Imperfect Magic (Dancing Moon Ranch Book 11)

by Patricia Watters

  "I vote the Bahamas," Maddy said. "You could both buy bikinis and go snorkeling."

  Grace laughed. "No way. After giving birth to you kids I have way too many love handles."

  Jack laughed. "Honey, you're shaped the way I like."

  Maddy saw her father wink and her mother blush, and knew the flame between her parents was still burning hot, even after almost thirty years. She wondered if after she'd been married that long, and was as old as her mother, if there would still be sparks…

  "Honey," Grace said to her, "is there something special on your mind?"

  "Sort of," Maddy replied. Drawing in a long breath, she started in by saying, "When Beth, Hannah, and I were in Las Vegas and saw Dimitri's show, during intermission I went to his dressing room to tell him how much we were enjoying it, and while I was there, Dimitri offered to hire me to teach him about handling horses while he'd be staying here, and I said I would."

  "There's no need for that," Jack replied. "Adam can take him on daily trail rides and teach him whatever he needs to know."

  "Yes, but I need the money for my arena, and Dimitri said he'd pay me," Maddy argued. "But even with that I'll still be short on money, which is what I want to talk to you about."

  "You have a job here on the ranch, helping manage the guests," Jack pointed out.

  "I'm talking about a second job," Maddy said. "As it is, it will be months before I have enough money to start my arena, and by then it will be winter."

  "What other job?" Jack asked. From the guarded look on his face, he was dubious, at best, about what was coming.

  After taking a moment to organize her thoughts, Maddy said, in a long string of words she hoped would not completely register in her parents' minds, "The thing is, when I was outside Dimitri's dressing room during intermission the door flew open and his assistant walked out leaving him without an assistant for the rest of the show so when he asked if I'd be willing to stand on stage and hold an ax during his final act I said I would and I did."

  "You what?!"

  Maddy flinched. "I didn't mention it before because this is exactly the reaction I figured I'd get. But I also got five-hundred dollars, and afterwards, Dimitri asked if I'd do the same thing while he's at the Coyote Lounge, and I said I would."

  "That's out of the question," Jack clipped.

  Maddy squared her shoulders and stood as tall as she could while facing her father, and said, "When I turned twenty-one you said because I was a grown woman I was free to make my own decisions, and you trusted me to make wise ones."

  "And you blindsided me by making the unwise decision to spend three days nightclubbing in the city where your sister-in-law might be called in to testify against a mafia crime family that owns half the casinos there."

  "Nothing happened," Maddy said. "My roommates and I didn't do anything other tourists wouldn't do."

  "You just told me you stood on stage in a nightclub."

  "I stood there and held an ax!" Maddy cried. "This is the very reason I said nothing before now, Dad, because I knew you'd react this way. You have absolutely no confidence in my ability to make wise decisions."

  "Honey," Grace broke into the argument. "Dad and I do have confidence in your ability to make wise decisions, but you're still very young, and sometimes there's a shady line between what a young person perceives as wise, and what someone older, with more experience through life's choices, knows could have long-term ramifications."

  "I knew you'd take Dad's side," Maddy said. "I might as well be talking to Siamese twins."

  "Hold it," Jack countered. "Your mother and I don't agree on everything, but we agree on this. We can't stop you from working at the Coyote, but if you do, it will be against our wishes."

  "This is so unfair," Maddy said. "All I'll be doing is standing on stage holding an ax. It's not like I'm going back to Las Vegas to become a nightclub dancer."

  "You know my position." Jack stood and marched out of the room.

  Maddy pursed her lips as she watched her father walk away. "He is so intractable," she said to her mother. "He's like a Victorian father, assuming because I'm a girl I'm incapable of making decisions. It's parochial and narrow-minded of him."

  "No, it's because he loves you," Grace said. "You'll understand better when you're a parent."

  "Well, I gave Dimitri my word I'd assist him, and he's paying me three-thousand dollars to do that and teach him about horses, so by the end of the month I'll have enough money to start building my arena, and that's all there is to it."

  But Maddy knew that was definitely not all there was to it. By the time the rest of her family would weigh in on things, all of which would be negative, everyone at the ranch would agree that the only daughter of Jack and Grace Hansen was sliding down a slippery slope toward a life of decadence, depravity and debauchery in the city of sin.

  The only bright spot in all of it would be that she'd get a bundle of money while learning the secret to the Metamorphosis escape, along with seeing Dimitri in his tiny black swimsuit again.

  "You really need to think this through," Grace said.

  "I have thought it through, Mom, and I gave Dimitri my word," Maddy replied. "A month from now I'll be three-thousand dollars richer and ready to start building my arena."

  She left the house quickly, not wanting to hear her mother's litany of reasons why she should reconsider, and was surprised to see Adam and Marc standing together in front of the lodge, looking off in the same direction, both with wide grins on their faces.

  When she walked over to see what was going on, Adam pointed, and said with a chuckle in his voice, "It seems our family magician has arrived."

  Maddy looked in the direction Adam was pointing and stared in shocked surprise to see Dimitri standing beside a stretched black limousine, with another man—presumably the chauffeur because he was dressed in black—who was running his hand along the vehicle, as if inspecting it critically, which was understandable. The thing was covered in dust, and the bottom half was splattered with molasses from the road.

  "The guy can't be for real," Marc said, while eyeing Dimitri. "He made the trip from Las Vegas in a limo."

  Adam laughed. "Genie said he's a city boy, and the few times he visited the Kincaid he spent his time playing pool and never once rode a horse. I don't even remember seeing him at Josh and Genie's wedding."

  "That's because he took off right after the ceremony," Maddy said. When Adam looked at her in curiosity, she realized she'd given herself away because she had definitely noticed Dimitri at the wedding, though she was certain he hadn't noticed her.

  "Did he leave in a limo?" Adam asked.

  Maddy shrugged, indifferently. "No, in the big black bus his father came in. I heard Genie mention that they had a show someplace."

  When the chauffeur started swatting a cloth over the limo and Dimitri backed away, Marc said, "Better look out, pal, or you'll get some dust on your shiny black shoes."

  Maddy couldn't deny Dimitri looked like a city slicker in his trendy shirt, khaki slacks, and shiny shoes that looked as if they were patent leather. "He looks better on stage," she mused, as the image of Dimitri shedding his terrycloth robe emerged.

  "What, in a top hat, tails and white gloves?" Marc said.

  "No, in a swim suit." When the faces of both brothers sobered, Maddy knew she'd made a big mistake. Giving a little shrug, she added, "He does a water tank stunt. Meanwhile, I'd better see if he wants a riding lesson this afternoon. He needs to learn about handling horses for an upcoming act, and when I was in Las Vegas I agreed to teach him."

  When she started to turn away, Adam grabbed her arm, and said, "I'll take him with me on the afternoon trail rides and teach him whatever he needs to know."

  Maddy shrugged out of Adam's grip. "He's paying me well to get him acquainted with horses and I need the money so that's what I intend to do." She turned and walked off before Adam could start acting like another father, which he had a tendency to do, and strolled over to welcome Dimi
tri to the Dancing Moon Ranch.

  As she closed the gap between them, Dimitri caught sight of her and smiled, and for some reason Maddy's heart started pounding, and her face felt hot, which didn't make sense because not only did Dimitri know nothing about horses, which made him a lesser man in her estimation, but arriving in a limo was a reminder that he lived a cushy life, so cushy, he couldn't leave the limo behind and do what normal people did when visiting the ranch from a distant location. Come by plane and rent a car. Nor did he look all that impressive in khakis, a polo shirt, and shiny black shoes. But stripped down to a swimsuit, that was an entirely different matter.

  Getting a grip on herself, she said to him as she approached, "The only limos that find their way here are for hauling around wine tasters. Did you come all the way from Las Vegas in that?"

  Dimitri nodded. "I take it this is the cabin where I'm supposed to stay?" he said, while gesturing to the cabin behind him.

  "Yes," Maddy replied. "There's a kitchenette in it for fixing meals, but since it doesn't look like you brought your cook along, you can eat in the lodge with the other guests or come to my folk's house for meals, since you're indirectly family." Scanning his clothes, she added, "I hope you brought jeans and boots. Our horses have a tendency to buck off city dudes, but if you're wearing western clothes they'll think you're a cowboy."

  "Are you serious?" Dimitri asked.

  Maddy laughed. "Ha! Got you!"

  "Okay, I left myself wide open for that, and no, I don't have boots, but I do have tennis shoes."

  "Those don't work very well when a horse steps on your foot," Maddy said. "I'll get you a pair of Jeremy's old boots. I assume you have jeans."

  "No, and from what I've seen, there's not much room for moving around in those things."

  "True," Maddy said, "but girls like the way guys look in them so the guys tough it out."

  "You too?" Dimitri asked.

  "Sure. They make guys look like studs. It's part of the cowboy mystique. But since you're used to being in tight places they shouldn't be a problem for you. Come on out to the stable and I'll introduce you to your horse. His name is King Tut, but you can call him Tut."

  "Why not King?" Dimitri asked, as he walked with Maddy toward the stable.

  "Because he'll throw you off if you call him that," Maddy replied.

  "Then he must respond to certain consonant sounds," Dimitri said, "like the hard K in King."

  Maddy smiled in amusement. "Could be," she replied, thinking this was the most fun she'd had with a city dude yet.

  As they approached the stable, Dimitri stopped and stared at Homer, who was peacefully grazing in his pasture, and said, "Is that a donkey?"

  "It was when I got him," Maddy replied. "Is this the first time you've seen one in the flesh?"

  "No," Dimitri said. "I just didn't expect to find a donkey here."

  "Neither did my dad, but the last time I visited Annie and Ryan, Annie had a few too many donkeys she got through the BLM and Ryan convinced me to take one home so I did. Homer's turned out to be the most placid animal on the ranch so I'll be including him when I start up my riding program for disabled kids."

  Saying nothing, Dimitri headed for the fence and stood staring at Homer, but after a few moments he glanced back at Maddy and said, "Would he let me near him?"

  "Sure," Maddy replied. "Go on in. If he's about to kick you'll first see his tail twitch, then it's better to throw yourself close to him rather than back up, kind of like the crack of a whip. It's much more painful at the end."

  Dimitri eyed Maddy like he wasn't sure if she was kidding or not. Deciding she'd had enough fun with him, she said, "Actually, I'm being serious now. Homer's not only gentle, but he's unusually smart. He has an amazing memory that allows him to negotiate mountain trails because he remembers obstacles he'd faced before and he's prepared for them."

  Dimitri opened a small gate just off to the side, while saying, "Okay, Homer, it's time we got acquainted."

  Maddy looked at Dimitri in curiosity. "Are you thinking you want to ride Homer instead of a horse?" she asked, hoping that wasn't the case. Her brothers were already having enough laughs at Dimitri's expense. Seeing him riding a donkey while dressed like a city dude would send them over the edge.

  "No, I might have other plans for Homer," Dimitri replied, "maybe a new escape to present at the Coyote before I leave." He walked up to Homer and patted him on the head, like he was patting the top of a kid's head, which Maddy found kind of endearing.

  "And speaking of escapes," Maddy called out, "when are you going to tell me the secret to Metamorphosis? I'll need to start practicing and we only have three days before your opening night at the Coyote."

  "You'll be ready," Dimitri replied, while heading back to where Maddy was standing. "What it boils down to is we dematerialize, switch locations and materialize again, which is something I'll teach you to do. It isn't difficult once you understand and apply the physics."

  Maddy eyed Dimitri, who looked and sounded serious, and all the while she was imagining a trunk where there was no way out, and a switch that was almost instantaneous. But the one thing she did know. No one dematerialized, though she wondered how far Dimitri would go with this little exercise in futility, so stringing him along, she said, "Okay, I know we can't dematerialize, but if we could, how would you explain it to an audience?"

  Dimitri's face remained sober, as he replied, "Synchronicity. The human brain is capable of adapting DNA changes while activating crystals that facilitate inter-dimensional travel. In other words, you choose to attune and accept such things or not. But the instant you start to engage the world with your mind, you pop back into the solid."

  "I've studied a little metaphysics, and that seems logical," Maddy said.

  Dimitri eyed her like he wasn't sure what to make of her response, but still he remained serious as he said, "Keep in mind that with magic, the performance is more important than the secret. Just because someone learns the secret to Metamorphosis doesn't automatically make them a great magician. It's a complex effect to pull off."

  "It doesn't sound all that complex anymore because that's what happens in Whispering Springs, the hot spring pool here on the ranch where people hear voices," Maddy said. "When I'm in the pool, I fall into this state where I let go of the rigidity of my mind and bring it to silence and stillness, which is when the voices come, but in reality I've dematerialized and I'm hearing voices from the other side, but the instant I start to question, I pop back into the solid and the voices are gone."

  Dimitri's mouth twitched slightly. It wasn't much of a smile, just enough to let Maddy know he got it, which he verified by saying, "You do realize I'm going to get you back for treating me like the village idiot."

  "I hope not while we're in the middle of a performance," Maddy said. "Speaking of which, when will we be performing Metamorphosis?"

  "There's no rush. I don't perform all my illusions at the start," Dimitri replied. "The idea is to keep people returning night after night to see what's coming next."

  "So, all I'll be doing until then is standing on stage, holding an ax?" Maddy asked, while trying to process her disappointment. She'd waited over two months to learn the secret.

  "You'll have other things to do, like calling on volunteers to tie me to a post with a hundred feet of rope. You'll select three audience members, then you'll monitor the timer to see how long it takes them to tie me up, and how long for me to get loose. If I don't get loose before the time it takes them to tie me up, they'll split ten-thousand dollars."

  "Are you serious? You'd pay that much if you fail?"

  "I won't fail."

  "Then you'll tell me how you do it?"

  Dimitri laughed. "There's no trick. Three people can tie me anyway they want and I'll get loose. In fact, I'll challenge your brothers and let them do the tying and do it opening night."

  "You're serious? You'll offer my brothers ten-thousand dollars if they tie you so you can't get loose?" Madd
y asked, thinking Dimitri had seriously underestimated the strength and ability of Adam, Marc and Tyler, all good with lassoing and tying stock.

  "Dead serious," Dimitri replied. "I'll offer the challenge to the audience in general, and when the volunteers stand, make sure your brothers are among them so you can select them and bring them on stage."

  It came to Maddy that this was probably along the lines of marketing himself at a place where people came to gamble. Dimitri had enough money so ten-thousand dollars wasn't a big loss, and the publicity would be worth it because it would bring in more people, who would, in turn, hope the challenge would be offered again. "Fine then, I'll tell my brothers and see what they say." Which was a no brainer. There was no way they'd pass up a chance to pit their macho, cowboy images against a nightclub performer. "Meanwhile, do you want me to round up some boots and jeans so you can start getting acquainted with Tut?"

  "Not today," Dimitri replied. "I'll be heading to Portland in a half hour to see about last minute preparations for a little publicity stunt."

  Maddy eyed him with curiosity. "What kind of stunt?"

  "Something in a box. It'll be on the ten o'clock news tomorrow night if you want to watch."

  Hearing muffled laughter, Maddy glanced around and saw that Tyler had joined Adam and Marc. They were all looking their way and smiling, and obviously joking among themselves about Dimitri. Catching the direction of Maddy's gaze, Dimitri glanced around.

  Feeling a need to explain her brothers' adolescent behavior, Maddy said, "Don't mind my brothers. They think magicians are all about puffs of smoke and a whole lot of sensationalism."

  Dimitri smiled in amusement. "Then you might have them watch the news tomorrow night. They'll see a whole lot of sensationalism, but they might also see a little bit of magic." With that, he turned and headed for his cabin, leaving Maddy wondering what kind of 'little publicity stunt' he had planned. From what she'd seen of Dimitri so far, to him there was no such thing as something little.

  Her brothers were also right when they said magicians were all about sensationalism, and tomorrow night they'd have a chance to see just how sensational Dimitri could be. From what Genie said, he was a chip off the old block, and right now Sebastian the Illusionist performed to sold-out audiences, and there was no question that Dimitri was determined to take a good portion of the limelight from his father.