If it wasn’t a date, then why did his throat feel tight and his shirt too small?
The bell on the door dinged, and Harmony breezed in like a warm summer wind in the middle of December. He instinctively turned his face to her warmth and basked in her general sense of goodness.
“You’re not going to saw me in half, are you?” she asked as she pulled off her gloves. A moment later, she unwrapped her scarf and pulled the cute gray knit hat with a giant pom-pom off her head before sitting down.
“Depends on what kind of an assistant you turn out to be,” he joked.
“Ha ha. What are you staring at?” She glanced down at the big curls hanging over her shoulder.
“I’m trying to figure out why women never have hat hair.” He scrubbed the top of his head, where he found his hair standing on end from when he’d removed his knit hat.
She ran her hands over the crown of her head, smoothing the two hairs that dared get out of place. “It’s a gift.”
It shouldn’t have been possible, but she was even prettier today than she had been the day they’d met. Her dark brown hair was curled, the shorter layers framing her face. Her eyes were clear of the sorrow that had boxed them in, and her skin was bright, allowing her inner light to shine for all the world to see.
“So, how’d you get into magic?”
A server stopped by the table. “Can I get you two anything?”
They both ordered herbal teas. Breck could use some warm water to loosen up his vocal cords. Thankfully, talking about magic was something he could do with just about anyone, and he started in as soon as the server was gone. “My grandpa. He was always pulling quarters out of my ears, my nose, my finger.”
“How in the world …?” Harmon held out her fingers.
Breck gently took her hand between both of his. The current that buzzed between them almost made him lose his focus and mess up the illusion. As he slid his fingers along her palm, she shivered. Did that mean she felt this too?
He focused so as not to mess up; he wanted to see her response so badly. He slid his fingers along hers, and a blink later, three quarters hit the tabletop. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled wide—tilting his world. She scooped up the quarters and checked them out, focusing intently. He got the feeling she was trying not to make eye contact with him.
That was fine. He needed a reprieve from the connection he felt for her too. It was strong, much stronger than it should be for a first real conversation. There was just a sense about Harmony that stirred his desire to slay dragons.
He continued his story. “When I was seven, Gramps bought me a magic set. It had the disappearing ball trick, a deck of cards, and a magic wand. He’d practice with me for hours on end until I could do them all with ease. And then, the day after my eighth birthday, he passed away.”
She stopped running her fingers along the coins and looked up. “I’m so sorry.”
“I still miss him, but doing magic makes me feel like we’re still connected.” Breck fell back in his seat, shocked that he’d said those words out loud. He’d never even thought them before, and yet he knew they were the truth. The sense of deep honesty spread all the way down to his toes.
“I’m sure he’s proud of you.”
He lifted a shoulder.
“Why are you down on yourself? If you love what you do, then you should be proud of it.” She reached out to pat his forearm and pulled back at the last second.
He didn’t comment on her move. She was obviously a generous and kind spirit who had been wounded. Something inside told him to tread carefully. Maybe one day she’d open up to him about those wounds, but pushing her would do no good. Sharing with her might build some trust. There would have to be a whole lot of trust between them if they were going to work together as a team. “Let’s just say that there are expectations on the shoulders of an only son of a couple who started their own business.”
Her lips formed a perfect O. “That stinks.”
“It’s not like they’ve disowned me or anything. It’s more like they like to pretend I’m not trying to be a magician.” He ran his hand down his cheek. “I know it sounds childish and silly, but have you ever wanted something so bad that you have to give it your all or you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering if you could have made it?”
She rubbed her lips together and her eyes fell to the tabletop. “I can’t say that I have.”
He slouched at her confession. “Well, maybe I’m weird, then.”
Her chin lifted. “Then be weird, because you’re good at it.”
He wrinkled his brow.
“That didn’t come out right.” She half chuckled. “You’re good at magic, so you should own it. Confidence breeds success. Besides, someone recently told me that when you step off your path in life, heartache surely follows.” This time, her hand did touch his arm. “If magic is your path, you have to stay on it.”
“Wow. That’s deep.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s my boss for you. She’s … different. But—” Harmony cocked her head. “—she’s starting to grow on me. In fact, she was the reason I called you back.”
“Then she’s growing on me too.” His hand covered hers of its own accord, and the attraction was back, humming across his skin like the D-train at maximum speed. They locked gazes, and the air grew thick.
“Here we go!” The perky waitress set down two mugs of steaming tea. “If you need something sweet, let me know. We have excellent peanut butter bars today.”
Harmony pulled her hand away, leaving his feeling lonely and lost. “Thank you.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, lifted the cup, and blew across the steam. When their server was gone, she set her cup down, speaking more to it than to him. “I should let you know that I’m going home for Christmas and I’m not coming back.”
“Oh?” He gulped down his tea, burning his tongue in the process.
“If I can get the money for a train ticket. It’s all up in the air right now.”
Payment. Of course! “I’m so sorry. I should have told you right off.” He grabbed a folded contract from the inside pocket of his coat. “I don’t have money to pay you by the hour, but I thought a royalty split would work?” He flattened the pages on the table.
She leaned forward as he explained.
“When a video hits a certain number of views, MyHeartChannel will use it for advertising. I’m not sure how advertisers do things on their end, but what that means is that for every thirty-second commercial someone views attached to my—our—video, we get seventy-five cents.”
She wrinkled her nose in the most adorable way. “That doesn’t seem like very much.”
“Well, it’s not if you only have ten or twenty views, but if you have ten thousand …”
“That’s seven thousand five hundred dollars,” she filled in.
“Yeah. And if you have two videos …”
She held up a palm. “I get it. What’s the catch?”
“The catch is there are thousands of channels to compete with, and getting your videos seen by enough people to get a commercial is a major effort.”
Her nose crinkled up again. “But the one I watched yesterday had a commercial.”
He grinned. “It’s my first. And it’s why I called you. I think you’re the ticket.”
“You mean the golden ticket,” she said with some sass.
He liked her confidence. “Exactly. So, a royalty split. Are you in?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What you aren’t telling me is that if this bombs, then I get nothing.”
He nodded slowly. “It’s a possibility.”
She picked up her tea again. The steam no longer rose from the cup, and she wrapped her hands around it as if needing to warm them up. After a moment, and a sip, she said, “I’m not usually one to gamble, but I feel good about this. Better than I’ve felt about anything for a long time.” She hurried to drain the cup and set it down. With a flourish, she signed her name and reached for her scarf. She ha
d the wool around her neck and her hat on her head in a blink. It was like she had to move quickly or she’d talk herself out of her decision.
Breck stood, gathering her purple coat off the back of the chair. He held it out for her, and she slid her arms inside.
“Thanks.”
He placed his hands on her upper arms, stilling her movements for a moment. She quieted, and he leaned in. “Welcome to the world of magic.” He used the closeness to slip a gold coin into her pocket. Hopefully, when she found it, she’d smile.
She stepped forward and buttoned up. “Text me where and when you’d like to start, and I’ll be there.” She was out the door before he could say “jingle bells.”
“And people say I have a disappearing act,” he muttered. He sat back down to enjoy the rest of his drink. Harmony was a tough nut to crack. Even so, she’d agreed to be his assistant—until she left town. Why did her moving away feel so wrong?
He shook off the feeling. What Harmony did with her life was none of his concern. What he needed to focus on was creating a fantastic Christmas magic trick that would delight audiences and viewers of all ages. His mind sparked to life, and an idea took hold. He’d need a couple of days to bring it together … in the meantime, he could do the card tricks with Harmony that he’d planned to do alone.
Then, he’d up his game. With any luck, not only would he gain more subscribers, but Harmony would open up a little more. Yes, he should keep it professional, but there was so much chemistry between them that ignoring it was impossible. At least, it was for him. He wasn’t so sure about her.
Chapter 6
December 7
Harmony
Harmony fingered the gold coin in her pocket, as had become her habit over the last two days. She’d found it upon returning to work after meeting with Breck. She’d pulled it out of her pocket and grinned at the bunny on one side and the top hat on the other. Knowing Breck had slipped it in her pocket made her feel special. The fact that he’d taken time to leave her a little surprise was sweet.
Sam had never done anything of the sort. Ever.
She glanced at her reflection in a store window as she made her way to the entrance to the park where Breck had said to meet for their show today. He was going to arrive early to set up the cameras. She would get there just a few minutes before the show started, because she had to do this on her lunch hour.
While Ambia was supportive, the holidays were big for online orders and they needed every possible person on the phone and computers answering customer questions. Thankfully, Harmony did the online chats and not the phone calls. Only angry people called in, and she had enough anger in her life right now.
She passed the saxophone guy, the one who was there every day. He played an upbeat version of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” moving his feet like a chimney sweep from Mary Poppins.
She rounded the last corner and spotted Breck’s setup. He’d added an A-frame chalkboard sign with his channel name written across it in man-writing. She stood in front of it and frowned.
Breck came up behind her, his strength and presence causing her heart to tremble like a sleigh bell on a harness with the horse running through the woods. “I thought it was a good idea,” he said.
They’d texted back and forth several times over the last two days, the conversation ongoing. Therefore, talking in person was like picking up where their thread left off.
Now that she was invested in the channel and the success of each video, she felt a need to help it along in any way she could. “Idea? Yes. Follow-through … meh.” She wobbled her hand back and forth. “Please tell me you brought the chalk.”
He jerked his chin toward a black bag resting next to his table. “It’s in there. I have to find a spot for this last camera.” He scanned the nearby trees, glancing down at his phone.
Harmony had no idea how to run all the electronic equipment. She could learn; she wasn’t a total dork. She paused while riffling through the bag to remind herself that she wasn’t going to be here long enough to need to learn all that stuff. She found the box of multicolored chalk and went to work.
A few minutes later, Breck stood behind her. “That’s way better.”
She rocked back on her heels and admired her work. “I think the elf is a nice touch.” She dusted off her hands.
“I’m blown away.” Breck offered his hand to help her up.
She took it without thinking. The moment their skin slid together, the breath whooshed out of her lungs and her knees turned to noodles. She held on tighter and pulled up, willing herself to get a grip. Breck was being a gentleman, not putting the moves on her. He had been the same way at the coffee shop. His hands were warm, strong, and safe, and they made her want to fall against his chest and see what his arms felt like wrapped around her. Those things would never happen, and she needed to get a handle on her hormones, or she’d end up a puddle on the sidewalk by the end of the magic show.
“Are you ready to get started?” he asked. His hand was on her elbow, steadying her and causing the most wonderful distraction from the rest of the world bustling around them.
“No,” she whispered. She was not ready for the feelings he stirred inside of her.
His eyebrows went up. “No?”
She chewed her lip. “I meant yes. Let’s get this show started.” Her part was pretty simple. She’d pick a volunteer out of the crowd. There was one trick that she was going to be the one to help with, but there were no special instructions. Basically, he could have done this show on his own, so she wasn’t really sure why she was there. But she’d committed to helping him, and—if things took off—she’d end up with a padded bank account. Bonus!
“Ladies and gentlemen! Holiday shoppers!” Breck’s voice boomed out across the park, drawing curious looks and several scowls. “Gather round for a bit of Christmas magic.” He threw his arm in the air, and two turtledoves took flight, appearing to come right out of his fingers.
Harmony clapped her hands. She hadn’t known he was going to do that! Several people stopped and stood several feet from the table.
Breck pulled out a linen napkin and began to fold as he talked. “I know it’s a little early, but ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ has always been one of my favorite songs. How about you?”
“Bah!” grumped an old man in a Russian hat that had seen better days. “Worst song ever written.”
Breck smiled easily. “I thought you might say that.” With a flourish, he turned the napkin around and revealed a paper goose. “So I only made one of these instead of six.”
The lady next to the man chuckled. “Leave him be, Ron. I want to see the trick.”
“Oh, it’s not a trick, ma’am.” Breck went around the table and handed her the goose, which she held in her palms. “If you’ll tug on his beak for me?” he asked Ron.
She nudged him with her elbow. “Do it.”
He rolled his eyes and did as she demanded. The goose melted back into a napkin, and in the middle of her hands was a beautiful gold painted pear ornament.
She gasped, and her hands dropped several inches as if the weight had suddenly appeared. “It’s beautiful.”
Breck wrapped the napkin around it and gently pushed her hands and everything towards her chest. “It’s yours. Merry Christmas.”
Her whole face lit up. “Merry Christmas!” She held the ornament to her, twisting like a child in the candy store who’d just gotten their favorite treat.
Ron smiled warmly at the joy on his wife’s face.
Harmony about swooned. This man! He was so giving. If this was just for rankings, then she’d be a nutcracker’s uncle.
Next, he made ten handkerchiefs leap and nine candy canes dance. She kept looking for wires or strings but didn’t see any. She’d told him he had talent—or weird talent—at the coffee shop, but that was an understatement. He could do some serious magic. With each trick, her mind twirled and danced.
By now, the crowd had grown to twenty or more. She bea
med, thrilled for Breck. He needed to see how happy he made people.
“If my lovely assistant will please choose someone out of the crowd to help with my next trick.”
Harmony straightened. This was her one important job. Breck had told her to pick a child between the ages of six and ten. She scanned the group, finding a small boy tucked close to his mother. He was closer to the six-year-old side of things, but his eyes were as big as Christmas cookies. She made eye contact with him and motioned him forward. He didn’t glance at his mother for permission, which told her that he was caught up in the magic.
She gave him an encouraging pat on the back. “I think this young man will be perfectly capable. I sensed something special in him.”
The kid’s eyes grew even wider with wonder as they approached the table, and she had to stifle a joyful giggle. He was so stinking cute with his blue stocking hat and matching mittens dangling from strings at his wrists. She wanted ten just like him. Okay, maybe not ten, but two would do just fine.
Breck handed the boy a stack of cards. “Will you look those over and make sure there’s nothing fishy about them?”
The kid nodded and went to work, sorting through the cards, turning them this way and over.
“Well, is there anything strange?” asked Breck.
“Nope.” He handed back the deck.
“Hmm. Wait a second. I was sure I handed you a green deck. Did I give you a green deck?”
The kid nodded.
Breck wrapped his knuckles on the deck. “Then why are they covered in snowmen?”
The crowd gasped.
The little boy looked up at Harmony. “How’d he do that?”
“Magic.” She half laughed the word as she said it. “I don’t think he’s done, though.”
Breck’s eyes twinkled as he lifted an eyebrow. “You’re right. I do believe there is something else inside this deck that—wait a minute.” He held it up to his ear. “Did you hear that?”
He moved it to the kid’s ear. The kid listened and then shook his head. “I can’t hear anything.”
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