“Aurora, I’m not going to brush off what I may or may not have done as a kid. What kids do to others, as you know too well, has consequences.” He frowned when he realized her pain was too close to the surface for her to be able to hear what he was saying. Still, he had to try. “What I did then I can’t defend, except to say that you know the man I am today. We’ve spent hours and hours talking, laughing…sharing something…special. Do you really believe that at my core, I would mock a sweet, innocent girl to my friends while pretending to be her friend?”
“Shallow is as shallow does,” she whispered. Then louder, she continued. “I hear what you’re saying, but I’ve held my opinion of what happened for twenty years. It hasn’t shifted or changed since that horrific day. There’s a direct line to what I knew and felt at the moment I felt it.” She stepped back. “You are responsible almost as much as that rat-bastard-guy. Those kids wanted to please and impress you, their leader, the cool guy.” She shook her head. “No, that isn’t totally fair. You may not have told him to attack me, but your actions set the whole thing in motion. That kid owns the evil deed. Your guilt is that you were reckless with my life to benefit your own.”
She started to walk away, but stopped and faced Daniel.
“Yeah, the last week has been great. I want to believe the past is the past; kids make mistakes; judge and be judged. But it isn’t that simple.” She put her hands on her hips. “That’s why it breaks my heart all over again to have let myself…” She wiped a tear with the back of her leather glove. “Oh, forget it. Forget me. This is way too complicated. I told Big it was going to be a mistake to tell you what happened. What’s the damn point of it? This can’t be fixed. It’s done. We’re done. Stay away from me.” She walked away. “I mean it,” she shouted.
Her words felt like a painful shock, ripping through his body after plugging in a high-powered amp while standing in a puddle. He knew she meant them.
Chapter Eight
Aurora felt like the biggest fool on earth and the wisest.
Three days ago, she had chased away the one man whom she had fallen in love with twice. That was the fool part. And she had chased away the man who had broken her heart once before so he couldn’t do it a second time. That was definitely the wise part.
Only an hour remained before opening night for the Nutcracker show, and she was doing a final check on the sets. As she made sure there were no chips or tears in the bright colors of the backdrop for the Land of Sweets, she thought about how she’d claimed Daniel’s behavior as a teenager was a reason to stay away from him. In many ways that was true. Yet she wondered if his mistakes at fifteen really reflected who he was down to his core. If she looked at her life, how would she do if she was judged by her youthful actions?
She paused in front of the shiny, golden bed that was to whisk Clara on her magical journey filled with dancing snowflakes, toy soldiers, and nutcrackers. Aurora wondered if she’d ruined her chance for a magical journey filled with love in her life.
“The Sugar Plum Fairies are having bit of stage fright,” Daniel said, walking up behind her. Her heart began to drum in her chest. “They’re eating ice cream from the general store, insisting that is the best remedy for show nerves.”
Aurora smiled as her heart was breaking. “What flavor works best?”
“Peanut Butter Swirl and Chocolate Chip.”
She turned to face him and saw he was holding an ice cream cone in his hand. “You have stage fright too?”
“No, I just like chocolate ice cream.” He extended it to Aurora for a taste. She took a lick and noticed his pupils had dilated.
She sat on the edge of the bed. “The show is sold out tonight.” He sat next to her and took a lick of his ice cream. “That’s because of you.”
“Don’t tell Mayor Teddy that. He thinks it’s because of his brilliant sample performance as Herr Drosselmeyer on the local radio station.”
Aurora laughed, forgetting she was supposed to be through with Daniel. Even after all she had believed him to be for twenty years, she was drawn to him. He still made her smile. Feel better. “I think Big is Drosselmeyer. He’s the master builder and he’s always fixing broken…things.”
“Like Franklin.”
“Like me.”
“Do you think he can fix me too?”
“I don’t think you need fixing.”
“No?” Daniel looked at her with a half-smile.
“I think you were a careless, self-centered teenage boy.”
“And now, what do you think I am?”
She shrugged. “Not that.”
He pointed to the huge wooden statue of the Mouse King. “You know, you’re Clara in the Nutcracker story—defeating the very bad Mouse King.”
She nodded, understanding the comparison he was making to her battle up on the mountain. “I did, didn’t I?” She smiled. “And what about you, Daniel? Who are you?”
“I’m the Prince, of course. I’m Uncle Drosselmeyer’s nephew…and I hope to get the girl.” He stood. “I need to get ready for the show.” He took a bite of his ice cream and handed her the rest.
The trumpets sounded and twenty-two nutcracker soldiers, played by the local high-school marching band, strutted onto the set for the finale. Daniel had cast the band for the show, wanting to add the brass section and drum corps to add a fuller, more festive sound to the show. A great decision if judged by the audience’s enthusiastic applause.
As the mayor’s daughter, playing Clara, swept in on her magical bed, the not-so-graceful, hopping Sugar Plum Fairies, wearing clunky red, tooled cowboy boots, entered from the other side of the stage. What they lacked in ballet moves, the golden-agers made up with enthusiasm. Mrs. McLemore jumped about, wearing an ankle-length tulle tutu in Christmas red and green, that matched her red and green wig. Not to be outdone by her sister, Mrs. Hall weaved between the nutcrackers, wearing a fluffy tutu and wig of red and white. Both costumes twinkled with Christmas lights. Their performances had turned into a comedy dance of sorts—unintentionally.
When Mrs. Hall bumped into one of the toy soldiers from the band and knocked him to the ground, the audience laughed and cheered. When Mayor Teddy, in full Drosselmeyer glory with the addition of a black, ten-gallon cowboy hat and matching cowboy boots for the Country and Western theme, tried to help the young man up, the mayor’s hat crashed into the nutcracker soldier hat, sending both flying off onto the floor. It was a hilarious series of mishaps that seemed to be choreographed for the rock-country version of the Russian Dance. It all flowed seamlessly into the final song as the music rose to a crescendo of French horns, clarinets, flutes, and dance. When the music reached its peak, there was a bright flash of green light and everything went silent. Daniel appeared in the center of the stage for his fourth and final song. The audience roared, jumping to their feet.
In his sexy, raspy voice, he sang one of his up-tempo Christmas songs. Guitar hanging across his hip, hands in the air clapping, his energy was contagious. He moved around the stage, making eye contact with the people in the audience, letting them know with his happy gaze that he liked them and was happy to be performing for them. They danced, smiled and the women blew him kisses. When he finished, he grinned, a genuine smile filled with pure joy. The audience loved him and he loved them. It was the first time Aurora had seen him perform since he was a teenager in the Cloud Hill park; she’d carefully avoided seeing him play. She never watched the Grammys or the CMAs or other popular shows where he might appear. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him now as he exposed his honest heart and good soul on the stage. He was amazing.
His voice was smooth and felt like gentle fingers stroking her flesh. It had a heart and a pulse…and heat. A lot of heat. Yes, the talented amateur singer from the park had changed. He was good twenty years ago, but now he was great. Had he changed in all ways? Or was that honest heart and good soul always that and she hadn’t recognized it? Aurora knew the answers.
Or did she? Damn it. Why wasn’t
this easy?
“Y’all had a good time tonight?” Daniel asked the audience.
Everyone shouted, “Yes!”
“Then let’s take the party outside to the ice sculpture garden for some old-fashioned Christmas caroling. Stop at the hot chocolate and hot apple cider booths on your way there. See you in thirty.” The house lights came up, and everyone started pouring out of the ballroom, heading to the festival grounds in front of the inn and the Nutcracker Ice Sculpture Garden along the riverbank.
“Walk with me,” Daniel said to Aurora backstage.
“I’ve got to reset so we’re ready for the opening act for tomorrow night.”
“That’s eighteen hours away.” He waved to two men standing near the ballroom door. They walked over, but remained a few feet behind him. “Hazards of my trade. Insurance requires I have them with me when I perform or am in crowded places.” He smiled. “I know you told me to stay away, but I thought maybe there would be an exception for Christmas caroling.”
She looked at him a moment before answering. “Okay. For Christmas caroling.” He smiled and heat rushed into her face.
They slipped on their heavy coats and insulated gloves and stepped outside into the frigid night. Neither one complained nor mentioned the cold as the colorful sights and joyful sounds of the annual Christmas Festival warmed them with excitement and good cheer. The scents of roasting chestnuts, fresh-baked gingerbread cookies, and hot chocolate filled them with delight and affirmation that Christmas was just three days away.
A mob of fans started to close in on Daniel as his hand settled on the small of Aurora’s back to lead her off the inn’s porch and directly onto the festival grounds. His bodyguards stepped forward and immediately began crowd control.
“It’s beautiful,” Aurora said, ignoring the fans trying to get closer to Daniel. The textures and colors of the towering Christmas tree standing directly in front of them captured her artist’s eyes. There were thousands of red, green, yellow, and blue lights twinkling on its branches as the cold night breeze rustled through it. Round ornaments caught the lights’ reflection, creating starbursts for all to see. Oversized nutcracker ornaments made of shiny glass and painted wood stood at attention as if they were guarding the spectacular tree.
Aurora twirled in a circle to take in the entire festival scene, appreciating it as a panoramic photo. The brightly lit inn was a perfect backdrop to it all, given its importance to the town through the years, and the festival booths fanned out to either side of it. Decorated with nutcracker ornaments hanging from their frames and styled to represent whatever was sold there, they enchanted the children and adults alike who paused to examine them. Others stood before the pyramid-shaped bonfires that burned behind candy-cane fences, to warm themselves against the cold December night.
“Danny boy!” a voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd held back by three uniformed police officers who had joined the two bodyguards.
“Joe Sawyer? Look at you!” Daniel waved for a short, dark-haired man about his age to come forward. It took a few minutes, but the bodyguards helped him to get through the crowd. He gripped Daniel’s hand and pumped it a half-dozen times. A heavy man about the same age, wearing a dark green puffy jacket, stood to his side. “How the hell are you?” Daniel asked Joe. “You remember Aurora, don’t you?”
“Aurora Morgan? Hell yeah, I remember you.” He shook her hand enthusiastically. “Glad to see y’all are still friends. He always thought the world of you, even when we were kids, always talking about you and how talented you were with those drawings you did.”
What? Daniel spoke of her positively when they were kids?
And Joe Sawyer actually remembered who she was?
She didn’t think any of the kids from Cloud Hill remembered her. Had she been wrong about that all these years? What else had she been wrong about?
“I still love her drawings–only she puts them on the sides of buildings and on walls now. You should go see what she’s painted in the inn. It’s beautiful.”
Joe laughed and patted Daniel on the back. One of the bodyguards bumped against him, reminding him not to touch the superstar.
“Sorry, dude.” He laughed. “Danny, you remember my cousin, Ed, don’t you? He used to visit me in Cloud Hill from time-to-time.” Joe stepped aside and his cousin moved forward.
Aurora nearly dropped to her knees.
Her heart started racing and she took a step to stand behind Daniel.
Her mind screamed, run! But she was frozen where she was.
“Hi, Ed.” Daniel turned to introduce Aurora to Joe’s cousin, but he stopped and leaned over to look more closely at her. “You’re as white as a ghost…” A new memory flashed into his mind. “Ghost. I asked you that in the park that day after my friends walked up to us laughing, didn’t I? Is that the ghostly appearance you thought I teased you about? In front of the guys?”
She nodded. Her mouth dry, her body shaking inside.
“Aurora. Are you all right?” He followed her wide-eyed gaze to Joe’s cousin. His jaw clenched, the muscles on the side of his face tightened. “Ed?”
She knew what he wanted to know, but instead of telling him yes, she felt a fierce heat swept over her and she had an out-of-body experience. She looked at the man who had nearly gotten her killed and who had tried to rape her. She heard someone say her name, but she was lost in a cloud of anger.
She dove forward, cocking her arm back, throwing her fist right into Ed’s face.
“You rat-bastard-son-of-a-bitch.” Daniel growled, grabbing Aurora off Ed and moving her so one of his bodyguards could to take her. “Keep her out of harm’s way.”
Aurora screamed. “No,” but she knew he hadn’t heard her. He’d already rushed at Ed, slamming his fist into Ed’s flabby midsection. Daniel followed it with two more punches—to his jaw and mouth. Ed doubled over, blood dripping from his busted lip.
“You stupid…” Ed began to laugh, his teeth now painted in crimson. “You always thought you were so tough. Kissing the weird girl in the park and playing your guitar when we wanted to play video games. I one-upped you, Mr. Country Music Star. And you didn’t even know it. I got to her first.”
“No! No, you didn’t. I got away from you.” Aurora jerked forward, trying to get away from the bodyguard holding her. “You said Daniel told you to get me.” she shouted. “You lied…”
“You were always weird…and stupid.” The next thing she heard out of Ed’s vile mouth was a loud grunt, a second before Daniel knocked him out, cold.
The mayhem that followed was behind them as the bodyguards rushed both Aurora and Daniel into the inn, as two police officers trailed behind as a first line of defense in case anyone else went after them. Before the door to the inn was closed and secured, she saw Mayor Teddy rush toward the inn with the police chief.
“Daniel, we’ll talk to the local authorities,” one of the body guards said, guiding them to the office behind the front desk. “I need you to stay in here until we give you the all-clear.”
Daniel nodded. “For the record, we don’t need to hide in…”
“Let us do our job,” the bodyguard interrupted him, motioning to the office. A knock sounded at the front door. “Please. Once I sort this out, I’ll let you know. My first priority is to keep you safe.”
He nodded and took Aurora by the hand and walked into the office.
The bodyguard looked at Daniel with a slight grin. “By the way, nice right hook, boss. You too, ma’am.” He reached in to lock the door on the inside, closed it and stood just outside of it. “It was self-defense.” They heard him say to the other bodyguard in muffled tones through the wooden door. “You tell the mayor and police chief that. And, let me know if we need to call Daniel’s lawyer.”
Aurora turned to face Daniel, her heart still racing. “Lawyer?”
Daniel helped her take her coat and gloves off. “The best money can buy.” He removed his coat and gloves. He ran his hands through his mussed-
up hair. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not. The lawyer is in case he starts yelling lawsuit. It was so worth it.”
“Oh, Daniel, that was the…” she began, but Daniel interrupted her.
“Yes, it was the…”
“…best! I want to hit him again…and again. I don’t care if he sues me too.”
Aurora launched herself into Daniel’s muscled arms, knocking him back onto the desk, scattering the papers on top. She ran her hands in his silky, dark hair as she kissed him hard on the mouth. “I’m elated,” she shouted when she came up for air, then she kissed him again. This time, when her lips met his, he did some kissing back. A lot of it.
“If I had known you got so hot from fighting, I would’ve gotten Franklin to go a couple of rounds with you with his hoof-boxing game.” Daniel flipped her so she was now laying on the desk and he was standing between her legs.
She wrapped one of her legs around his as Daniel grabbed her hips and lifted her tighter against him. “Oh darlin.” He changed the angle of the kiss, slowing it down. Man, oh, man, she loved the way this man kissed her like she was his last meal on earth.
Heat rushed into her arms, her legs, to the roots of her hair. She moved against his arousal, to the rhythm his tongue had started. “Hmm,” she murmured, and Daniel touched her where their bodies met at the center. His mouth eased down on top of her right breast.
“No bra? I like it.”
“Me too.”
Through the thin fabric of her blouse, he teased the bud of her nipple with his tongue. Her hips started to move against him.
“Oh, that feels good. Damn good,” he said, his voice deep, hoarse with arousal. His hands shook as he lifted his shirt over his head, and Aurora’s mouth went dry as she sucked in a breath. He groaned.
“You’re gorgeous. You’re art under art,” she murmured as her body felt like liquid against his. “Beautiful,” she said, as her fingers tapped lightly over the heavy black tat that wrapped around his right arm up to his thick biceps. Later she’d enjoy studying the bold design of the musical notes entwined with heavy straps of movement. Now she was too anxious. Blood pumping through her veins matched her need and his.
The Nutcracker Reimagined: A Collection of Christmas Tales Page 48
