As we did our chores after school, we talked and laughed together. He wanted to know everything about me. I told him as much as I could without explaining who I really was and where I was from.
We never spent more than ten minutes in the hayloft, even though Nate had joked about changing the rule. He was always a true gentleman and treated me with the respect every girl deserves.
Everything changed on Thursday. When I finished my chores at Mr. Haney’s ranch, I saw Jack standing alone on the porch. “Hey, beautiful,” he said. “Look what I found.” He held up a golden brooch.
“You’re going to get caught, Jack,” I half-whispered once I’d stepped onto the porch. “You can’t keep sneaking around in there.” I motioned to the house behind him. “Who knows what Mr. Haney will do if he catches you!”
“But look, Dani.” Jack handed me the palm-sized brooch. “This is from Fenmore Falls.”
My breath caught in my chest as I stared at the gold trinket. “Jack,” I breathed. “Why would Mr. Haney have a piece of my grandmother’s jewelry?”
“I don’t know. I only recognized it from the portrait of her at the castle. Did they ever make replicas of the brooch?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so, but some say it was magical.” At Jack’s doubtful look, I said, “Anyway, this is exactly like my grandmother’s—I remember the picture of the hen on it. My grandfather gave her the brooch because she grew up raising chickens.”
“So, do you think this is hers or not?”
“I’m not sure. Even if it isn’t, someone would’ve needed to see the original to copy it.”
“Where is your grandmother’s brooch now?”
“In the castle vault. It was placed there after she died.”
Jack let out a long breath. “Well, I found it in the room where I found the gold coin.” He took the brooch from me and put it in his pocket. “There could be a hundred other items from Fenmore Falls hidden in his house.”
“Why does Mr. Haney have this stuff?”
“No idea. Dorothy doesn’t even have things from our kingdom lying around in her house.”
“Since the day I met him, he’s always made me nervous,” I admitted.
“How about Nate? Do you still feel safe around him?”
“Of course I do,” I said, irritated. “I trust him completely.”
“Fine. I’ll trust him because you do.”
I put my arms around Jack. “Thank you.”
He squeezed me tight for a second. “I can tell he’s a good guy, and I know he cares about you.”
I stepped back. “Yes, he does.”
“It’s good to know Nate is there to protect you when I’m not with you.”
“I don’t always need protecting, you know. I’m a big girl.”
“Yes, I know.” Jack paused. “Have you told him anything about where you’re from and who you really are?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“Dani, I think it’s time you told him everything. You’re a princess who is missing from her kingdom. Everyone is looking for you, both good and bad people. You’ve got to tell Nate who you really are, so he can watch out for you.”
“I’m afraid it will change everything,” I said. I loved how Nate liked me for the person I was inside, without knowing I was a princess. My biggest worry was he would treat me differently once he found out.
“Yes, it will change,” Jack replied, “but he loves you, Dani. He’ll still love you even after you tell him who you are.”
My heart jumped. He loves me? I felt my cheeks turn red.
Jack smiled. “Now, don’t get all twitterpated on me. We need to focus on figuring out what to do. For now, go home and get some sleep. I’ll go try to open that darn door. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”
“What would I do without you?”
“You’d be stuck in this crazy world,” Jack said. “But at least you’d be stuck here with Nate.”
Hmm, that doesn’t sound so bad.
Jack could see my mind working. “Don’t get any ideas, Dani. You’re the princess, and we need to get you home.”
Chapter 18
More Jack and the Beanstalk
(It’s Just Such a Good Tale)
All happened as it did before. In came the ogre as he did before and said:
“Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I’ll have his bones to grind my bread,”
And had his breakfast of three broiled oxen. Then he said: “Wife, bring me the hen that lays the golden eggs.” So she brought it, and the ogre said: “Lay,” and it laid an egg all of gold. And then the ogre began to nod his head, and to snore till the house shook.
Then Jack crept out of the oven on tiptoe and caught hold of the gold hen, and was off before you could say “Jack Robinson.” But this time the hen gave a cackle which woke the ogre.
Day 16
The next morning before the sun rose, I woke up with another nightmare on my mind. The details were foggy, but I knew it was similar to the one where a man chased Jack with an ax. Perhaps my worry for Jack was causing these chilling dreams.
I thought about the evidence Jack had found—first there was the gold coin from Fenmore Falls, and now my grandmother’s brooch. Was Mr. Haney dangerous, or did he just like to collect fascinating things? If he was only a collector, where did he find these two things from my world? It didn’t make sense.
Also, I wondered when Jack and I would be able to open the magic door and return home. If I was still in danger in Fenmore Falls, was it greater than the danger I might face here? I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack wasn’t safe, either.
I sat in bed worrying until I could see a sliver of sunrise through my window. New compositions were running through my head, and playing them on the piano would help me feel better. Before I could talk myself out of it, I got dressed and raced over to Mr. Haney’s house. Nate and Troy would be out feeding the horses, and Mr. Haney would be doing chores too, so I could play without disturbing anyone.
My soul rejoiced as I sat at the piano and swept the keys with my fingers, bringing to life one of the songs in my heart. My frustration and worry were replaced with feelings of peace and love when I thought about Nate. Sometimes I played soft and sometimes loud, but all the songs were cheerful. The stress began to lift from my shoulders as I created new melodies.
A shadow crossed my fingers on the keyboard, making me jump. Nate stood by my side, wearing work clothes and holding his cowboy hat in his hand. He was handsome in his short-sleeved shirt that matched the color of his eyes.
“Can I watch you?” he asked. “I’ve always wanted to watch you play up close.”
I grinned. “Sure.” With all the times I’d played for Mr. Haney I was getting used to performing for people, though it still made me a little nervous.
Nate sat next to me on the bench. “Is this all right?”
I gulped and nodded. With him so near, I didn’t trust myself to speak.
As I started to play a casual piece, my fingers fumbled a bit.
“Do I make you nervous?” Nate said teasingly.
“Hush, I’m trying to concentrate.”
Soon, my hands relaxed and danced across the keys. A few minutes later when I paused between songs, Nate asked, “How does it feel to play like that, to create such beautiful music?”
I stretched out my fingers. “I can’t really describe it in words, but . . . well, it feels amazing.”
“Can you show me how to play?” He looked at his hands in his lap. “I mean, I can see how you play, but I want you to show me how it feels.”
“Okay, but how can I do that?”
He smiled his half grin, then got up and stood behind me. He placed both hands on my shoulders and said, “Scoot closer and I’ll sit behind you on the bench.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to sit behind you and rest my hands on yours whi
le you play.”
Oh! My heart paused and I shivered.
Nate hesitated only a second before he straddled me from behind. I scooted to the front edge of the piano bench.
“Play the song you play every day.”
Glancing at him over my shoulder, I asked, “Which one?”
“You know, the one that sounds like a music box.”
“Ah, okay.” My mom gave me a music box when I was four, and I often played the music on the piano to remind me of her. I hadn’t realized I played it every day.
“I assumed it was your favorite, since you play it a lot. It’s the one with mostly high notes.”
Wondering if I could concentrate with him sitting so close, I placed my hands on the keys. Nate carefully rested his fingers on mine, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Grateful I had the notes memorized, I closed my eyes and let my fingers slide from one key to the next. Nate’s hands moved with mine. The sound from the piano filled the small room and surrounded my heart with joy and peace.
With his chin rested on my shoulder, I could feel his breath against my neck. He put his lips close to my ear and whispered, “I love you, Dani.”
My hands froze. My heart pounded in my ears, and I wondered if Nate could hear it.
He kissed the back of my neck. “Sorry. I just can’t hold it in anymore.”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt something for him, but was it love? He was the most amazing person I’d ever met. Except, he wasn’t from my world, so even if it was love, nothing could happen between us. He deserved someone who could love him, not someone who would take his heart with her when she left.
I stood up, but Nate grabbed me. “Dani?”
I shook off his arm. “I need to go.”
“Please don’t.”
Tears clouded my eyes. “I’m sorry, Nate.”
I rushed out of the house, not daring to look back. I ran as fast as I could toward Dorothy’s, attempting to lessen the pressure inside my chest. Tears flowed down my cheeks. The farther I ran, the more my heart hurt, and it had nothing to do with the exercise I was getting.
Why did I let things get this far with Nate? I’d known my heart would hurt when I eventually had to leave, but I’d never realized it would feel like it was bleeding.
In that moment, I decided I would almost rather face a wizard and a curse, than to fall in love with someone I could never have.
Chapter 19
Another Unanswered Question from My Childhood:
Where Did My Grandmother Get a Magic Music Box?
“It’s pretty.” I stared at the white box in my mom’s hands.
“It was your grandmother’s before she gave it to me,” my mom said, a hint of sadness in her voice. My grandmother had died before I was born.
My mom lifted the box’s lid. A small figurine, dressed as a ballerina, popped up and began to twirl, accompanied by sweet music. The melody sank into my four-year-old soul and made me happy. I swung my arms from side to side with the beat.
“Now the music box is yours.” Mom placed it carefully in my lap.
I clapped my hands. “I love it!”
My young mind had been touched briefly by the power of song, and the music box fueled my curiosity more. From that moment, my passion for music spread through me like fire through dry grass. I could hear melodies everywhere.
“I’m glad you love it,” my mom said, patting my back. “I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did when I was a child. My mother always said it was full of magic.”
There was nothing I loved more than music and magic.
Later on Day 16
Following a long and tortuous day at school, trying to act normal and unbothered, I was ready to be done with my life in Idaho. When Abby and I got home, I closed myself in my room and collapsed on the bed. I used the pillow to cover my face and smothered the scream I had been holding in.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and Dorothy peeked her head into the room. “Aurora, sweetheart, how are you?”
When I didn’t answer, she came in and closed the door. “Abby said you seemed upset today. Are you okay?”
I tossed the pillow off my face. “Ugh! I can’t do this anymore. I want to go home.”
Dorothy sat next to me. “What’s going on? Everything seemed to be going fine.”
“Jack says the wizard knows I’m here. So why should I stay?”
“This is the best place for you right now. Trust me, you are safer here.” Dorothy paused. “There is dangerous magic in your kingdom that cannot be found in this world.”
“What kind of magic?”
She let out a long breath. “The kind that can only be explained in fairy tales.”
“You’ve mentioned fairy tales before. What are they, really?”
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Come on, it’s time I showed you something.”
I followed her down to the living room. Abby, who was sitting on the couch, smiled as we came through the doorway.
“Please find all of our princess books, Abby,” Dorothy said.
Abby raised her eyebrows. “Princess books?”
“Yes, all of them.”
“Um, all right.” Abby slowly got up and left the room.
Dorothy sat me down on the couch. “Aurora, many things that have happened in your kingdom were recorded in books. It’s a way for your world to remember the events—and a way for my world to describe magical things.”
A few minutes later, Abby appeared with an armful of books and set them on the floor next to her mother. “There might be more upstairs. I’ll go look.”
“Thank you, Abby.” Dorothy grabbed the book on the top of the pile. The cover featured a girl in a beautiful blue dress, running down a long staircase made of stone. “I love this story,” Dorothy told me, “but it’s not the one I’m looking for.”
She rummaged through the pile and soon exclaimed, “Here it is.” The book had a beautiful cover with red roses surrounding the border, and gold letters across it. “Sleeping Beauty?” I exclaimed.
“This is your story,” Dorothy announced.
I frowned. “My story?”
“Well, not exactly, but it explains what your story could be.” She handed me the book.
I traced the gold letters on the cover. “You’re telling me that my life has been recorded in a book?”
“It’s a story similar to what is happening in your life.”
I flipped through the first few pages and stopped at a picture of a princess with brown eyes and long blond hair. “I’m Sleeping Beauty?” I said.
“Yes, but Sleeping Beauty is also a character in a story we tell to children.”
I turned more pages and saw the same princess touching the needle of a spinning wheel. On the next page, she lay asleep on the floor. Fear pierced my chest. “Is this going to happen to me?”
“You choose the outcome of your own fairy tale. Even though people can do bad things to you, you have control over your choices. Your life will be the sum total of your desires.”
`More pictures in the book showed other people lying on the ground. I gasped and kept flipping through the pages. “Are they asleep too? Or dead?”
Dorothy gently took the book. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to upset you. I figured you were ready to see this. But it doesn’t mean these events have to occur. Your story can be different.”
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the panic inside me. “No, I’m glad you showed me.”
“Are you all right?” Dorothy patted my trembling hand.
I nodded and stood up. “I need some fresh air.”
“Yes, go for a walk and clear your head.”
With new determination, I left Dorothy’s place and walked to the abandoned house down the road. Inside, I stacked some old bookcases and climbed up to the second floor.
Once again the magic door wouldn’t open. I pounded on it until my fists hurt. “Let me in!” Then I kicked and screamed at it. When that didn’t
work, I sat on the floor and mumbled angrily, “I want to go home!”
After several minutes of feeling sorry for myself, my ears picked up the nature sounds outside. Birds sang in the nearby trees, accompanied by the gurgle of a stream, and the afternoon sun shone through the empty windows of the house.
Hearing the music of nature made me think of playing the piano, which made me think of playing the piano with Nate. And thinking of him made my heart confused. With my temporary peace shattered, I put my head on my knees and wept.
My pain was caused by my own actions, but it had hurt someone else as well—Nate. I should have never let things go that far. I had tried to keep my heart at a safe distance, but the truth was I’d started falling for him that first day. I knew he loved me for me. He encouraged me to be myself, and I felt safe around him.
Okay, I love him, I admitted to myself. But my feelings didn’t matter, because our relationship could never work. Nate and I were from two different worlds. He belonged in Idaho, and I belonged in Fenmore Falls. A deep sadness overtook my heart.
I sat and pondered until the sun’s rays reached low to the floor. I couldn’t believe I’d spent all afternoon in the abandoned house. Jack would be worried about me, but I had to figure things out. And no matter how absurd it sounded or how impossible any future was for Nate and me, I needed to tell him I loved him. Like Jack had suggested, I also needed to tell Nate the truth about myself. He deserved that much. But I wanted to get Jack’s opinion about how I could best explain everything.
With my decision made, I hurried to Dorothy’s house. I walked in and found Jack and Abby standing in the kitchen, laughing as she stirred something in a bowl.
“Jack, stop!” She giggled and put her hand on his arm. “I can’t make these brownies if you keep making me laugh.”
Oh, they’re so cute together! I thought.
Jack looked up and saw me. “Hey, beautiful. Did you have a good day with Nate?”
“Um, I haven’t seen him since school,” I replied.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were doing chores with him. Where have you been all afternoon?”
Finding Sleeping Beauty Page 13
