Beware What You Wish
Page 14
“She certainly doesn’t fit the profile of the sweet, unassuming political wife.” Piper squealed when Leo covered her eyes with his hands. Before he could get out a “guess who,” she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.
Phoebe winced as the White Lighter grunted and grimaced. “Hi, Leo,” she said.
“Leo!” Mortified and thrilled, Piper covered her mouth and stared as Leo straightened up, still clutching his stomach. Regaining her wits, she immediately launched into a typical Piper-style tirade. “Darn it, Leo! I didn’t know it was —”
Without a word, Leo placed his hands on Piper’s face and kissed her.
“— you.” Eyes brimming with joy, Piper threw her arms around Leo’s neck and hugged him. After a moment, she released him, stepped back, and eyed him sternly. “How long?”
“They promised me three days, maybe more.” Leo hesitated. “Unless there’s a planet-wide catastrophe of some kind.”
“Not a problem,” Piper said as she linked arms. “We already took care of the planet-wide catastrophes for this week.”
“Big time,” Phoebe added.
“So I heard.” Leo smiled at Piper with adoring eyes. “What would you like to do first?”
“First, I want to ride the merry-go-round ten times. After that, we’re going back to my booth to make sure Hard Crackers is set up and ready to rock and roll. Then we’re going to dance the afternoon away because that’s what people do at P3.” As Piper ran through her to-do list, Leo’s expression segued from anticipation to resignation. “When the bazaar shuts down at eight, then we can go home.”
“How many times do you want to ride the carousel?” Leo asked as they strolled away hand in hand.
“Ten. And I’m going to count.” Piper stopped suddenly and whirled to face Phoebe. “Tell Rick he can have the rest of the day off. He was just hanging around waiting to see you anyway.”
Oh, yeah, Phoebe thought. Rick.
“You’re a very strange girl, you know that?” Rick kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes straight ahead as he walked beside Phoebe toward the stage pavilion.
“You think so?” Phoebe asked, her eyes wide and innocent.
“Yeah.” Rick nodded, not happy. “This is the first time a girl’s ever asked me to go on her date with another guy.”
“It’s not a typical date,” Phoebe said. She was secretly pleased that Rick was so smitten he had agreed to come along. The only reason she had pushed the joke this far was because he took everything seriously and she couldn’t resist teasing him. Rick was as hot as she remembered and as nice as she had hoped, but his sense of humor lacked a comprehension of satire and subtle sarcasm.
Only half the folding chairs in front of the stage were filled, and no one was sitting in the front row. The old actor was already onstage, telling stories, and Phoebe was thrilled when the audience laughed at one of his jokes.
“Come on. We can sit front row center.” Phoebe motioned Rick to follow.
Rick stopped dead. “That’s Roy Hansen.”
“Who?” Phoebe looked around, then shrugged as she turned back toward the pavilion.
The old man caught her eye and waved as he spoke into the mike. “Hey, there! How’s my best girl?”
“Just fine!” Phoebe yelled back.
“You know Roy Hansen, too?” Rick threw up his hands in disbelief.
“You mean” — Phoebe gestured toward the stage — “that Roy Hansen?”
“There’s only one,” Rick said. He stared at the old man in awe. “Roy Hansen was the best cowboy stunt man in Hollywood for thirty years until he got trampled by a bucking bronco and broke about a dozen bones. He’s had a second career as a bit player, but no one will ever top him on a horse. Absolutely the best.”
“You’re right about that. He’s also my other date.” Phoebe smiled and winked.
Rick finally caught on. Taking her arm, he led her to the front row. “Think you can get me an autograph?” he asked as they sat down.
“Probably.” Phoebe pressed closer when Rick draped his arm over the back of her chair. “It’ll cost you dinner, though.”
Although Phoebe couldn’t forget the problems her secret life as a witch might bring to a relationship, she couldn’t stop enjoying life, either. As Prue had said, when the real Mr. Right came along, nothing else would matter except being together. In the meantime, though, Phoebe intended to have as much fun as possible.
“That’s the best deal I’ve made in a very long time.” Rick brushed her ear with his soft lips, sending shivers up Phoebe’s spine.
“Hey!” Roy yelled. “No fair making out with the old guy’s girl.”
Rick raised his hands playing along.
“Thank you. She’s a corker, isn’t she? Of course, romance at my age can be downright humiliating.” Roy winked and patted his chest. “When the old ticker gets beating too fast, my false teeth fall out.”
The audience roared.
“Woohoo!” Rick pumped his approval with his fist.
Phoebe laughed out loud, suddenly overwhelmed with relief and delight. Prue was having lunch with a future congressman. Leo had come home to Piper. Athulak was gone, the world was safe, and she had won the hearts of two totally hot men.
Today the Charmed Ones were batting a thousand.
About the Author
DIANA G. GALLAGHER lives in Florida with her husband, Marty Burke; four dogs; four cats; and a cranky parrot. Before becoming a full-time writer, she made her living in a variety of occupations, including hunter seat equitation instructor, folk musician, and fantasy artist. Best known for her hand-colored prints depicting the doglike activities of Woof: The House Dragon, she won a Hugo for Best Fan Artist in 1988.
Diana’s first science fiction novel, The Alien Dark, was published in 1990. Since then she has written forty intermediate reader and teen novels for Pocket Books in several series, including Star Trek for young readers, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Salem’s Tails, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Her first (adult) Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel, Obsidian Fate, appeared in September 1999 and was followed by two additional Buffy novels, Prime Evil and Doomsday Deck. Beware What You Wish is her first novel in the Charmed series.