Imperfect Magic (Dancing Moon Ranch Book 11)

by Patricia Watters

  "Well, there's no lounge full of people now," Dimitri said, "and I need another long kiss before we get to the ranch.

  He'd barely said the words when Maddy's lips were on his, and before long they were engaged in another long, passionate, kiss with tongues darting in and out one moment, and entangling the next, which had Maddy's heart hammering, and her breath feeling as if it were trapped in her lungs, and when Dimitri's hands seem to be everywhere—one hand moving up her leg while dragging her dress along with it, the other lowering the front of her gown so he could kiss the swell of her breasts—Maddy let out little plaintive sounds, which became gasps for air when Dimitri nuzzled her cleavage and kissed each breast before making his way up her chest and along the side of her neck, where he darted his tongue in her ear and traced the swirls there, bringing a gasp from her lips.

  Then abruptly, Dimitri stopped what he was doing, and when Maddy looked at him in puzzlement, he was smiling. "What's so funny?" she asked, feeling aroused because of the intimate things he'd been doing, and irritated because he stopped.

  "That was the greatest slight-of-hand I've ever done," Dimitri said.

  Maddy eyed him with bafflement. "What are you talking about?"

  "I'm referring to what's in your bra."

  "What!" Maddy's hands went to her breasts. Reaching into the right cup of her bra, she pulled out a tiny gold wine goblet, and in the left she found a pair of gold handcuffs. She held up the charms, one in each hand, and said, "The goblet makes sense because this is wine country, so no one should question it, but it would be pretty hard to explain hand cuffs to anyone in my family. Maybe you should exchange them for something else to represent Metamorphosis."

  "Like this?" In an instant, a tiny gold chest appeared in Dimitri's fingers.

  Maddy stared in shocked surprise. "How do you do that?"

  "Honey, stop asking. I'm a magician, an illusionist. I have secret powers."

  "You are so full of it. But these are beautiful." Maddy took the tiny chest from Dimitri's fingers. The lid on the charm lifted, revealing several seed pearls.

  "So, now you have the secrets to half my illusions," Dimitri said, "but there's one more."

  "I know it's not in my bra, and my gown has no pockets, so I give up. Where is it?"

  "Inside my Speedo."

  Maddy's eyes went to Dimitri's crotch. "Are you serious?"

  Dimitri laughed. "I wish, but no, I'm not serious. It's in the waistband of your pantyhose."

  "What!" Maddy slipped her hand beneath her skirt and felt the charm just above her hip. She'd been aware of Dimitri's hand moving up her leg, but when he'd nuzzled between her breasts, her attention was drawn from what was going on beneath her skirt to the tingles radiating from where his lips were moving, and by the time he stopped what he was doing, she was on hormone overload, ready for whatever would come next, except that somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind she knew she was nearing the point of no return.

  On retrieving the charm, she found a gold rabbit in a top hat. It was a small, finely-crafted rabbit with ruby eyes, and across the front of the hat were several tiny cut diamonds. "It's beautiful, but a rabbit in a top hat is Katy's magic trick," Maddy said.

  "I know, but I want you to put it on your bracelet as a reminder to me that magic, even in the hands of the most skilled magician, is an imperfect art."

  "You shouldn't keep beating yourself up for something you knew nothing about," Maddy said. "Katy has her new heart and she's doing well, and for that we can all be thankful. But I'll still put the charm on my bracelet as a reminder of a special magic show and what it meant to a sick little girl, but most of all it will remind me of the amazing man who put it all together."

  "If you keep believing that, then I will have accomplished the greatest illusion of my career," Dimitri said. "Will it get me another kiss?"

  "Absolutely." In an instant they were wrapped in each other's arms and reclined on the back seat of the limo, and this time, when Dimitri's hands moved over Maddy's body, she was aware of exactly where they were and what they were doing, and they were not slipping charms into her bra, but what they were doing was magic. But somewhere during the hot, heavy, back-seat session, Maddy managed to take enough control to break away and say, in a winded voice, "When we go for our ride in the morning we need to stay away from the cabin. I don't have much control with you, and we still have a lot to work out before we seal things."

  Dimitri kissed the side of Maddy's neck. "Where do you propose we go?" he asked, before again exploring her ear with his tongue.

  "Umm, I like when you do that," Maddy said, "but since we're talking serious marriage plans, I think it's time you meet the rest of my family."

  Dimitri stopped what he was doing and looked at her in curiosity. "Will we still be going by horseback?"

  Maddy nodded. "It's the only way there."

  ***

  Maddy always dreamed of going on a moonlight ride with the man she intended to marry, and making pre-nuptial vows at the spot where the Dancing Moon Ranch got its name, but now it seemed more important that Dimitri see the vista in broad daylight, or more accurately, in the yellow-pink light of dawn.

  They managed to saddle the horses and slip away without being seen. She didn't want everyone asking questions about why or where she and Dimitri were going. Ever since the cattle drive, it was clear that Dimitri didn't need riding lessons, so slipping away unnoticed would avoid having to formulate more untruths.

  The trail was an established riding trail, and only about a fifteen minute ride to their destination, where they'd have to hike up a foot path.

  After dismounting and tethering the horses, Maddy took Dimitri by the hand, and said, "We're almost there."

  Dimitri eyed Maddy with amused suspicion. "I hope this won't turn out to be some kind of inquisition, where your father and brothers will be waiting at the top of the hill to grill me for hours about my intentions."

  Maddy laughed. "If you get grilled, it will come from the other side."

  "The other side of the mountain?"

  "No, the other side of the great beyond."

  Dimitri cast a skeptical glance at Maddy. "Are we heading for some kind of séance?"

  Maddy gave him a wry smile. "Something like that. Come on." She quickened her pace, tugging Dimitri along behind her while making their way up the trail.

  The path ended in a clearing where a small cemetery stood surrounded by an iron picket fence. Maddy released Dimitri's hand and wrapped her palms around a couple of iron spikes, and said, "This is the rest of my family."

  Dimitri moved beside her, and as they stood together, Maddy pointed and said, "That big gray marker in the far corner is the headstone of my great-grandfather, Jeremiah Hansen. His wife, Madeleine, who I'm named after, is buried beside him. Jeremiah was the logger who cleared the land and first started running cattle here, and Madeleine was the daughter of the man who owned the property Jeremiah logged, and later bought. She was born and raised on the property so my roots here run deep."

  "I take it Adam Hansen was their son," Dimitri said, referring to a large granite marker to the right of the others.

  Maddy nodded. "He was married to Grandma Maureen. He's the one who built the lodge, and along with running cattle, he started the guest ranch. He died way before I was born, but Grandma talked about him so much when we were growing up we all feel like we knew him. I wish I had. We never thought Grandma would marry again, but she did. She and Howard were at each other's weddings when they married their first spouses, and the two couples stayed friends for the rest of their lives. Grandpa Hansen died first, then after Howard's wife died, he and Grandma kept in touch, and shortly after Marc and Kit's wedding, they too were married."

  "Who is Edith Barker?" Dimitri asked, while looking at another marker.

  "Howard's first wife," Maddy replied. "Grandma insisted they dig her up and bury her here so the four of them would always be together. Grandma will be buried with Grandpa, and they'l
l lie beside Howard and his wife. It's really kind of sweet."

  "If lying together for all eternity is sweet, then I guess it is," Dimitri said. "What about the rest of Howard's family? Will they be buried here too?"

  "I suppose anyone who's married to family members would want to be buried with them," Maddy replied. "Howard has a son and daughter-in-law who might want to be here, and they have a grown daughter who was living with them, but Howard's son has been offered a position with a company in Korea, so their daughter, is coming to live with us, and since Julia's not married, I suppose she'd want to be buried here with her grandparents."

  "Is there something wrong that she can't live by herself?" Dimitri asked.

  "Yes," Maddy replied. "She was trapped under the building during the Oklahoma City bombing and has claustrophobia, and I'm hoping my program will help. Equine therapy isn't just for kids. It's been used successfully for all kinds of psychological problems, and once Julia gets settled here I know Helping Hooves can help her."

  Dimitri said nothing, but his silence said it all: Helping Hooves couldn't help unless Maddy remained at the ranch.

  Not wanting to make an issue of it, Maddy pointed to a marker with a vase of flowers by it, and said, "The small stone with the rabbits is where my little half-brother, Jackie Jr. is buried. Dad was married before marrying Mom, and his baby died. Jackie used to be buried behind our house, but Grandma convinced Dad to move him where he'd be with family."

  "Then your dad brought the flowers?" Dimitri asked.

  Maddy nodded. "I guess you never get over losing a child."

  Before Dimitri could start asking questions about something Maddy never truly understood, she took his hand, and said, "Just up this path is a bird's eye view of the ranch." She led Dimitri up the path, which was a gradual incline, and before long she stopped beside the stump of a giant fir. There, she gazed down at a panorama that included the winery surrounded by rows of vineyards, and not far from that was Marc and Kit's house, which overlooked the Indian mound and the living museum. Across a fenced pasture stood the stable and stock barns, and along the creek were the guest cabins, some of which disappeared behind the big log lodge, with its wide front porch, dormered roof, and stone chimney. A drive running behind the lodge gave access to the house where Maddy grew up, and across from that were the houses of Jayne and Sam, and Grandma and Howard. Two roads split off from there, one leading to Rick and Sophie's house and continuing to the log house Adam built for Emily, the other road making its way up the mountain to Tyler and Rose's place, which included their new cedar yurt, a riding arena, and the stable where Tyler housed his horses, all clearly visible from where Maddy stood.

  Family was everywhere, and Maddy never considered living anyplace else. She could even see the piece of land set aside for her. Part lush pasture, part evergreen forest, everything to make Helping Hooves a reality was waiting. All she needed was an arena and a house, both of which her brothers and father were prepared to help build. The thought of moving away made her depressed, as did the thought of Dimitri leaving without her.

  Dimitri wrapped his arms around Maddy from behind, and said, "It's quite a site."

  "I know. To me, it's the earthly equivalent of having a little spot in heaven," Maddy replied. "Where we're standing is the place where Grandma agreed to marry Grandpa Adam. Grandpa Adam brought Grandma up here the night of a harvest moon to ask her to marry him, and just after she said she would, a cloud formation moved in front of the moon and Grandma said it looked like the moon was dancing, and Grandpa Adam told her it was, because she'd agreed to marry him, and that's how the ranch got its name."

  "Then your grandmother was a ranch girl?" Dimitri asked.

  "No, she was a city girl, but she became a ranch girl fast because she wanted to marry my grandfather and he was a rancher. Grandma always said that when you find the right person you'll be willing to do anything and go anywhere to be with that person, and if you don't feel that way, then you need to keep looking because the right person is still out there somewhere."

  As she said the words, Maddy realized she'd just made her decision, and it if meant leaving the Dancing Moon Ranch and following Dimitri to Las Vegas, then so be it. The love they'd share would make up for what she'd leave behind. But she wouldn't tell Dimitri until after tonight's performance. Then somehow they'd have to find a way to tell her parents.

  CHAPTER 17

  Dimitri couldn't believe how fast his month-long run at the Coyote passed, or how amazing Maddy was as his assistant. Not only was she competent, but she was witty, and when she'd make her way between tables while selecting volunteers, all the while interacting with audience members, they loved her. They were also performing to sold-out crowds, and the enthusiasm after each illusion was explosive. But tonight's performance would be their last.

  He still hadn't worked out an issue with the fake in the donkey box, which gave him some incentive to extend his contract for another two weeks so he could test out the illusion at the Coyote. But mainly, it would give him added time to talk to her family and assure them that he would do whatever it took to see that Maddy was happy while living in Las Vegas. Maddy told him the night before that she loved him so much she was ready to leave with him, which wasn't enough for him because he knew what she was leaving behind. He wanted her to feel as if she too was realizing her dream. Right now it was all about him.

  For the moment, though, he and Maddy were finding their way through the network of corridors in the cardiac unit at the children's hospital in Portland, and as they walked past the rooms and he saw the young patients, some sitting in bed playing with toys, others hooked to tubes and medical devices, he couldn't help thinking that, for a child trapped in a hospital, learning a little magic or watching it would help pass the time.

  "It's pretty tough seeing kids like this," he commented, as they passed a room where a woman was sitting on the side of a bed, stroking the head of a child with a tube in his nose.

  "I know," Maddy said. "I wish there was a way to take them all back to the ranch and put them on horses, even if it was only for five minutes, just to see them smile."

  Dimitri wrapped his arm around Maddy's shoulders, gave her a kiss on the temple, and said, "Like I told you before, honey, you're a remarkable woman."

  "Not really," Maddy said. "Helping kids have a little joy by riding a horse isn't a hard job. The parents of these kids are the remarkable ones. Their jobs continue around the clock for the duration of their children's lives. My job's over at the end of the day."

  "It still takes a special person to get involved," Dimitri said.

  As they approached Katy's room they saw Sharon in the hallway just outside, talking to a doctor. They paused for a moment, until Sharon motioned for them to join them. After making introductions, Sharon said to the doctor, "This young woman is setting up an equine therapy program for disabled kids, and this is the man who brought magic into Katy's life."

  The doctor commended Maddy on what she was doing, then he focused his attention on Dimitri, and said, "Doctors diagnose, treat and pass out prescriptions on a daily basis, but when we have a patient who believes so strongly in some kind of power to heal, there's no better medicine. Your magic's been a potent healer."

  Dimitri let out a short, disgruntle laugh. "I'm glad Katy's doing well, but don't give me any credit. What I do is all smoke and mirrors."

  "It doesn't matter," the doctor said. "The mind has extraordinary influence over the body, and believing in your own body's ability to heal, whether through magic, prayer, medications, and even inert pills, can have a significant positive physical impact. It's called the placebo effect and it's a powerful force."

  Dimitri couldn't deny the power the mind had over the body. Magicians and illusionists relied on mind power to hold an audience for the duration of a show. But this wasn't a show. It was real life. "Doesn't that introduce deception into the picture?" he asked. "Katy could grow up believing that magic works better than her medications.
"

  "She'll have years to understand the importance of taking her meds," the doctor said. "Besides, she told us you taught her some magic tricks, so she knows it's not real."

  "I suppose." Dimitri let out a little chuckle. "She was actually very good at it."

  "Mommy," Katy's voice came from inside the room. "Is Dimitri here?"

  "Yes, honey," Sharon called out.

  Maddy and Dimitri entered the room to find Katy sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, with a coloring book and crayons on one side of her, and a Parcheesi board on the other. A man sitting in a chair beside the bed, who they presumed was her father, was reaching over and moving a Parcheesi pawn around the board.

  After Sharon made introductions, Katy said to her father, in an excited voice, "Maddy's going to teach me how to ride a horse and I'm learning magic from Dimitri." Then looking up at Dimitri, she said, with animation, "Can you show Daddy some magic?"

  Dimitri couldn't hold back the wide grin because he was looking at a little girl who'd changed from a frail, pale child with bluish lips, to a rosy-cheeked kid with big bright eyes and a happy face, so maybe his magic had played a small part, at least in lifting her spirits at a very low point in her life. Placing his hand on her shoulder he gave it a little squeeze, and said, "How about you finish the game with your dad and we'll do magic after."

  Katy turned to her father. "Can we stop the game, Daddy?" she asked.

  Ken Glassell chuckled. "Sure baby, why not. You're beating me anyway."

  "So do some magic," Katy said to Dimitri.

  Dimitri was still having trouble connecting the little sick girl he'd seen before with the enthusiastic child sitting in the middle of the bed, but it was slowly sinking in. "Okay, I'll do cups and balls, and after that I'll teach you how to read colors with your fingers."