sense, which he reaffirmed by grabbing a makeup sponge and dabbing it into white makeup cream and filling in the interior of the red ring.

  He peered into the mirror again and decided he wasn't done yet. Picking up a blue makeup crayon, he carefully scored a blue teardrop beneath each eye then sat back and folded his arms.

  Yeah, he was a pretty pathetic man, he decided.

  Standing, he adjusted his wide black suspenders over his polka-dotted shirt, yanked his multi-colored beret from the pocket of his oversized pants and stuffed the big pockets of his pants with small bottles of soap bubbles, and little plastic water pistols, and boxes with eight crayons in them. Then he headed for the stock barn to fetch Ferdinand.

  The road crew of the great illusionist—he realized he was being cynical but couldn't seem to stop himself—had set up folding chairs, which were quickly being filled by ranch guests, along with the wives and grandkids of Seth, Deke and Gabe. Abby, Jesse and the other kids sat on the ground in front of the people in chairs. It had been decided the day before that he'd arrive riding on Ferdinand, who'd have helium-filled balloons tied to his tail, and his pockets would be filled with party favors for the kids, after which he and Ferdinand would do their stuff, the cake would be cut, presents opened, and the kids would take turns riding Fancy. A simple plan that would make a memorable day for Abby…

  Until a big black bus that looked like the kind Darth Vader would ride around in arrived to blow the plan, or at least put a barn-size damper on it.

  As he walked toward the barn, he noticed that the bus was set up like a stage, with a full-length canopy that rolled out from the side of the vehicle, and which was propped up with poles. A folding platform created a floor, and a horizontal cross-pole framed the area with side curtains.

  When he arrived at the barn, he was surprised to see Genie. "What's going on?" he asked.

  "I came to bring you those balloons." She pointed to where a cluster of plastic, helium-filled birthday balloons were tied to his anvil. "I also wanted to see you before the party got started."

  "You mean before I make a jackass of myself out there."

  Although he didn't elucidate exactly how he'd be making a jackass of himself, Genie was right on when she said, "I'm sorry Dad arrived when he did. Abby's happy he's here, but I know it spoiled your plans for her. I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you're doing, and if you weren't covered in grease paint I'd kiss you, but if I came out of the barn with bright red lips with a big white circle around them, people would get suspicious."

  Josh tried to find the humor in Genie's words, but the fact was, he w
as pissed. "Maybe later," he grumbled. "I could probably use some condolences by then."

  Genie put her arms around his neck. "You need to reflect on why you're dressed the way you are, and it's not to please a bunch of adults. Kids love clowns, and even though Abby's happy her daddy's here, she'll be far more impressed with you and Ferdinand than with Dad and his illusion. And I really wish I could kiss you. Would it be hard to put all that makeup on again?"

  Josh peered into the animated eyes of the woman he loved and his spirits immediately lifted. Pulling her to him, he said, "Yeah, but it would be worth it."

  But a millisecond before their lips met, Genie stopped him, and said, "The way I'm feeling now if I kiss you that grease paint will end up smeared all over our faces, but maybe I'll come to your place later tonight. Will all that stuff be gone by then?"

  "Are you serious about coming?" Josh asked.

  "I am at the moment," Genie replied.

  "What about your father? Won't you be spending time with him?"

  "He's only here for a couple of hours."

  Josh moved his hands around her and ran them down her back and pressed her to him and said, "If you're really serious about coming, I'll make sure I'm scrubbed clean, all over."

  Genie smiled in a way that had him thinking anything but being a clown, and left.

  "Okay, Ferdinand," he said, as he slid back the latch to the stall. "Maybe you could be a little aggressive this time, like coming at me with your horns. I need to get rid of some excessive testosterone quick. I have a problem that could be an embarrassment if the kids start asking what's in my pocket." Ferdinand responded by nuzzling him for an alfalfa nugget.

  "Sorry pal. You have to wait until I put your hat on and tie a bunch of balloons to your tail. I'm not going to be the only fool out there." After completing those two tasks, Josh led Ferdinand out of the barn and launched himself onto his back.

  As Genie said it would be, the kids loved clowns, laughing their high-pitched kids' laughter as Josh slid backwards off Ferdinand when he sat down, and grabbing for the balloons he untied from Ferdinand's tail to loop around each child's wrist, and crowding around with big smiles on their faces when he passed out the party favors. And when it was done and he saw Abby jumping up and down, telling everyone she knew the clown, then raised her arms for him to pick her up, Josh decided he'd rather be the biggest fool there, with Abby wrapped around him the way she was, then the man in tails, top hat and white gloves, who was staring at them, and not in a friendly way.

  "Okay, honey," he said to Abby, when she seemed perfectly happy to stay where she was. "I need to take Ferdinand back to the barn, and I think you're Dad's ready to put on his show."

  Abby looked around, and when she saw her father stepping to the front of the makeshift stage, she grudgingly left Josh's arms and went to sit cross-legged on the ground with the other kids. And Josh headed for the barn, intending to stay there until the great illusionist was done.

  At least that was his plan. But after turning Ferdinand out into the pasture, he found himself stepping to the open doors of the barn where, on hearing the concerted gasps from the viewers, he decided to see what the man was all about. He was Genie's father, and if Genie could come to terms with having a bullfighter for a husband, the man would be his father-in-law …

  What I've heard so far is it's all about Josh Hansen…

  Deciding to shove aside Adam's comment, which kept emerging like an obnoxious weed, he walked over to where the bus-stage was set up and was surprised to see Genie standing with her father. She'd changed into something white and glittery and clinging that her father must have provided because he didn't imagine she'd brought it to the ranch, but it definitely got his attention the way it emphasized her female curves. She also looked at ease with what she was doing, which, for the moment, was angling her body toward her father and holding her arms in a relaxed way, but with her hands and fingers positioned so they drew eyes away from her to her father, except that he was having a hard time focusing on the man when he could look at Genie.

  But when Sebastian Matthias stepped forward and started speaking, Josh found himself captivated by the mesmerizing look in the man's eyes and the deep, almost hypnotic quality of his voice, as he said, "When one witnesses an illusion they perceive something that does not correspond to what exists in the real world, but if we talk about an illusion with almost two hundred years history behind it, the illusion that comes to the minds of many is one created by the French illusionist, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. In fact, Robert-Houdin's illusion of the Marvelous Orange Tree was so extraordinary he took the secret to his grave so no illusionist other than himself could ever perform it. He began the effect by having an assistant bring onto the stage an orange tree without flowers or fruit on it."

  Sebastian stepped aside, and with a flourish of his hand, directed the audience toward Genie, who went behind a curtain and came out pulling a low wooden cart. On the cart was an orange tree in a wooden container. After positioning the cart with the tree beside her father, Genie took her position as before, directing everyone's attention back to her father.

  "Yes," Sebastian said, while studying the tree, "it was an orange tree similar to the one you see here, a tree barren of blossoms or fruit. Illusionists have tried to learn the mystery of Robert-Houdin's orange tree illusion but all have failed, and yet, audiences believed what they saw because they wanted to believe, and maybe that's what Robert-Houdin's illusion was all about—people wanting to believe that oranges grew before their eyes. And then, perhaps it was magic that has been lost to the ages."

  Sebastian walked to the back of the stage and took something from a small table and held it up. "What happened next, it has been said, was that Robert-Houdin placed a vial with elixir beneath the tree and lit the elixir." Striking a match, he set the elixir on fire and placed it under the orange tree, then stepped behind the tree. After a few seconds ticked by, Sebastian's eyes sharpened, and he appeared to be looking intensely into the foliage.

  Addressing the audience again, he said, "It was told that vapors from the blue flame caused the leaves of the tree to spread, and as the smoke reached the leaves, blossoms started sprouting." As he said the words, there was a concerted gasp from the onlookers as blossoms begin to slowly emerge from within the leaves.

  Genie picked up a small battery-operated lantern from a table and walked over to stand beside her father then raised the lantern above the tree, casting light on it while revealing the presence of delicate orange blossoms.

  Sebastian took a few steps across the stage while appearing to be contemplating something, because his hand was to his forehead, and his eyes were looking downward, then he moved back to the tree, and said, "It was also alleged that Robert-Houdin possessed a wand that, when waved it over the tree, would accelerate time and the blossoms would miraculously begin turning into oranges."

  In an instant, a wand appeared in Sebastian's hand as if from out of thin air, bringing more gasps from the onlookers. Sebastian waved the wand over the tree, and gradually the blossoms disappeared and oranges began to emerge in their place.

  "Some in the audience doubted that the oranges were real and demanded to see them," Sebastian continued, "so Robert-Houdin plucked one from the tree…" he picked one of the oranges "…and tossed it to someone in the crowd." Catching Josh's eye, he tossed the orange over the onlookers' heads to him.

  Josh caught the orange and studied it closely. It had the look and feel of a real orange. Not convinced, he peeled away a portion of the rind and pulled apart some of the segments and stared at them, stunned. There was no question, it was a real orange. He looked back at Sebastian, who picked another orange from the tree and tossed it to Adam, who took out his knife and sliced it in half and touched his tongue to it before staring at the sections in bafflement.

  After tossing all but one of the oranges to the spectators, and giving them some time to examine them and look back in puzzlement, Sebastian plucked the last orange and hel
d it up. "On rare occasions it was reported that the larva of a monarch butterfly would leave its milkweed plant and burrow into an orange where it would finish its life cycle, and that Robert-Houdin, on waving his wand, would open up such an orange, and from it would emerge a perfectly formed butterfly." His wand appeared in his hand again, as if from out of thin air, and when he waved it over the orange, the orange split open, and a black and orange Monarch butterfly emerged and flew away from the audience and through the opened door of the bus and vanished inside.

  "Now enough about Robert-Houdin," Sebastian said, as Genie wheeled the orange tree away and disappeared with it behind the curtain. "I have another illusion I'd like to share with the young lady standing in back." He pointed, and when Josh turned, he saw Annie, who looked frozen in place.

  "Come on up, don't be shy," Sebastian said, while motioning for Annie to come forward.

  For a moment Annie didn't move from her place beside Ryan, but when Ryan gave her a little nudge, she began making her way forward until she was standing and staring at her father, who stared back at her. It was a long silent moment, which was finally broken when Sebastian said to the onlookers, "For the next illusion, I will illustrate the Parable of the Palace and the Pigeons."

  He turned toward Annie, as if addressing her only, and said, "Once there was a king whose palace was ransacked by barbarians. The king was not concerned about the furnishings because they could be replaced, but for the crown jewels, which had been passed down for generations, he could not be consoled because the jewels were scattered throughout many lands, the most precious of them taken to the farthest reaches of the globe. But the king had a daughter, and in her wisdom, she told the king that they should train pigeons to search for the jewels and return them to the palace. So the king and his daughter trained many pigeons to recognize the crown jewels and carry them back on their journey."