Magic for Joy

by Holly Jacobs

  “Diane, if I didn’t think you could do the job, I wouldn’t have suggested you go in my place. You just remember that, and have fun while you empty their pocketbooks.” She hung up the phone. Where was Sophie?

  She went to the back door and shouted, “Sophie?”

  Fern winked into the yard. This time, she was mere inches high rather than feet high. The change in height made her look like a storybook fairy rather than a small, eccentric human.

  “You’d better hurry. She’s in the woods,” Fern said, then blinked out. Closer to the trees, she shimmered into view again. “This way. Hurry.”

  “What’s wrong with her, Fern?”

  “Nothing . . . yet. But you still have to hurry.”

  Joy didn’t need any further prompting. From deep in the woods she thought she heard a muffled sound. “Sophie?”

  About twenty paces into the trees, Joy realized she should have changed from her sandals into sneakers. Afraid Sophie was in trouble, she didn’t even think about going back for them. “Sophie, just stay where you are. I’m coming!”

  She was going to kill the fairies. She’d been prepared for them bumbling something. She’d read enough of Grace’s books to know bumbling was what the fairies did best. Messing up her life was one thing, but messing with Sophie was something else entirely.

  Joy heard loud cries and picked up speed. “Just hang on, honey, I’m coming.” The cries stopped abruptly. “Which way?” Joy called.

  Myrtle’s hazy form appeared about twenty yards ahead of Joy. “This way.”

  Oh yeah, the fairies were dead meat. And no court in the world would convict her. How could she be tried for killing imaginary beings?

  “We’re as real as you and Sophie,” Blossom’s voice whispered in her ear.

  “Not for long,” Joy muttered just before she stumbled onto Sophie. Literally.

  “Umph!” Joy cried as she fell among last years leaves, broken branches and twigs.

  Sophie was crouched by a fallen log, and through a disoriented haze, Joy realized she’d tripped over the log itself.

  Painfully pulling herself into a sitting position, she eyed the child. “Are you okay?” she asked, brushing the worst of last year’s leaves from her hair.

  Sophie nodded, much to Joy’s relief. “Then why didn’t you come when I called?”

  “I couldn’t leave Jay.”

  “Jay?”

  Sophie pointed towards the log. “I asked him if he wanted to come home, and he did. But he was afraid and ran in there.”

  “Ah, what is Jay?” Joy asked hesitantly. What kind of wild animals haunted the woods in Western Pennsylvania? Deer? Raccoons? Oh, God, didn’t she hear something about them carrying rabies? Snakes?

  If the fairies were involved in whatever this was, the species wasn’t necessarily limited to Pennsylvania or even the United States. They could ship in just about any animal they wanted.

  “Sophie?”

  Tears filled the little girl’s eyes. “He’s a kitty. Oh, Joy, he’s so tiny. And no one wants him. He was in a bag down by the creek, and I opened it. He ran out. I wanted to pet him, but he ran away. Joy, he’s so tiny. I can’t leave him out here all alone with no one to love him.”

  Sensing they weren’t just talking about little kitties who were feeling lonely, Joy did the only thing a sane, rational woman could do. “Are you sure you saw him crawl in here?” Her hand was already poised by the opening of the hole.

  Sophie nodded. “I almost had him, but he ran in there. He’s fast.”

  “Okay, here goes.” Joy stuck her hand in the hole, expecting to hit kitten fur or the back of the hole quickly, but all she felt was empty space. Images of snakes and bugs and every creepy crawly thing she’d ever seen on public television nature shows flashed through her mind as her arm snaked into the hole past the elbow. “You’re sure?”

  Sophie nodded again. “It’s a big hole. I reached and reached, but couldn’t find him.”

  Knowing there wasn’t anything else to do but go for it, Joy lay down on the damp ground and thrust her arm in. It was swallowed up to the shoulder, and she was rewarded by something that felt soft and fuzzy. Praying it wasn’t something moldy, or that the kitty Sophie had found—which Joy suspected the fairies had supplied—wasn’t a tiger, Joy grasped it.

  It wiggled. Joy was pretty sure it wasn’t mold. Then it bit. Tiny, sharp, needlelike teeth sank into her skin. A tiger seemed a reasonable guess.

  “Ow,” she cried, but didn’t release her hold. “Come on, Jay. There’s a little girl out here who’s awfully worried about you.”

  She pulled, and suddenly a small mass of dirt and fur was hissing in her face, which was still at ground level. Not a tiger, but a tiger-striped kitten.

  “Ta dum,” she sang and raised herself and the muddy dervish for Sophie to admire. “I think Jay really needs a bath.”

  “Can I keep him?” The question was asked with hesitancy, as if Sophie expected to be told no.

  More than anything, Joy wished she had the right to shout yes. But she didn’t. She was just a surrogate babysitter. “Well, that will be up to your father.”

  Sophie’s face fell, and Joy added, “But maybe, if we clean him up and show your father what a fine gentleman Jay can be, he’ll say yes. If not . . .” Joy should have hesitated. She should have thought before she spoke, but of their own volition the words tumbled out. “If not, then I guess Jay will have to live with me.”

  She sent a silent plea to the fairies that Gabriel would see how important it was for him to say yes. Not just because Sophie needed a pet for reassurance, but because Joy didn’t need a kitten traveling with her.

  “Yes, I’m sure our chances are better if Jay is clean,” she said. “So what do you say we go give Jay a bath and teach him how to be a gentleman?”

  At that moment their future gentleman sank his teeth into a fresh part of Joy’s hand. “Ow,” she yelped and gently disengaged his jaws. “I think we’re going to have to start by showing Jay that gentlemen do not bite ladies, especially not ladies who just saved their life.”

  “I can carry him,” Sophie offered.

  Thinking of Jay’s carnivorous habits, Joy shook her head. “How about I carry him until he’s been bathed and fed, then you can take over. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  It didn’t take long for Joy to discover a very important fact: Cats do not like baths. It didn’t matter that Jay was just a kitten. His yowls were pitiful, his claws were accurate, and, to make matters worse, Sophie was right—he was fast. Very, very fast.

  “Sophie, grab a couple more towels,” Joy shouted.

  “Yowl,” screamed Jay.

  “Don’t hurt him,” Sophie cried.

  Hurt him? Sophie was worried that Joy was going to hurt the tiny hurricane on claws?

  “I . . .” Joy dodged a swatting claw. “Don’t . . .” And put the kitten on the bath mat, pinning him to it with her left hand. “Think . . .” And tossed a towel over him. He wasn’t impressed and hissed beneath it. “Hurting him is my first concern.”

  The fluffy green towel slithered across the mat. Joy picked it up and started to gently rub the kitten dry. She caught a glance of her reflection in the mirror and sighed. With this little fairy-induced incident—and she was sure they were to blame—she had brought her disaster-itis to a brand new level.

  Her hair was littered with half the woods. There were scratches and mud covering every piece of exposed skin. She glanced down at her feet and shuddered. They didn’t hurt yet, but the small twinges coming from their direction told her that they were going to hurt in the morning. Wearing sandals for an afternoon jaunt in the woods wasn’t the wisest thing for a woman to do.

  “Sophie, I think we better finish with Jay and try to get things cleaned up before your fat
her . . .” She broke off when there was a knock at the bathroom door.

  Maybe it was the fairies? Oh, goodness, she hoped it was the fairies.

  “Sophie? Joy?”

  “Uh oh,” two voices groaned in unison as Jay yowled.

  So much for fairy godmothers looking out for her. Innocently, Joy called, “Yes?”

  “What are you two doing? There’s mud all over downstairs.”

  “I . . .” She couldn’t think of a single worthwhile explanation. Realizing it was time to face the music, she rose. Clutching the towel-covered cause of her embarrassment close to her chest, she opened the door. “I guess you want an explanation?”

  She was hoping he’d say no, but didn’t hold out much hope, and he didn’t disappoint her.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s all my fault. You see—”

  Sophie pushed past Joy and ran to her father. Gabriel knelt and Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck. “Daddy, I found Jay, but I couldn’t get him out and Joy did and she said she couldn’t say yes, but you could. But if you don’t she’ll take him. But don’t say no ‘cause I want him. He loves me and needs me and when Joy goes . . .” Sophie’s voice broke slightly. “When Joy goes back to her work, she’ll still love me, ‘cause we’re kindred spirits, but Jay would still be here to love me ‘cause he’ll be mine.”

  “Well, that clears up a lot.” Gabriel pulled Sophie close for another hug. “Why don’t you run to your room and change your clothes? Joy and I will try to sort this out.”

  Sophie broke away from his embrace. “Just don’t say no, okay?” she whispered and then hurried down the hall to her room.

  “I’m lost,” Gabriel murmured as he rose, his gaze holding Joy’s. Her heart did a little flip-flop. The kitten echoed it, flip-flopping in the towel at her chest. “Maybe you could explain all this?”

  “Jay’s a kitten. He got stuck in a hole in a log and I got him out.” Gently she lifted an edge of the towel and the cleaned kitten, who had turned velvety orange with stripes, peeked out. “Sophie’s in love and wants to keep him. I told her if you said no he could live with me, but since I travel so much I’d rather not have to honor that particular promise.”

  Gabriel didn’t say a word, but simply took the wet mass of orange fur, towel and all, from her. “Well, you’re a mighty fine looking fella.” He scratched under the kitten’s chin. “And my Sophie’s fallen for you, eh?” He looked Joy up and down. “Sophie might have fallen for him, but it looks like you took a fall or two yourself.”

  “It’ll wash off.” It was as if Gabriel was suddenly looking into the center of her being and liked what he saw. His hand continued stroking the kitten as his eyes seemed to stroke her.

  “Speaking of washing . . . If you wouldn’t mind kitten-sitting, I’d very much like to see if I could do some myself.”

  Gabriel’s fingers left the kitten, and he reached out and lightly ran a finger down her jawline.

  His touch sent unexpected sparks flying through Joy’s system. “Gabriel?” she whispered, unsure what she was asking, but sure that she wanted him to answer.

  He dropped his hand. AI can put something on these scratches so they don’t get infected.”

  “Oh.” Joy had wanted something from Gabriel—something she couldn’t quite name. But concern over her scratches definitely wasn’t it. “Thanks, but I’m sure I can handle it.”

  He simply nodded and, taking the kitten, left the bathroom.

  Joy began to shut the door, but Gabriel’s foot in the doorjamb stopped her. “We need to talk tonight.”

  “Sure. After Sophie’s in bed.” She whirled into the bathroom and shut the door. Her heart was hammering, and her knees were shaking. “What have the three of you done?” she whispered.

  Three fairies, in bathing suits and swim caps, lined the edge of the tub. “Just sent down a little cat.”

  “Mountain lion,” Joy corrected. “And I already guessed that. But, what have you done to Gabriel?”

  “Done?” A slow smile spread over Blossom’s face.

  “Done. He’s never looked at me like that before.”

  “Like what?” asked Fern.

  “Like he could read my thoughts as easily as you three do.”

  “We don’t have the power to let him do something like that.” Myrtle raised her hand. “Scouts honor.”

  “Were you three ever scouts?”

  “Fairy scouts. It’s where all godmothers start. First scouts, than fairy sisters, and finally, fairy godmothers. Though godmothers tend to work solo.” Blossom looked puzzled. “For some reason the council decided to leave the three of us together.”

  “Just go away, girls. I’m not Gabriel’s type, and nothing you can do is going to change that.”

  JOY.

  The name seemed to be embedded in Gabriel’s mind, along with the mental image of her clutching the kitten, her big blue eyes begging him not to disappoint Sophie. And maybe they were asking him not to disappoint her, either.

  Like a magnet, he was drawn to her. The attraction seemed to grow by leaps and bounds every day—every minute—he spent with her. He spied her curled on the couch, one throw pillow under her head, another in her arms, her body curled around it. Her hair was feathered over the pillow, spilling over the edge of the couch. She had kept it pulled back since he met her. Gabriel was surprised by its length. The warm brown color, with its honey streaks, suited her. Suited him.

  Gabriel found himself noticing a lot of things about Joy that he doubted he would have noticed about anyone else. Her physical features were appealing enough, but it was what couldn’t be seen that Gabriel noticed most of all. Joy seemed to have more room in her heart than anyone he’d ever met. Again, he remembered how she had looked, covered in dirt and scratches, with the kitten clutched to her chest. He couldn’t remember any woman ever looking so lovely.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi. You get Sophie to sleep?” Joy asked, smothering a yawn.

  “Well, after listening to half an hour’s complaints that I don’t read the book right, I kissed her head and told her to go to sleep.”

  Joy chuckled. “Did she go to sleep?”

  Gabriel shrugged and plopped into the recliner. “No idea. I just shut the door and made my escape. And are you going to tell me how to read a story the right way?”

  “Voices.” Joy pulled herself up into a sitting position. There were lines from the pillow on her cheek, and she brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

  Gabriel swallowed hard. His palms were suddenly damp with sweat. He felt nervous in a way he hadn’t felt since his teens. “Uh, voices?”

  “Yeah, you have to do the voices.” Deepening her voice, Joy cackled, “And you will fall into a deep sleep and never awaken.” She let another round of high cackles rain through the room.

  Gabriel gave a mock shudder. “Oh, voices.”

  “That’s the trick. I was younger than my brothers, Max and Nick, and they read to me whenever Mom was out. Max was my favorite. He did the voices.”

  “I’ll remember that.” He reached for the remote and clicked off the television. “I need to talk to you.”

  “That’s what you said. Sophie’s in bed and the living room is ours, so you have the floor.”

  “It’s about someone to babysit for Sophie. I started making inquiries. There are a couple ladies that babysit for kids in their homes. Both of them say they can take Sophie full-time until school starts, and this fall she can go to their homes after school. I hoped you might go with me tomorrow afternoon and check them out.” Gabriel didn’t like the idea of leaving Sophie with strangers, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

  A thought suddenly hit him. Joy was a stranger, and he’d never minded leaving Sophie with her. Why was that?

  Maybe it
had something to do with the fact that Joy was so easy to be with. She inspired trust. She seemed sweet, easygoing and unaffected, and . . . well, she was comfortable.

  “Sure. Are we taking Sophie with us?”

  There was something in her face. It almost looked like pain, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come, and her ever-present smile returned.

  “I asked Helen if she’d mind sitting with Sophie while we were gone.”

  “Oh. That should be . . . interesting. Are you sure?”

  Gabriel smiled. Helen was the most efficient assistant he’d ever had. She handled areas of his life no other personal assistant would dream of taking on, and yet she managed them without complaint or mistakes. Certainly a couple hours with a six-year-old would be no problem. “I’m sure Helen will do fine.”

  Joy just shrugged as she yawned and gave a little stretch. “I’m going to turn in early tonight. Sophie’s running me ragged.” She got off the couch and walked gingerly towards the stairs.

  “What’s the matter with your legs?” Gabriel asked.

  “Feet. When I ran through the woods today, I had on sandals and managed to bang them up a little.”

  By the way she was walking, it looked like she had banged them up a lot. “Sit down on the couch and let me have a look.”

  “They’re fine, really. Just a little bit sore.” She shuffled towards the stairs.

  “Sit down, Joy.” She didn’t listen. He took back every thought he’d just had about Joy being easygoing. She was stubborn as a mule. Did she think she had to do everything by herself?

  “Gabriel, really I’m okay.”

  “Sit.”

  She turned around, shuffled back to the couch and sat. Gabriel sat down next to her and pulled her foot onto his lap. He peeled off her sock and held his breath. “What were you thinking?” He probed the small cuts that were sprinkled over the sides and top of her foot.

  “I was thinking that I couldn’t see Sophie. I was thinking she could be hurt, and I just ran. I wasn’t going back for sneakers.” She winced as he lightly traced the deepest cut.