Fairy Tale Flirts 2! 5 Romantic Short Stories

by Scott, Lisa

  She stared at the sign with its creepy eye mounted atop the tent, wondering if anyone could really see into the future. She needed to know if she’d ever find true love. Right now, it seemed unlikely. Could anyone ever love her for who she was? Or would she have to grow up and be serious and boring in order to find a husband?

  She pushed aside the tent flap and went inside. “Hello?”

  A voice called out from the back. “Just a moment.”

  Aurora looked around the tent. She didn’t see any crystal balls or tarot cards. There was just a cute little table covered with a lace cloth, a box of tissues, a vase of flowers, and a couch in the corner.

  An older black woman slipped out through a curtain at the back of the tent. “Are you here for a reading? Please sit.”

  Aurora sat down in one of the two chairs. “Thanks.”

  “I’m Marlene. You have questions about your future?” Her velvety voice already entranced Aurora.

  Aurora tucked a strand of curly blond hair behind her ear and nodded. “I do.”

  “May I see your hand?” the woman asked.

  Aurora hesitated, then reached across the table. The woman took Aurora’s hand in hers, and spent some time studying the front and back of it. Her soft fingers traced over the lines on Aurora’s palm. She looked up at Aurora. “You’re wondering about a man.”

  Aurora’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes.” Not so much the one who left her, but the one who might be next. The guy who might be the one. Maybe even the guy she’d left behind in Goose Valley.

  The woman smiled. “And this man—” Her words stopped mid-sentence, then her face went slack and her eyes rolled back. Her mouth drooped and she dropped Aurora’s hand. She held up her own hands, palms facing the tent’s ceiling.

  “Are you okay?” Aurora whispered. “You don’t have to put on a show for me.”

  Marlene didn’t answer. “Beware. You are in danger.” Her voice had deepened. “A crash. A car crash.” The woman gasped.

  Aurora’s heart felt as if it might pound out of her chest. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Todd stopped in here, didn’t he? This isn’t funny.”

  The woman moaned and swayed from side to side. “There’s a crash. A horrible crash.”

  Aurora shuddered and laughed nervously, picking at a stray thread on the tablecloth. Not if I don’t get into a car, she thought. “Let’s forget the crash for now. I was hoping you’d tell me if I’ll find true love.”

  The woman blinked, and her eyes refocused. “You’ve already found true love. And you’ll find it again, but you won’t know it.” Her voice had returned to normal. The woman shook and her eyes rolled back into place.

  Aurora gaped.

  Marlene smiled. “Now, what is it you want to know about this man?”

  Aurora struggled to catch her breath. “Hopefully, I meet him before the car crash?” she whispered.

  “Car crash?” Marlene asked, confused.

  “You just warned me about a car crash. You don’t remember?” Aurora cleared her throat. “A crash, a car crash,” Aurora said her best scary voice.

  “Oh, dear.” The woman rubbed her temples. “Sometimes the visions take over.”

  “Visions?” Aurora gulped. “Are they generally true?”

  “No one’s ever come back to tell me.” Marlene leaned toward Aurora. “What did I say?”

  “Nothing. Nothing important.” It was a coincidence. It was silly. She fished out her wallet and paid the woman. “Thanks for your time.”

  She left the tent and ran toward the boardwalk back to New Royalton. This was ridiculous. Why was she giving this a second thought? A fortuneteller at Neverland Island certainly had to be a hack. Wouldn’t a real one be working on a 1-900 psychic hotline? For years, Aurora had never given much thought to her great aunt’s prediction, and neither had her parents.

  But then when she was ten, she’d been in a crash that’d left her leg broken. Her mother freaked out and they moved to the city so she could use public transportation and stay out of cars. And here she was, fourteen years later, not having stepped foot in a car since they moved to New Royalton.

  Aurora checked her watch. It was one o’clock and she had three dogs at Grimm Towers waiting for their walk. Prince Maxim’s huge hounds hated to wait. She hurried toward the exit, still pondering the fortuneteller’s warning. A car crash. What were the chances she’d come up with the same prediction Great Aunt Tilly had made when she was a baby?

  Great Aunt Tilly had stormed in on Aurora’s first birthday party, enraged that she hadn’t been invited. Aurora’s mother had a thing against Aunt Tilly’s new age ways. She always worried that a séance would break out if Aunt Tilly was around. Aurora had no memory of the event—she was only one—but when she turned seven, she overheard her mother discussing it with her father. Aurora demanded to know what they were talking about.

  “Great Aunt Tilly upset your mother at your first birthday party by making a silly prediction,” her dad explained.

  “What did she say?” Aurora asked.

  Her mother and father exchanged glances. “She said you were going to get hurt in a car crash someday,” her father said.

  Her mother sniffed. “She said you were going to die!” Mom collapsed into a fit of tears.

  While Dad comforted her, Aurora asked why an old lady she barely knew would say such a terrible thing.

  “She was upset we didn’t invite her to the party,” Dad said.

  “And she knows we’re aware some of her predictions have come true. It was just a cruel, cruel joke.” Her mother started crying again, and Aurora comforted her, even though she was the one who was supposed to die. What a stupid, mean joke Aunt Tilly had played on them.

  And that’s how Aurora viewed it the next few years—a joke, until a drunk driver hit their car one night and Aurora’s leg was broken. Her mother couldn’t handle the close call and insisted on moving the family to New Royalton. Which meant she left behind their home in the country, her big yellow lab, Rexy, and her best friend Jordan. He was nice enough to take in Rexy. Not as if it was a big sacrifice for him. He loved that dog. Rexy always came along when she and Jordan explored the woods and searched for critters in the creek. They’d carved their names into the biggest tree they could find in the woods, because one day they planned to be boyfriend and girlfriend. But not at age ten. That was way too gross.

  Aurora laughed softly at the memory as she crossed the pier back to New Royalton. It’s too bad she and Jordan had fallen out of touch over the years. She hadn’t heard from him since eighth grade. Her life had become too different from his, and they hadn’t had much to discuss when they talked on the phone or swapped letters. When Jordan called to tell her Rexy had died, she became convinced he hadn’t taken care of her beloved dog. She never talked to him again. But really, she was just too sad about everything she’d left behind to continue their relationship.

  Aurora looked up at the buildings towering above her. Growing up in New Royalton wasn’t horrible. There were lots of things to do in the city, and they lived close to Sherwood Park. She’d made good friends, like Ariel and Goldie. She was surrounded by dogs now and made money spending time with them. It was a dream job and a good life. But she’d love to have a family of her own—and a dog of her own. Her landlord wouldn’t allow pets in the building. But when she finally did have a family, she’d probably have to defy her parents and use a car to cart everybody around. It was a silly thing to be worried about. But chills raced down her spine remembering the fortuneteller’s strange voice repeating the same eerie warning Great Aunt Tilly had delivered so many years ago. She wanted to laugh it off, but her throat was tight and a headache formed at the back of her skull.

  And what about everything the fortune teller had said about true love? She’d already found it? She certainly couldn’t have meant Todd. There’d be no reconciling there.

  Lost in her thoughts, she was halfway across the walkway when she heard screeching tires and a blaring horn.
Her world went black.

  ***

  Dr. Donovan ran to the operating room in the ER. “What’ve we got?”

  The nurse tending to the woman didn’t look up. “Female pedestrian hit by a car. Severe head trauma.”

  Even before he finished the exam, he knew it was bad. The patient wasn’t responsive. “Get a CT and get neurosurgery on standby for a consult.” His eyes scanned the chart, then froze when he read her name. “Aurora Jackson?” he whispered.

  The nurse paused. “You all right, doc?”

  “I…I…I know this woman.”

  Her face softened. “What a rotten coincidence. Let’s hope she makes it so you can tell her how close she came to dying.”

  After Jordan Donovan finished examining his best childhood friend and had sent her off for a CT scan, he took a moment to slump in a chair. Aurora Jackson was here in his emergency room, fighting for her life. One of the last times he’d seen her, they’d both been in a hospital, too. When she’d broken her leg. Back then, all he could do was sign her cast and promise to play ball with her dog. But now there was more he could do. And he was going to be sure he saved her—the one no other woman could replace.

  She was back in the room within minutes, and the CT results weren’t good. He got on the phone with neurosurgery. “I’ve got a patient with what looks like a subdural hematoma. I need a consult—now.”

  The next fifteen minutes flew by in a blur as Aurora was examined and whisked away for emergency surgery to drain the blood inside her skull.

  Dazed, he wandered to the doctor’s lounge and sank onto the couch, head in his hands. Aurora Jackson’s life hung in the balance. and there was nothing he could do.

  Mary opened the door to the lounge. “There you are. Can I come in?”

  He looked up and his heart fell. “Sure.” If he’d ever had any doubts that Mary Lamb was not the woman for him, seeing Aurora had confirmed it.

  Mary sat next to him and offered him a sip of her soda.

  “No thanks.”

  She rubbed his arm. “What’s wrong? You look like you lost your best friend.”

  He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “I hope not. A girl I used to know just came into the ER. Car crash. Traumatic brain injuries.”

  Taking a sip of soda, her eyebrows raised. “I’m sorry. Is she a former girlfriend?”

  “No, but she was my best friend before she moved away. I was eleven. Haven’t seen her since.”

  She patted his hand. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. The staff here is incredible. Want to go to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat?”

  “No. I’ve got to get back to work. I just needed a minute.”

  She stood, setting her hand on her curvy hip. Most of the men at the hospital lusted after Mary Lamb, and she’d chosen him. “Maybe we can get together when you’re done working,” she suggested in her soft voice.

  He shook his head. “Not today.”

  Mary pressed her lips together. “Okay. Call if you want to talk. I’m here for you.”

  Jordan laced his hands behind his head and groaned as she left the room. Mary had been trying hard to launch their relationship from a date here and there to a long-term commitment. She not only wanted the kids, dog, and picket fence, she’d already picked out the style and color of fence—black wrought iron, with an arbor leading to the front door. He should’ve ended things with her a while back, but she was kind and giving, and very pretty. They had a good time when they went out. He’d mistakenly thought that because she grew up on a farm, that she’d have some of Aurora’s sensibilities. But Mary was a city girl at heart, and didn’t want the same things he did.

  When he finished his shift, Jordan went to Aurora’s room. She’d been moved to the neuro-ICU where she lay in a bed like a beautiful doll, the whoosh of the ventilator and the beep of the heart monitor the only sounds. Her head was bandaged from surgery, and a tube snaked out of her mouth to help her breathe.

  Her parents were asleep in chairs in the corner of the room.

  He walked to her bed and fought back tears. What a beautiful woman she’d become. What has she been doing all these years, he wondered. “What happened?” he whispered.

  But it was loud enough that he woke her mother. She rushed over to him. “Is everything all right, Doctor?”

  He smiled best he could. “Mrs. Jackson. It’s me, Jordan.”

  Her blood-shot eyes widened. “Little Jordan Donovan? You’re a doctor here?”

  He nodded. “I was there was she came into the ER earlier today.”

  Mrs. Jackson buried her head into Jordan’s chest, crying. “That stupid prophecy, it came true. It never occurred to me she could be killed in a car crash if she wasn’t in a car.”

  Jordan knew all about the prophecy. It was the reason Aurora had been ripped from his world when her family moved to the city. He patted Mrs. Jackson’s back. “But she’s not dead. She’s alive. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she’s fine.”

  She nodded and gripped his shoulders. “Thank goodness you’re here.”

  Mr. Jackson woke and jumped out of his chair. “Doctor?”

  Mrs. Jackson sniffed. “Morty, this is Jordan. Can you believe it?”

  Mr. Jackson shook his hand. “Jordan? Aurora’s old friend? Is she going to be all right?”

  “She’s in a coma right now, but we should know more in the next few hours. How did this happen?”

  The good-natured humor that normally etched Mr. Jackson’s face was gone. “She had just left her boyfriend at Neverland Island and was walking home when a car hit her. Some jerk blew through a red light.”

  Jordan tried not to cringe at the word boyfriend. “So, where’s her boyfriend?”

  “He’s a very busy attorney. We called him right away and he should be coming later,” Mrs. Jackson said.

  Jordan’s throat tightened. He had no right to be jealous. She needed to be surrounded by all the love she could get right now. Still, something about their crazy childhood plan to be boyfriend and girlfriend one day stung his heart. But most childhood dreams didn’t come true, did they?

  “My shift is over,” he told the Jacksons. “Please call me if her condition changes. I’ll be here first thing in the morning to check on her. I work in the ER, but I’ll be watching over her every moment I can.”

  Mrs. Jackson squeezed his hand and hugged him. Then she ran to the man walking through the door. “Oh, Todd. I just can’t believe it.”

  “Neither can I,” he said. He was tall and had dark hair. While he appeared to be in good shape, Jordan was confident he could take him in a fight.

  “So, she stepped in front of the car, or did the car veer off into her?” Todd asked.

  “Witnesses say the car veered off and hit her,” Mr. Jackson clarified.

  Todd nodded and turned to Jordan. “How serious are her injuries? Will she live? Will there be permanent damage?”

  “Todd, the doctor is Aurora’s childhood friend, Jordan. She’s in good hands,” Mrs. Jackson said.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jordan said, squeezing the guy’s hand harder than he needed to. “We’ll know better over the next few days. There are no signs of paralysis, but there’s also no indication she’s coming out of this coma yet.”

  “I always knew having a personal injury lawyer in the family would pay off,” Mrs. Jackson said.

  “Well, I’m not exactly in the family, am I?” Todd softened his voice. “In fact, earlier today, Aurora and I agreed to end our relationship. I’m sorry to tell you like this, but it’s important you know we’re not together anymore.”

  Mrs. Jackson gasped.

  He held up his hands. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I won’t take her case. I’ll get the police report in the morning and go over the details.” He walked over to her hospital bed and stared at her, shaking his head. “I should go now.”

  “You’re not going to stay here with her?” Mrs. Jackson asked.

  “It doesn’t se
em appropriate,” he said, quietly. “It might be confusing for her to wake up and see me here after we agreed to separate, especially if she has any memory loss.” He gently patted Aurora’s hand.

  Jordan was ready to see if he really could take this loser in a fight. “I’ll stay. If you two would like to get a hotel room or go back home, I can stay with her tonight.”

  “Really?” Mrs. Jackson asked.

  “Yes. I’d feel better knowing I was here in case something happens. Give me your numbers and I’ll call if there’s any change. And Todd, don’t make plans for a big lawsuit just yet. I have a feeling Aurora is going to be fine.”

  Todd shrugged. “Even so, she was hit by a car. There’s a case here for sure.”

  Jordan clenched his teeth. “And the best place for you to work on that is your office.”

  “You’re probably right. Mr. And Mrs. Jackson, I’ll be in touch.” Todd left the room.

  Mrs. Jackson fell into another fit of tears. “The poor thing. She’s fighting for her life and she lost her boyfriend. I really thought he was the one.”

  “That guy?” Jordan asked, incredulous.

  “He seemed so…”

  “He was a jerk and I always thought so,” Mr. Jackson interrupted.

  Before they could argue more, Jordan led them to the door. “A good night’s sleep will help you tremendously. And I promise to call if anything changes.”

  Mrs. Jackson hugged him and Mr. Jackson shook his hand. After they left, Jordan pulled up a chair and took her hand in his. “Aurora. You shouldn’t be here. Not like this.”

  She didn’t stir. He tightened his grip on her limp hand. “Let me tell you a story about two kids name A.J. and J.D.” Growing up, the two of them both hated their names so they used initials instead. It was a secret between the two of them. No one else called them that. “A.J. and J.D. were the best of friends. They knew all the secret spots in the forest to hide. They knew which trees were easiest to climb. They knew which rocks in the creek hid crayfish underneath. At least, before she moved away that’s what they did.”