Dancing With Danger: Book 8: Dancing Moon Ranch Series (14 page)

"Can I open it?" Abby asked, when he stood with the package
sandwiched between his hands while making no move to give it to her.

"
I'll do it," Genie said. When she went to take the package, Josh said, "Let Abby enjoy her day. There are a stack of posters in the back room."

"But she'll want
this
poster for a souvenir," Genie insisted, as she slowly peeled off the tape, while Abby hovered over her in eager expectation, a scene that brought a smile to Josh's lips, the two females so completely engrossed in something as simple as unwrapping a box.

"
There you go," Genie said, as she set the box on the floor.

Abby again whisked off the lid.
"Weal cowgirl boots!"
she exclaimed. Flopping down on the floor, she grabbed a boot and tried to shove her foot into it but her foot got stuck midway.

"Here," Josh said. "I'll show you how
it's done." Moving to an overstuffed chair, he lifted Abby onto his lap then grabbed a boot, and tucking her toes into it, showed her the loops on the sides, and said, while slipping his index fingers into the loops, "Use these to pull on your boots. After you've worn them some they'll be easy to get on, which is important when a cowgirl has to mount her horse fast."

Abby giggled and shove
d her foot into the boot. After both boots were on her feet, she leaned back against Josh and stretched out her legs on his knees, and bumped the toes of her boots together, and said in a contemplative, "I have weal cowboy boots now."

Josh looked toward the opened door to the bunkhouse when he heard a vehicle pull
ing up and saw Adam's truck with a horse trailer behind it. "Are you ready to meet Fancy?" he asked.

Abby sucked in a quick breath and said, in an excited voice, "She's weally here?"

"Come see." Lifting himself and Abby together, Josh stood, and with Abby hanging onto him with her arms around his neck and her booted feet wrapped around his waist, he grabbed her new pink hat and plopped it on her head, and winking at Genie, said to her, "Come on, babe, you can meet the best little pony in Oregon."

They
headed out the door and walked over toward the truck that was pulling up to the stable.

Adam got out and
strolled over to meet them, then shifting his gaze to Abby, who was still wrapped around Josh, he said, "So you're the birthday girl."

Abby giggled
, and replied, "I'm four and I'm a cowgirl."

"So you are." Adam's
gaze shifted between Josh and Abby, then darted to Genie, who was standing with her shoulder pressed against Josh's chest, and said, "Nice to see you again. You rushed off so fast after Ryan and Annie's wedding, none of us had a chance to talk to you. I hope there wasn't an emergency."

Genie
glanced up at Josh, like she didn't know how to respond, so Josh shrugged and said, "There was. Genie thought she was going to get stuck with a bullfighter for the rest of the evening. She's thinking it's not such a bad idea now, right babe?"

Genie gave a little shrug. "For the time being."

Josh caught the look of surprise on Adam's face and decided he might as well know what was going on because the day would come when Genie would be his sister-in-law.

"Okay then,
" Adam said. "Let's get on with unloading Fancy."

"Yeah!" Abby exclaimed, and clapped her hands.

Josh set Abby on the ground, and while Adam unloaded the small, black and white pony, Jesse got out of the truck and stood staring at Abby, who stood staring back. Josh, seeing the silent meeting, said to Jesse, who at age six, was accustomed to leading the pony around for kids, back at the ranch, "I'll put Abby up on Fancy and you can lead them to the stable just ahead." Both kids giggled then waited excitedly while Josh clipped a lead line onto Fancy's halter and lifted Abby onto the pony's bare back, where Abby grabbed onto Fancy's mane.

Genie
trailed along with Josh and Adam, but when they got to the stable, she said, "I'd better go help Ruth with the cake, and we have lots of balloons to blow up."

After
Genie left, Adam said to Josh, "So what's the story with you and Genie?"

Deciding to lay it out to Adam, Josh replied,
"I'm going to marry her but we have some issues that need to be worked out first. She has a problem with my being a bullfighter and she needs time to adjust to that."

"Annie had a problem with Ryan riding bulls and he gave it up for her
," Adam pointed out. "If you're really serious, you might consider doing that."

"I am really serious, but
I'm not going to let a woman run my life," Josh said. "If Genie wants to marry me she'll have to adjust."

Adam let out a short guffaw. "Your problem is you want everything on your terms.
Even if she did adjust, how do you expect to work a nurse into your life? She has to live near a hospital and you plan to follow rodeos around the country."

"She's thinking about quitting nursing
."

"For you?"

"For a lot of reasons, but I don't want to get into them now."

"
So what's the deal with her little sister? You told me when you called that her father wasn't involved in her life."

"He isn't much
since he's always booked with shows, so Genie's raising Abby. I'm good with kids and Abby likes me, so I figure I could get her interested in barrel racing and we'd do the things Dad did with Maddy. Then if I start raising bucking bulls I'd make enough money so Genie wouldn't have to work at all and she could stay home with the kids, like Mom did, and yeah, maybe I'd be gone some for rodeos, but Genie would come to terms with that."

"
What I've heard so far is it's all about Josh Hansen," Adam said. "Genie's giving up the nursing job which to you means she'll be willing to trailer around to rodeos with you when she adjusts to your being a bullfighter, and you'll fit her little sister into your life by making her a barrel racer so she'll want to track around with you too, but I'm not hearing anything about you making any concessions."

"Look, I don't want to talk about this right now
," Josh said, feeling irritated with Adam, who didn't understand the situation.

"Fine, have it your way then
," Adam replied. "But let me give you a little piece of advice. When you find a woman who's willing to give it all up for you, you be the one with the balls and give it all up for her. That way you'll have a woman who'll be with you for the long haul."

The
exchange ended when the sight of a large black bus approaching caught their attention. It pulled to a halt in a graveled parking area near the campgrounds, and moments later, the door folded open and a tall, impressive man with graying hair stepped from the bus.

"Daddy!"
Abby called out. In an instant, she was off the pony and running toward the man, who caught her up in his arms.

And Josh realized his place in Abby's heart had just been filled by
Sebastian the Illusionist
.

CHAPTER 13

Genie was shocked to find her father standing on the porch with Abby in his arms.
When she finally found her voice, she said, "What are you doing here, Dad?"

Sebastian Matthias bent over
and placed a kiss on Genie's cheek. "There was a minor fire in the hotel where I was performing and the place is shut down for a couple of weeks. My agent booked us in a club in Portland and we're on our way there, which gives me a chance to be with Abbycadabby on her fourth birthday." He smiled at Abby, who tightened her arms around him.

Genie looked beyond her father and saw Josh looking their way. He
had Abby's cowboy hat in his hand, which she suspected Abby lost in her rush to see their father. Josh looked downcast, which was understandable. He'd planned a party for a little girl who'd captured his heart, and he'd bought her a hat and boots to go with her pony, and now his clown act with Ferdinand would be overshadowed by, she wasn't sure what, but Sebastian Matthias never did anything halfway.

"What are your plans now
?" she asked. "Have you talked to Ruth and Matt Kincaid?"

Sebastian raised his eyes from Genie and looked beyond her. His expression sobered, as he said, "Hello Ruth. You're looking well."

Genie turned to see Ruth standing not far behind.

It was some moments before Ruth replied, "Hello, Sebastian."

After a stretch of awkward silence, Sebastian said, "I had a cancellation and thought I could see Abby on her birthday. I would have called ahead but I misplaced the ranch number."

"That's
okay," Ruth said, but in a way that led Genie to believe it really wasn't okay, which it wasn't, but her father was used to having things his way so showing up unannounced wasn't so much of a surprise. "We have no vacancies in the campground, otherwise you'd be welcome to stay," Ruth added.

"
We have to get to Portland so we're only here for a couple of hours," Sebastian replied. "My road crew and I have a little show planned for Abby. If it's okay with you we can set up where the bus is parked so your ranch guests can see it too."

"That's fine, but we also have something planned for Abby,
" Ruth countered, in a tone that held a hint of testiness. "A clown and balloons."

"The more the merrier," Sebastian replied. "
Is Anne here?"

"Anne?"

"My daughter."

"You mean Annie
," Ruth corrected, in a voice showing clearly her pique at Sebastian's sudden arrival. "Yes she's here. You really should have sent word in advance or written to her before just showing up."

"I'm sorry, and of course you're right
," Sebastian said. "If she doesn't want to see me I understand, but when she came to Las Vegas three years ago I was prepared to spend time with her and her husband, but she never came to my dressing room so I presumed she decided she was better off not knowing me."

"
She probably is," Ruth replied. "I'll tell her you're here and she can decide what she wants to do about it. I'll also tell my husband since he'll be wondering about your bus. You really should have called in advance. Our ranch is listed in the phone book."

"Yes,
I suppose I should have," Sebastian said, in a sober voice.

Genie could tell from the look of uncertainty on her father's face that he was only just beginning to understand that he wasn't exactly welcome, which was
unusual. Everywhere
Sebastian the Illusionist
appeared the red carpet rolled out. Hotel attendants bent over backwards to make sure he had everything he needed, restaurant managers scrambled to give him the best table in the place, crowds parted when he arrived. Even his road crew were dedicated men whose purpose was to make sure life unfolded the way Sebastian Matthias would like. It wasn't that her father was demanding in any way, only that he was a man people wanted to please.

The
tense moment was interrupted when Abby leaned back from her father so she could look at him, and said, "Daddy, my birfday cake has pwetty flowers on it. You can come see it in the kitchen. Gwamma Ruff baked it for me."

"Grandma Ruth?"

Abby bobbed her head. "Genie said Gwamma Ruff's special so she's my gwamma now."

Sebastian glanced at Ruth
, and his eyes looked troubled, like he was perceiving the fact that as Abby's father, he was a generation older than he should be, and the woman staring back at him, who gave birth to his love child, was also of that older generation.

"Daddy, I have a pony
," Abby said. "Come see her. Her name is Fancy."

Sebastian smiled
, but it was a feigned smile to get around another awkward moment. "Well, of course we'll have to take a look at your pony," he said.

Abby wiggled around until Sebastian set her down, then she
grabbed his hand and tugged him across the porch and said, while pointing, "Fancy's wight over there. Josh got her for me and he got me these boots—" she kicked out a foot "—and a cowgirl hat—" she put her hand on her head then looked at Genie in dismay.

"It's okay, honey
, Josh has your hat," Genie said. "You lost it when you jumped off Fancy."

Abby smiled
in relief and looked toward Josh, then said to her father, "I can wide Fancy. Come watch me."

Sebastian
glanced back at Ruth, and said, "If my being here is a problem, I have a driver so I can take Abby in the bus with me and we can visit that way."

"
That isn't necessary," Ruth said, "my husband will understand, and your bus is fine where it is. I'm sure the guests will enjoy the show. I'll also tell Annie you're here. If she wants to see you she can come to your bus, or maybe watch the show and meet you afterwards, which would probably be best."

Sebastian
nodded vaguely and pressed his mouth into a smile the way he sometimes did when greeting a crowd he suspected was unfriendly. But then the smile settled into a real one when he said to Abby, "Okay, Abbycadabby, let's take a look at your pony, and after that I'll set up so you can see the illusion of the orange tree. I promised I'd show it to you."

"
With weal oranges on the tree?" Abby asked.

"Of course, and you'll
get to watch them grow," Sebastian said.

"Yeah! I want to go tell Josh!"
Abby released her father's hand and skipped on ahead.

"I'd better go
with you," Genie said. "Josh needs to know the change of plans since he's to be the clown at the party."

"
Then I don't want to interrupt that," Sebastian said. "I'll plan my show for afterwards."

Genie silently agreed because any
entertainment following her father's act would seem lackluster, even a clown riding a trained Brahma bull.

A
s Genie walked with her father, she said, "You also have a grandson. His name is Cody and he's eight months old. This is very awkward what you're doing, Dad. Why didn't you at least contact me first? I have a cell phone and you have my number."

"I would have but we left as soon as we could, and there was no cell service much of the
way here, so I figured stopping by for a couple of hours wouldn't matter."

"Maybe it wouldn't if you and Annie had met before,
but she's twenty-three years old now, and out of the blue, you show up, but only to see her little half-sister."

"Like I told
Ruth, I thought she might be better off not knowing me. She has a father who raised her so there's been no reason for me to interfere in that relationship."

Genie
drew in a long breath. "I suppose you're right," she conceded. "Annie's close to both her parents, but I guess since you're here, the two of you might as well spend a little time together and at least satisfy your curiosities. It would make it less awkward if you ever had a reason to come here again."

As
Genie and Sebastian approached Josh, who was standing by the pony while Abby petted it, Genie said to Josh, "This is our father, and Abby wants to show Fancy to him."

Sebastian
stepped forward and offered his hand to Josh, "Sebastian Matthias," he said, introducing himself.

"Josh Hansen," he responded, clasping
Sebastian's hand. But whereas Sebastian's greeting was genuine, Genie knew from the disturbed look on Josh's face that he was
not
happy with things.

"She's a fine pony," Sebastian said to Abby. "When you and Genie come
to visit it will be nice to have Fancy here for you to ride."

Abby looked up at her father and said
in a firm voice, "I'm staying here forever. Josh is gonna teach me to wide Fancy and he said he won't ever leave me like you do."

Sebastian eyed Josh in alarm. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"Nothing," Genie replied, before Josh could respond. "Abby, honey, maybe Josh will take you around for a little ride on Fancy while I explain to Daddy about your party, okay?"

The muscles in
Josh's jaw bunched, like he wanted to say something but was holding back, then he shrugged and said to Abby, "Come on. We'll take Fancy around the stable." He lifted Abby onto Fancy, and saying nothing more, took Fancy's lead line and walked off.

When Josh was out of hearing range
, Sebastian said to Genie, "Abby seems unusually attached to that man. Is there a reason?"

"
Yes," Genie replied. "Josh risked his life to save Abby and me when a dam broke and water filled a box canyon. After that we were stranded and had to spend the better part of a dark night alone on a hill. Abby was afraid Josh would leave us and he assured her he wouldn't."

"Who is he?" Sebastian asked.

"He's actually Annie's brother-in-law," Genie replied, and tried to sound indifferent. "He's in charge of the horses and the trail rides here at the ranch. He's also a rodeo clown, a farrier and a very fine artist. He made a life-size statue out of horseshoes for Annie and Ryan to put out at the road to advertise their horses, and he has a commission to make a full-size bucking bull for the rodeo grounds. He also does the artwork for rodeo posters around the country."

Sebastian held Genie's gaze in
the way he did when captivating his audience, although he wasn't aware of it. Only those who were the object of his gaze understood it because they were looking into a pair of eyes that could mesmerize, if the person wasn't aware. Genie never knew exactly what it was about his eyes, but it happened, and Dimitri had the same innate ability.

"An
d your connection with the man?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

Sebastian waited.

Genie decided it was pointless to try
and hide the fact that she was in love with Josh. "I was his nurse when he had an encounter with a bull at a rodeo three years ago, and if we can work out some issues we're having, I'll marry him. So now I've laid it all out to you."

After a long stretch of silence, Sebastian said,
"Just because you have guardianship doesn't mean I'll step aside. I'm still Abby's father, and the decisions I make will be with her best interest in mind. Now, I'd better get the men to set up for the orange tree illusion. Can I count on you to be my assistant?"

Genie
paused, mulling over her father's words about making decisions for Abby, while trying to decide if they were a kind of veiled threat aimed at Josh, having come right after she'd expressed her feelings for him. "I haven't assisted you in years," she said.

"You know the illusion," Sebastian replied. "It will come back."

It already had, Genie silently acknowledged. What troubled her most was that Abby would probably forget all about the endearing clown who came riding up on a big docile bull that was wearing a hat, because after she sees her father make a tree sprout blossoms and grow real oranges, that would eclipse everything else.

***

Josh peered into the mirror and saw, staring back at him, the fool he was—a clown who'd soon be making an ass of himself for a little girl whose father had the power to perform magic. He had no idea what Sebastian the Illusionist would pull off, but whatever it was, it would be a damn sight more entertaining than a bumbling idiot with a bulbous red nose and round white eyes outlined in blue, riding a bull with balloons tied to its tail.

If he had any sense, he'd pack away all the clown makeup
, head for Pine Grove, and spend the rest of the afternoon at Pete's Pub with a half dozen beers, and try to forget the existence of the woman and her imp of a sister who'd absconded with his sanity. But as he seized a red makeup crayon and carefully drew a large red ring around his mouth, then exaggerated his lips with it, he acknowledged that he had no sense, which he reaffirmed by grabbing a makeup sponge and dabbing it into white makeup cream and filling in the interior of the red ring.

He peered into the mirror again and decided he wasn't done yet. Picking up a blue makeup crayon, he carefully scored a blue teardrop beneath each eye then sat back and folded his arms.