Finding Sleeping Beauty

by Tarrah Montgomery

  “I took a walk.”

  At Jack’s bothered expression, I realized he wasn’t the right person to talk to about my dilemma with Nate. Jack wouldn’t enjoy hearing the details of my guy troubles. No, what I needed to do was to confide in a girl.

  “Can I talk to you?” I asked Abby, who was smiling sweetly at Jack.

  “Sure.” She gave the bowl to him. “Stir it more and then pour it in that.” She pointed to a silver baking pan on the counter.

  “You want me to make the brownies?” Jack held the bowl as if it was a dangerous animal.

  Abby put a hand on his shoulder and leaned into him. “I really like a guy who knows how to cook.”

  His face went red. I don’t think I’d ever seen him blush before. I smiled as I watched my two friends. Being so consumed with Nate this past week, I had missed what was happening between Jack and Abby. Obviously, it was something special.

  I grabbed Abby’s hand and led her into the front room, but then changed my mind and took her upstairs to my bedchamber. I didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.

  Once my door was closed, I began. “I need your advice.”

  Abby plopped down on my bed. “Is it about Nate?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “You’ve been moping all day at school. Nothing gets past me, remember?”

  I sat next to her. “He told me he loved me,” I blurted out.

  “What?!” Abby knelt on the floor in front of me to look me in the eye. “When did this happen? How did he say it? What did you say?”

  “That’s the problem. I didn’t say anything.”

  “Oh.” She sounded totally disappointed.

  “Now I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, Dani, do you love him?”

  “I think so,” I said shyly.

  Abby got back on the bed. “Then it’s simple. Go tell him.”

  “It’s not that simple. There are things he doesn’t know about me.”

  “None of that matters.” She waved her hand in the air as if brushing something away. “When you find love, the rest is a minor detail.”

  “You sound like you’ve been through the same thing.” I studied her face, trying to figure out her feelings for Jack.

  Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. “All I know is there is no greater thing than love.”

  “When you find it, will you tell me?”

  Abby tilted her head. “I think Jack is great, but he seems to work at a slower pace than Nate does.”

  I nodded, laughing. Jack did take things slow, because he was logical. He was meticulous to a fault and preferred to plan everything out. Just like how he was pondering how to open the magic door to Fenmore Falls, and how he was carefully gathering evidence at Mr. Haney’s house. Jack thought a lot about every action he made. Deciding to court Abby would be no different.

  “You need to tell Nate how you feel,” Abby said again.

  “I can’t just go over there and say that.”

  Abby gave a dramatic little squeal. “Tomorrow is Spud Day.”

  “Spud Day?” I wasn’t sure if I heard her right.

  “Yes, Spud Day. It’s a yearly celebration always held the third Saturday in September.”

  “Let me guess, spud—as in potato?” First there was the high school modeled after a potato cellar, and now a day themed after the beloved vegetable.

  “You got it,” Abby replied.

  “But that doesn’t solve the problem of talking to Nate.”

  “You can talk to him tomorrow at the park, silly. Everyone will be there for Spud Day.”

  Everyone? I gulped. Can I talk to Nate in front of everyone?

  “It will be perfect. We’ll go to the parade in the morning. If we don’t see him there, we’ll see him at the park, where there will be sack races, rock climbing, and a spud tug.”

  I cringed. “Do I even want to know what a spud tug is?”

  “It’s a tug of war with a big pile of mashed potatoes in the middle.” Abby smiled wide. “It’s the biggest event.”

  I was at a loss of words.

  “All the high school boys compete in the Spud Tug. Then, you’ll have the chance to talk to Nate.”

  “I don’t know, Abby. What if I’ve ruined everything already?”

  “The only way you’ll know is if you talk to him.”

  I sighed. “All right, I will.”

  Abby clapped her hands together. “This will be perfect.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me out the bedroom door. “We need to tell Jack about Spud Day.”

  “Go easy on him,” I said. “We don’t celebrate potatoes where we come from.”

  “Nobody celebrates potatoes the way we do here in Shelley, Idaho.”

  So true, I thought.

  Chapter 20

  Potato: a root vegetable; a rounded white tuber cooked in a variety of ways as a vegetable.

  Day 20: Spud Day

  I finally saw Nate at the park after the Spud Day parade, which consisted of about two dozen cars driving slowly down the road, with the occupants waving at the onlookers. It was similar to a royal procession, though a bit more comfortable. Nate stood with Troy next to a group of teenagers that included the pretty but hateful Jamie. Butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach last night, and now they flitted around like crazy.

  “There he is!” Abby said excitedly.

  “Shush.” I looked around to see if anyone had heard her.

  “Dani, just go over there and talk to him,” Jack said.

  I glared at my best friend. “Not helping.”

  “Nate’s not even talking to anyone,” Abby added. “He’s just standing there, lost in his own thoughts.”

  “He’s thinking about you,” Jack assured me.

  I rolled my eyes. “No, he’s not.”

  “Yes, he is. He’s got the ‘look’—the one where a guy can’t get a girl out of his mind.”

  I glanced at Nate, who was watching kids playing on the nearby swings. He was wearing his cowboy hat and boots, with his arms crossed over his chest, and he looked more handsome than ever.

  “Jack’s right, Dani,” Abby said. “Go talk to him.”

  Okay, I can do this, I convinced myself.

  Slowly moving toward Nate, I suddenly became aware of all the people between us. In my imagination they were watching me, though later I realized they had no reason to. But with Jamie, I didn’t have to imagine. Her evil eyes glared at me as if I was her worst enemy.

  As I continued walking, I tried to ignore everyone except Nate. When he looked up and saw me approaching, a shimmer of hope danced across his face. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, and I felt a bit lightheaded at what I was about to tell him.

  Before I could get to him, someone stepped in front of me. It was Brian, my almost-forgotten admirer from the fair. “Long time no see,” he said.

  “Hi, Brian, can we talk later?”

  “Now’s as good a time as ever.” He moved closer.

  Ugh. “Look, Brian, I don’t want to talk to you.” I straightened my shoulders. “Please leave me alone.”

  I stepped around him and headed for Nate again. Feeling validated for not letting Brian intimidate me, I glared back at Jamie. Well, actually it was more of a confident look than a glare, but it felt good. She lowered her eyes under my stare and even backed up a step.

  When I finally reached Nate, he unfolded his arms. “Hi, Dani,” he said casually.

  I brushed my fingers against his arm and whispered ever so softly, “I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Now?”

  I nodded and glanced toward the picnic area on the other side of the park. “How about over there?”

  He seemed to think about it for a few seconds, then replied, “Okay, sure.”

  As we walked, my confidence started to disappear. My hands began to sweat. Why am I so nervous? Telling him how I feel should be easy.

  We walked for a bit, and the
n I sucked in a deep breath and turned to look at the guy I adored. His eyes searched my face and he asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  I stepped closer and placed my hands on his chest. Beneath my palms, his heart was beating as fast as mine, which gave me the courage to move my hands up to his shoulders and then to the back of his neck. Next, in a move that seemed to surprise him, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. The kiss was gentle, maybe even unsure as I gathered my courage, but it was beautiful.

  I opened my eyes to see Nate’s crooked grin just before his mouth returned to mine in a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

  All of a sudden he pulled back and grinned at me, then slid his fingers down to my hand. He led me away from the picnic area and around the corner of a building, where no one could see us. He gently pushed me against the wall and cupped my face with both hands. He looked into my eyes before he kissed me again. His hands moved into my hair. His sweet, tender kisses became more intense, and just when I was getting short of breath, he moved his lips from mine.

  “I love you, Dani,” he whispered in my ear.

  With my hands on his chest, I pushed him away a bit to look in his eyes. “I love you too.”

  He smiled and dove in for another kiss. A few seconds later, I pushed him away again. I put a finger on his lips. “Wait. I want to tell you everything, Nate.”

  He pulled me closer with his hands at my waist. “You’ve already told me everything I wanted to hear.”

  That was cute, I swooned, but I was determined to say this. “I’m serious. I need to talk to you.”

  Stepping back a little, he said, “I told you that you can tell me anything.”

  “Yes, and it’s time you knew some things about me.”

  He tipped back his hat. “Go ahead, shoot.”

  I couldn’t help smiling. “I think I loved you from the first moment I saw you in that cowboy hat.”

  Nate laughed. “And I couldn’t get the girl wearing the princess dress out of my head. You were all I thought about.”

  “Are we completely crazy to love each other?”

  “Crazy in love, maybe.” He gazed longingly into my eyes, as if he wanted to see even deeper into my soul.

  “That’s why I love you,” I whispered.

  He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Why?”

  “You see me for me. It’s like you see beyond what’s on the outside to find what’s inside.”

  His lips brushed mine lightly, and then he looked at me again. “Dani, I love you. I don’t have to look hard to see who you are.” He paused. “I love watching you discover why you are so wonderful.”

  “I’m just Dani.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean. You’re so beautiful, but you are humble. It makes you even more gorgeous.”

  “Stop.” I batted Nate’s arm.

  “I’m serious.”

  I looked down. “Thanks.”

  “I love you, Dani.” He kissed the top of my head.

  I glanced up. “I love you too.”

  “We should get back.”

  “Let’s stay here,” I suggested, wanting this to last forever. Besides, I had a lot more to tell him.

  “Believe me, I’d love to stay here all day.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “But it’s almost time for the Spud Tug.”

  I huffed out a breath. “All right. You guys have the craziest names for things here.”

  “That’s Idaho for you.” Nate smiled.

  We started to move back around the corner of the building, but then he stopped. “I have one more question, Dani.”

  Here we go. He’s going to ask where I’m from. I tried to remain calm.

  “What made you change your mind?” he asked. When I didn’t answer right away, he added, “You know, about me? What made you change your mind about me?”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him. “Nate, I never changed my mind about you. It just took a minute for my mind to catch up with my heart.”

  He returned the hug. “Now that’s the kind of response I like.”

  We kissed once more before we headed back to the festivities. Even though I hadn’t told him everything about me yet, at least I’d let him know I loved him. Hopefully, sharing where I was from and that I was a princess would be a piece of cake. Well, maybe if I crossed my fingers. And wished really hard.

  }

  At the first Spud Day celebration in 1927, Nate said, ten thousand people showed up. There were at least that many here today, probably more.

  At noon, seven thousand free baked potatoes were served with butter, sour cream, and cheese. There were spud-picking contests, where men and women vied for championship titles by gathering as many potatoes as they could in a certain amount of time.

  The Spud Tug started at 3:00 pm. Nate and Troy teamed up with some friends from high school, and they even talked Jack into joining them. They called themselves “Hot Potatoes.” Spectators gathered around a tied-off area, and a large vehicle dumped a pile of mashed potatoes into a pit at the center of the arena.

  “I hope they’re not going to swim in mashed potatoes,” I said to Abby, who stood next to me on the front row.

  “If they lose, you’ll be kissing mashed potato off your boyfriend’s face.” She puckered her lips.

  I smiled. “It’s a good thing I like mashed potatoes.”

  “Ha!” She giggled. “Yes, it is.”

  Nate and his five teammates seemed to be deciding where each would stand next to the rope that stretched across to the other side. That’s when I realized this was a tug-of-war. Each team would grip the rope and attempt to pull the other team into the pile of mashed potatoes. How fun!

  Brian’s team lined up on the opposite side of the rope. I secretly hoped Nate would pull him head first into the potatoes.

  Each team put its largest member at the end of the rope to be the anchor. Nate’s team’s anchor was Trey, a kid from school who was bigger than anyone else in our grade. If he hadn’t been so nice, I would’ve been afraid of him. Jaden and Tytan from school were also on their team.

  Nate told Troy something, then came over to me and said, “Are you ready for another lesson from the master?”

  I grinned. “Aren’t you humble?”

  Nate reached for my hand. “Will you give me a favor so I’ll have good luck in the tournament?”

  Just like a traditional knight. “I don’t have anything to give you, my sir,” I teased.

  “Not a hair ribbon or handkerchief? What will I attach to my clothing to show that I compete for you?”

  I leaned close and said softly, “I give you my heart—you already own it.”

  Blushing, he kissed my cheek. “I’ll treasure the gift always.” He squeezed my hand and ran back to his teammates, who were calling his name to begin the Spud Tug.

  Oh, blessed day. I sighed as I put my hand to the cheek he had kissed.

  “I wish Jack would flirt with me more,” Abby remarked. “Watching you makes me want some romance of my own.”

  “I’ll have to have a talk with my friend Jack, because this romance stuff is wonderful.”

  A man standing near the middle of the rope blew a whistle, and the tug-of-war started. Nate’s team was winning at the first, but then the other team started to prevail. The toes of the first guy on Nate’s team almost touched the pile of mashed potatoes. Then, Trey, the anchor, gave a big grunt and pulled his team away from the mound. Together, they eventually dragged the other team into the potatoes. Not all of them fell into the heap—Brian was among those who got out clean—but they all shouted in defeat.

  Other teams of teenagers competed against each other, and the crowd cheered when a team pulled their opponents into the potatoes. I shouted along with the other spectators and giggled when mashed potato was flung into the crowd. Nate and Jack brought mashed potatoes in their hands and greeted Abby and me with a messy gift on the cheek. We threw the potatoes back in thei
r faces and had what Abby called a food fight. Others in the crowd began to do the same, and soon white potato fluff was flying everywhere.

  When we got home, the mashed potatoes had hardened in my hair and clothes. It took half a dozen rinses, but I finally got it all out. It felt good to be clean again and put on fresh clothes. I quickly combed my wet hair and braided it in a side sweep. Nate had asked me to come play the piano for him. How could I say no to that? Of course, he had seen me at my worst when we were mucking out horse stalls, but I wanted to look presentable for him tonight. I glanced in the mirror one more time, then hurried down the stairs.

  As I reached the front door, Dorothy spoke from the kitchen. “Where are you going, Aurora?”

  It always sent a jolt through me when she called me by that nickname, since my parents were the only other people who did.

  I walked into the kitchen. “I’m going over to Mr. Haney’s to play the piano.”

  “Abby told me that you play beautifully.”

  “Thank you. I’ve always loved it.”

  “Did you play back at the castle often?”

  “Yes, probably more than my parents wanted me to.”

  Dorothy frowned. “Didn’t they want you to use your talents? It seems that playing the piano would be a notable accomplishment in Fenmore Falls.”

  “Yes, but the piano playing wasn’t what bothered them. They just didn’t like me spending a lot more time composing music than I did learning about the kingdom. Plus, my mom got upset because I would make a mess with the ink.”

  “Oh, I see.” Dorothy grinned. “I didn’t know you composed your own songs.”

  I shrugged. “I like to write what I’m feeling. It helps me organize my thoughts.”

  “It’s a special gift to be able to do that, Dani.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Abby also said that you and Nate are officially an item.”

  As if on cue, I blushed. “She’s right.”

  “He is a good kid. It’s too bad about his poor mother.”

  “What happened to her?” I asked. “I know she died, but I’ve never dared ask Nate how.”

  “Her name was Nancy. I only saw her a few times. Mr. Haney married her a few years back, before the tornado came through town and ruined Aunt Em’s home. Nate’s mom was a sickly looking thing, so thin and fragile. After the storm, Mr. Haney said she had died. I guess she got hit by something from the wind.”