by Dana Pratola
5
Waiting for her mother at Bentleyville Castle in Bayfront Festival Park, Olympia sniffed the air. It smelled like snow. Not that it mattered. It was only Christmas Eve, and anything that fell now didn’t count toward her finding a husband. She laughed inwardly, shaking her head at how silly it sounded even in her thoughts.
But, could her sisters’ experiences and those of so many family members before, be merely coincidence? She didn’t believe superstitions were from God—breaking mirrors, black cats under ladders—but this didn’t fall under that category as so many claimed. Only He knew His plans for the Mayweather women and how He wanted to handle them.
But, she was feeling discouraged, and when that happened, her logic tried to take command. Year after year of disappointment should be enough to prove to her that it was all just plain nonsense. Maybe there was no destiny at play here, no Divine intervention. Just a lonely woman who wanted to be wanted. Who wanted fairytales to be true and heroes to be real.
That didn’t change the fact that she was here, at her mother’s suggestion, braving the cold to mingle and be seen by eligible men. She might have laughed if she wasn’t afraid it would turn to hysterics. Before her irrational tears could freeze in her tear ducts, she cupped her gloved hands over her eyes. If anything should be able to disprove the tradition, it was the fact that she’d met David almost two weeks ago, and he was the one she wanted. At least she thought she did. She could just be seeing him through the stress of finding Mr. Right. Maybe he didn’t kiss as great as she thought, either.
Maybe she should give Todd another shot. She’d met him last night at a late showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Two people alone, deciding to sit together in a movie. She should have known something was wrong. A man that good-looking didn’t go to the movies alone.
But, he’d cleared it up when they’d met for breakfast this morning and he’d told her about his forty cats. Forty cats! And he kept them at forty. When one died, he replaced it. Her reflexive shiver had nothing to do with the temperature and reminded her why she would not give him another shot.
“Olympia!”
Olympia put on her game face and turned toward the sound of her mother’s voice, where she was depositing two new, unwrapped toys in the Toys for Tots box. Her mother hurried over, smiling as they linked arms, and walked through a multicolored tunnel of lights.
It always surprised her how many people came out in frigid weather to see twinkling lights, though she enjoyed Dinosaur Land and the other displays as much as everyone else. And, it was worth risking hypothermia to see a twelve-story steel tree flash, blink and strobe to Christmas music. People applauded after every song. Finally, when the second cup of hot chocolate had turned cool in her system, and no man had done more than glance in her direction, she’d had enough. She was about to tell her mother she was heading back to the inn, when she heard them.
“I think that’s her.”
“It’s not.”
Olympia turned to the source of the ferocious whispering behind her, two girls about seventeen years old. One girl elbowed the other, trying not to move her lips as she spoke.
“Ask her.”
The other girl cleared her throat. “Are you that woman who’s looking for a husband?”
Olympia fisted her hands on her hips. “What business is that of yours?”
The girl sniggered, and started to walk away, murmuring to her companion. “She’s never gonna get a husband with an attitude like that.”
“Who cares? We know where she is, and that’s fifty bucks.”
“I’m sorry,” her mother said, watching the girls hurry off.
They were on their way to sell her out, Olympia would wager, as hot tears scorched her cold cheeks. Blinking them back, she moved as quickly as she could toward the street with her mother in pursuit. What a fiasco.
****
At one a.m., David was still awake, thinking of Olympia. He’d watched her at the Christmas display, from a distance, only moving closer whenever he saw a man noticing her. Twice he’d intercepted by bumping the man, apologizing, and starting an inane conversation, giving her time to blend into the crowd. Once, he threatened a man outright to “take your eyes off my wife.” Fortunately, the man shrugged and moved away without another word.
And then there had been Amy to deal with. No sooner had he seen Olympia hurry off to the inn, than Amy had trotted up in the company of two teenagers, searching frantically through the crowd. He’d thrown her completely off track by pretending to seek Olympia himself and informing her that he’d spotted the want-to-be-bride wandering off in the opposite direction.
Staring out the window from his place on the bed, David watched the first flake float past. Three inches were predicted for this Christmas Day, confirming to Olympia that it was destined she discover her mate today. And he was determined she would.
****
Olympia rose early, threw back the covers and dashed to the window like a kid expecting to find a new bike under the tree. But, instead of a shiny bike, her perfect gift would be lots of white, wispy snow drifting, swirling and blowing.
There was snow. But, to her disappointment, not one flake was falling. It had come overnight and she’d missed it. How could this be? The forecast had called for snow on Christmas! She checked the weather on her phone. Three inches were reported to have fallen, but no more expected until late tomorrow night.
Her sigh rose up from her feet and emptied into the quiet room. Her mother stirred and rolled over, but slept on.
Well, if this didn’t cinch the idea that her hopes had been foolish fantasy, nothing did. There would be no final shot to run into the man of her dreams as she sculpted a snowman in the park. No chance of trudging through a blizzard and stumbling upon him on his way to the coffee shop. She’d already slept through her final chance.
Feeling like a fool, she got dressed and went downstairs, slowing when she passed David’s room. Her heart gave a peculiar lurch when she thought, for just a second, how nice it would be to kiss him again. To have him hold her again, like he had in the craft store. All this other Christmas…stuff, couldn’t compare to that feeling. And strange as it seemed, she wished he felt the same way.
She went outside and kicked a small drift of snow from the porch, swiping it with her hand as well before she sat. The view from here was absolutely lovely, with the entire town and everything in it draped in shimmering white. A new beginning. That’s how she would face this day, not as the loss of a dream until next year, but as a new chance to put fables behind her and look forward to whatever God had planned for her.
That determined, she smiled.
The jingle bells on the door wreath tinkled, and she leaned back to see who else was up so early.
David. Great. Come to gloat. But, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“Hey, look at me, I haven’t found a husband,” she said, opening her palms, annoyed at her self-criticism.
David took a gulp of the bracing air and smiled down at her as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. “One of your sisters emailed this to me. It’s a copy of one of your grandmother’s letters explaining the tradition.”
Olympia shook her head, refusing to take the paper. “I don’t care about the stupid tradition. I’m staying grounded in the real world. Facts only, from now on.”
David pursed his lips then stuffed the paper back in his pocket. “Fair enough.” He walked past her to stand on the steps facing her. “Well, I’ll tell you this…it’s a fact that having fun is good for you. Come on.”
Despite her confusion, she went with him down the steps and to the front yard, where he promptly lifted her into his arms and then plopped her on her butt in the snow.
Startled, she could only open her mouth in silent protest. Long enough for him to drop down in the snow beside her, about six feet away.
“Are you crazy!” she asked, finding her voice.
“Possibly. Now lay down
.” He wagged his finger at her when she tried to protest further. “When’s the last time you made a snow angel?”
That quieted her, long enough to be delighted. The last time she’d made a snow angel? She’d probably been eleven. Maybe younger.
Olympia lay back in the snow, the bulk of her parka pushing up and forming a small wall around her face. She patted it down to look over at David who was already spreading his arms and legs in wide arcs. She laughed out loud and did the same.
A moment later, David scooted toward her. Raised on his elbow, his other hand came up to caress her cheek. The look on his face took her breath away as his clear, blue eyes captured hers.
“The tradition says if the boy kisses the girl in a Christmas snow, she’ll be a happy bride all her days,” he said, his voice a husky whisper.
She wanted to roll her eyes, to exhibit disbelief. But, it sounded so right. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s not snowing.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t say it has to be snowing, it just says in a Christmas snow. And since this came down after midnight, it qualifies.”
“But—”
“Would you just shut up and kiss me?” He lowered his head and then paused. “Hey, if it’ll make you feel better….”
David grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it into the air, the powdery flakes fluttering over them as his lips came down on hers.
Olympia poured all she had into this kiss. All her emotion, her wishes and hopes, and she received from David all he gave. She could feel his passion and caring, his intent to make her believe that he was the one for her. The only one. And she did.
He kissed her breathless in the biting air. Though the ground was cold, her body flowed with warmth. She had no desire to stop kissing him. Ever. But, slowly, he parted from her, his eyes darkening, his brows pulled together.
“But, you’ve decided to live in reality, not trust in fables,” David said.
Olympia sucked in a breath.
“So here’s reality. First, I know it seems a little crazy, we barely know each other, but I want you. I believe you’re the woman I’m supposed to be with, no matter how it came to be.”
Olympia’s heart soared.
“Second, I come from a long line of happily-ever-after, and my family tradition says that when you find the one you’re meant to be with, you cherish her as long as you live.”
Tears stung her eyes, but she smiled. “That sounds like a fairytale, not reality.”
He smiled. “That is my new reality. You’ve made a believer out of me.”
Thank you…
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