Christmas Magic

by Lucy McConnell

  The problem was that if she didn’t see it too, then he would be left standing alone under the mistletoe come Christmas Eve when she left town.

  Chapter Eight

  December 12

  Harmony

  Twelve days until Christmas Eve, the streets were filled with mothers dragging their children from store to store and children dragging their mothers to see Santa. The difference between the two was easy to see. Children going to see Santa were dressed up, their hair curled or combed, their mittens coordinating with their caps. Children out for a quick shopping trip were in mismatched outerwear and had faces smeared with hot chocolate bought as a bribe to keep them quiet about what was in the store bags draped over Mom’s arm.

  Harmony had happy memories of her childhood Christmases spent giggling over surprises and eating too much homemade taffy. Her heart ached to go back to that little girl who trusted and loved with everything inside of her—and without fear.

  Fear wasn’t a companion she’d invited into her life. It had been thrust there by the actions of her ex-husband. As unfair as that was, now she lived with the little elf who popped up in the strangest places. Like between her and a certain magician.

  Breck was … unexpected. He had a childlike happiness about him when he performed, but there was also this feeling that he was all man. The kind of man her father would respect and her mother would feed until he had a hard time getting up from his chair. She could see them all around the table, playing a game of Christmas Monopoly that lasted most of the afternoon, snacking on spiced nuts, and waiting for the turkey to brown. The image was so clear and hopeful that it caused her chest to seize like the fear elf had taken up residence in her rib cage.

  She stopped mid-step and got rear-ended by a couple holding hands that must have been too wrapped up in one another to notice her abrupt halt. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  “Oh, no, we’re so sorry,” said the man.

  Boyfriend? Newlywed? There was no way to tell with his gloves covering his hands. The way he pulled the woman closer to his side and nuzzled her ear as they left had her thinking boyfriend. Did husbands ever do that to their wives? For her, the transition to wife had meant a shield of frost settling between her and Sam.

  She pressed both hands over her chest and sucked in air in an effort to relieve the weight that had settled there. What she needed was to step back and gain some perspective, because all she could do was project Sam’s sins onto the situation with Breck, and that wasn’t healthy. At least Sam hadn’t driven her completely mad. Recognizing that her feelings were crazy meant she wasn’t actually crazy, right?

  She needed an outside opinion. Dialing her friend, she pressed her glove to her lips and blew out in an effort to thaw them. It wasn’t snowing yet, but the weatherman said they were in for a good storm later tonight.

  “Hey,” Jenny answered. “How’s magic practice?”

  “It’s not. I mean, it’s not yet.” Harmony willed her feet to move in the direction of Breck’s apartment where they’d be practicing tonight, but they wouldn’t go. Darn that icy elf! “I can’t go over there.”

  “Why not, honey?” Jenny’s voice was soothing a wild animal soft.

  “It’s just … he makes me feel all jittery.”

  “Like you’re afraid of him?”

  “No. Yes. No. Not afraid for my safety.”

  “But afraid for your heart?” she said softly.

  “Maybe,” Harmony squeaked. She pressed her gloved hand to her forehead. “Why am I so broken?”

  “Because you have a right to be.”

  “I don’t want this.” She threw her hand out to the side and hit a chubby guy in a puffy coat. Sorry! she mouthed. He ignored her and walked on. “I don’t want to be the loner who can’t let a man get close to her—even if all he wants is friendship.”

  “Is that all Breck wants?”

  She bit her lip. “I think so. I mean, if he wanted more, I kind of squished it.”

  “So go be his friend. From what you told me about his efforts to build his channel, he could use one.”

  Harmony hadn’t divulged too much to Jenny during their shift, just that Breck was working to make his channel a success and magic was his dream. The things he’d told her about his grandpa were … private … and they felt like a gift he’d shared. She didn’t think he told everyone that story.

  “I can do that. I can be his friend.” Her feet began to scoot forward. The more she walked, the easier it became.

  “But let me ask you one question,” Jenny said.

  “Go right ahead. Although I think I’m going to regret this.”

  “What if you get jittery because you like him?”

  Her eyebrows climbed up under her hat. “Like, like him like him?”

  “Yeah, like that.”

  “That’s—” Her tongue grew thick. “That’s not even a possibility. My heart has been shattered. It doesn’t even work that way anymore.”

  “Okay, but just keep it in mind?”

  “Yeah, because now that you said that, it’s all I can think about. Thanks so much.”

  Jenny laughed. “You’re welcome. Merry Christmas.”

  Harmony said goodbye to Jenny and put her phone in her pocket. She’d said that she would think about like-liking Breck, but she just couldn’t, not if she was going to get through this evening with him. So she shoved the thought to the far recesses of her mind and hurried the rest of the way to his apartment.

  The building was nice, as far as middle-class apartments went. The mailboxes in the lobby were tarnished with age, but that only added to the overall nostalgic feeling created by the hotel-like red carpet with gold swirls, with the colors faded but no other signs of wear. Her grandfather used to say that they didn’t make things like they used to as he’d turn on his blender that weighed more than she did. That thing would crush ice better than the fancy blender her parents got for their juicing diet stage, even though it was as ugly as sin. Her grandma used a mustard-yellow stand mixer to knead bread dough, and it came out fluffy and perfect every time. She ran her fingers over the embossed wallpaper, practically smelling Grandma’s bread cooking.

  Several floors up, she passed a door with a holiday wreath, one with a Menorah, one with a flag, and two blank ones until she came to Breck’s. Stripping off her gloves, she rapped on the door.

  The door swung back and Breck beckoned her inside. “Close your eyes!”

  His excitement was instantly contagious. She stuffed her gloves in her purse and put her hands over her eyes. “What’s happening?”

  “I want to surprise you.”

  “You’re not going to cut me in half right now, are you?”

  He chuckled. “No. But give me five minutes and you’ll be in two pieces.”

  “That’s not all that comforting.”

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  “That’s a … loaded request.”

  “I promise it’s not going to hurt a bit.”

  “Says the man hiding a giant saw somewhere.”

  This time he laughed, all warm and delicious as he took her wrists to tug her into the apartment. Her skin crackled at his touch.

  With her sight gone, her other senses went on high alert. His apartment smelled like cologne, but not the type he wore. This one made her nose wrinkle, it was so strong. “Do you have a roommate?”

  “Yeah. He’s working late.”

  She wrinkled her nose. This was after the roommate was gone all day. He must be one of those guys who inflicts his scent on the entire office.

  Breck moved around her and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her to the left. “Okay, you can look.”

  She lowered her hands and blinked several times. “It’s a snowman.”

  The snowman was three inches taller than her and had a big plaid scarf tied around his neck, three coal buttons running down his stomach, and a top hat. He looked just like the old cartoon version of Frosty the Snowman.

  “Do you like
him?” The hope in Breck’s voice reminded her of hearing a child ask Santa for a puppy.

  “He’s adorable.” She reached out to touch it and her fingers met plastic. It didn’t look like plastic. It looked like an actual snowball. She peered closer to find a texture had been applied to the surface. “You made this?”

  He ducked his head. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about how to make this possible ever since you made that joke at the coffee shop. It just sort of came to me. Watch.” He pushed the top two sections over. The bottom section appeared to be a solid ball, but when he hit a button, the top slid down and aligned with the wall. “All the sections do the same thing. So when you’re hiding in one of them, no one will be able to tell. It will look like the snowman is cut in half.”

  “It’s brilliant.”

  “Let me show you how to do all this from the inside. When we perform, it will be up to you to make sure everything is closed off.”

  She nodded. “I’m so impressed. It really looks like a solid ball.”

  He glowed under her praise. “Let’s get you inside and we can try it out.” He reached for her coat, sliding it gently off her shoulders. Goose bumps appeared on her arms—they were delightful in a strange new way. He slid the top two sections over and revealed a hollow cavity inside.

  He’d asked her to wear all black, tight clothes, and she felt supremely aware of the little paunch she’d developed over Halloween when candy was so adorable and available in five-pound bags. Then, of course, there was Thanksgiving, and that always involved pie. Lots and lots of pie on her part. The truth was, she’d taken herself out of the dating game and didn’t care what she looked like.

  She cared now, standing so close to Breck, her hand on his shoulder, and noticing how nicely round it was under her palm. But Breck’s eyes didn’t linger on the extra inches around her hips. His hands did linger on her side as he helped her into his contraption, and she had to fight the sudden and embarrassing urge to fake imbalance and fall into him.

  Once she was in, he went to work, assessing the space and her. “Okay, so we’ll have you walk over, but during the trick, the snowman will rest on the bottom ball. If you press down with your foot on this lever, it will set a weight of sorts that will keep it balanced. Can you get low and crouch into a ball so I can close this off?”

  “I’ll try.” She squatted down. It really wasn’t that hard to fit into the space. It was a sphere, after all. She had plenty of room for her Thanksgiving turkey behind.

  He pushed the button and the top closed. It opened immediately, and his handsome grin shone down on her. “You’re not claustrophobic in there, are you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Okay, you’re going to have to do these parts without my help.”

  “Without giving away my movements.” She winked, getting into the fun. The anxiety that had almost stopped her from coming evaporated in the joy of magic, performance, and awe at Breck’s ingenuity.

  “I-I’ll watch while you try.” He tore his eyes off her and went to stand across the room, about as far away as their audience would be when they revealed Frosty.

  Harmony got inside and managed to slide the top half of the snowman over so she could stand. Then she crouched down and set the counterweight that would allow Breck to push over the top two sections without tumbling the snowman to the side. When she was done, she opened the trapdoor and brushed her hair off her face; it had gone staticky, and she could imagine it standing out around her head. “How was that?” She smoothed her hair down once and then again, gathering it on the side of her neck in a low ponytail. She’d have to braid it for the performance.

  “I filmed it.” Breck leaned close so she could see the screen.

  She caught a whiff of his scent. “Did you have gingersnaps today?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her cheek burned.

  “Yeah.” He turned, his brow wrinkled in question.

  “Oh shoot!” She pointed at the screen, desperate to change the subject, her heart hammering away like Santa’s helpers in mid-December. “I totally jiggled the head.”

  He stared at her a moment longer. Butterflies filled her stomach. She was so aware of him that she felt when he breathed in and she breathed out, like they were a set of bellows working in sync. She’d never felt this connection with Sam. Not when they were dating. Not when they were engaged. And certainly not when they were married. The fact that she had married him in the first place now astounded her.

  But what did it all mean for her and Breck?

  She licked her lips. It could mean one amazing kiss. Because if they were this in sync with air between them, they could do some pretty amazing things with their lips locked together. Hmm. She’d have to think about that when she was tucked under covers and not when Breck was so close she could smell tantalizing ginger and spice on his skin.

  Heaven help her, now she was imagining what he tasted like. Her bedtime story would be sweet tonight.

  Chapter Nine

  December 16

  Beck

  Beck smiled at onlookers as they gave him curious looks. Of course, standing in the middle of the park with a curtain square wasn’t normal and would attract attention. That’s what he’d been counting on. Harmony had drawn a snowman instead of an elf on the chalkboard sign this time. She had a lot of artistic talent—meaning that not only could he tell that she’d drawn a snowman, but she’d made him look alive.

  “Maybe you have a future in art,” he’d said after admiring her work.

  She’d swatted the idea away. “I passed classes in high school, but I don’t love it.”

  “What do you love?” He folded his arms and rested his chin on his fist, gazing at the back of her hand as letters appeared, all swoopy and Christmasy.

  “I’m not exactly sure anymore. I think that’s why I want to go home for Christmas. I want to reconnect with the parts of me I lost in the big city.” She’d stood up and brushed the chalk dust from her hands, not even knowing she’d broken off a piece of his heart with those words. The way she’d spoken about leaving, as if she wouldn’t miss him at all, wouldn’t miss their magic act, was normal. It wasn’t like they’d become best friends over the last four nights as they practiced. But he’d gotten used to having her around.

  Who was he kidding? He waited on bated breath for her to get off work and come over. The moment she walked through his door was the brightest spot in his day.

  Now, she was inside the curtain, waiting for the signal to climb into Frosty. He was waiting for anyone who had seen her around to move on. The trick only worked if the audience didn’t know there was someone inside the snowman moving its parts.

  When the last mother took her toddler twins home for a much-needed nap, he clapped his hands three times, letting Harmony know that he would start in five minutes. She snapped her fingers in response, telling him she would be ready. He checked the cameras on his phone once more. They were all up and running. He hit record, counted to three, and lifted his arms in the air.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, gather ’round for a truly magical Christmas show.” He stepped on a lever, and two confetti cannons went off on the sides of the curtain box.

  The whump got attention. One woman grabbed at her heart and gave him a dirty look. Oops. She moved on, but others stayed.

  “May I borrow your hat, sir?” He proceeded to pull a poinsettia out of the man’s hat and hand them to the woman standing beside him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the surprise. He was probably saving those for when you got home.”

  She twittered behind her fingers and smacked at his arm.

  He grinned. His mind wandered to what Harmony would do if he gave her flowers. Maybe he could send some to her office tomorrow, as a thank-you for giving up her weekend to perform. He jerked his thoughts back. Usually, when he was in front of a crowd, he was uber focused on what he needed to do. He couldn’t let his mind wander like that.

  The man gave him a thumbs-up. “Can I have my hat back?�
��

  “Uh.” He glanced inside. “I think there’s something else in here. Should we see what he’s hiding?” he asked the growing crowd.

  They murmured their agreement.

  He stuck his hand in, hit the release lever inside his jacket sleeve with his finger, and out fell a handful of chocolate gold coins. He pulled them out and tossed them in the air. “Well, I’ll be.” He smiled. Kids dived for the coins, laughing as they held them up. He handed one of them to the woman too. “Chocolate and flowers. You got yourself a real romantic man.”

  She smiled and tucked her arm through his. “He’s a gem.”

  Now that he had their attention, he was ready to move on to the real reason they’d come. “I’ll bet you’re all wondering what’s behind the curtain.”

  “Yeah!” yelled a kid.

  He smiled. Kids were the best. That was going to look amazing on the video. “Why don’t you come and pull this gold rope and we’ll find out?”

  The boy ran forward, grabbed the rope with both hands, and pulled with all he was worth. The PVC shuddered under his excitement. The curtain fell away, revealing Frosty, and Breck let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The prop was so still, he prayed Harmony was really inside of it. Since he hadn’t worked with an assistant before, he didn’t understand the anxiety that came from having to lean on someone else in order for an illusion to succeed.

  “Thank you, young man.” He patted him on the head, letting several more coins fall out of his sleeve as he did so.

  The boy snagged them and rushed back to his mom, holding the chocolate in the air like a prize.

  “Just so no one thinks I’m trying to pull something over on them—” He picked up the PVC framework and scooted it backwards. “—let’s get this out of the way.” With that, he circled the snowman to show that there were no wires holding it up. “You know, when I was a kid, I loved to build snowmen. How many of you like to build snowmen?”