FAE-ted (2 page)

After a light dinner, I spent an hour wrapping presents in
the den by our gorgeous Christmas tree, which I'd decorated with
the faerie ornaments I'd collected since birth. Yeah, I'd wanted to be
Tinker Bell for as long as I could remember, and devoted parents had
indulged their only daughter, the youngest of three children,
something I intended to do for my own kids. My passion had even
influenced the fae theme at Festivities, which I thought worked very
well.

I literally fell into bed around ten, fully expecting to be
asleep in seconds. Instead, I thought of Nate with his messy dark
hair, green eyes, and amazing smile. He was just my type physically
speaking--tall, v-framed, a little on the slim side but still strong. My
high school contact with him had been very limited, and any interest
between us strictly one sided. How odd that we'd met again. I
wondered if he was going to college and where. Having graduated
high school early, I'd be starting as a freshman at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock in January. Would I see him there? Even
more important, would he still have Missy Thompson glued to his
side?

With my head full of impossible scenarios involving Nate
and me on campus without her, I finally drifted off to sleep. "Carol of
the Bells" startled me awake sometime later. I fumbled for my
iPhone, barely registering the sleet pattering the window pane.
"Hello."

"It's Nate."

I sat straight up in bed, my heart skipping a couple of beats.
"What's wrong?"

"Anna's scared of the storm and wants to sleep with
me."

"Then let her."

"I'm a guy, and she's a girl."

"She's four, Nate."

"But we're not really related. People might think I'm a perv
or something."

I exhaled slowly in hopes my hammering heart would slow
down a little so I could think clearly. "Do you still live on Magnolia?"
Maybe I could pick her up and bring her home with me.

"How'd you know that?"

"I, er..." Should I confess I'd once looked up his address and
driven by his house just to see where he lived? Um, no. That would
probably place me in a stalker category.

Luckily he didn't wait for me to answer. "We're not at my
house. We're at my stepmom's in North Little Rock. She didn't want
to move Anna's stuff until they got back. Thought she'd do better in
familiar surroundings."

"And that didn't clue you in to the fact that you so don't have
this?"

"Are you going to help us or not? You gave me your
card--"

"I'll help. I just don't know how. Are you wanting me to
come get her?"

"Not that."

"Then what?"

"We'll come get you."

Whoa! As thrilled as I was shocked by this amazing gift that
had surely come straight from the elves, I glanced at the clock:
eleven-thirty. "Now?"

"Yeah. I know it's late, bu--" He broke off. I thought I heard
Anna say something to him. "I'm getting to it. Um, Leeloo?"

"Still here."

"What would you charge to spend two nights with us? The
folks'll be back the twenty-fourth, so you'll be home for Christmas
Eve."

Two nights with Nate?
There is a Santa Claus!
I tried
to play it cool. "Twenty-five bucks per night is the going rate."

"Done! Where do you live?"

"Wait a minute." I pulled aside my curtain and tried to look
out the window, but I couldn't see because the glass was wet. I did
hear thunder rumbling in the distance. "Is it raining or
sleeting?"

"Raining here. Roads are clear."

"I need to check with my parents. They might have
plans."

"I'll wait."

With my phone pressed to my chest, I jumped off the bed
and happy danced down the hall, where I crept into my parents'
bedroom and quietly shook Mom awake. "Nate needs help with
Anna." I quickly shared the details of our arrangement, assuring her
I'd be home on Christmas Eve.

"Go, you!" She gave me a sleepy high-five before turning
over on her side to face Dad, who hadn't even stirred. I realized that
was what I loved most about my Mom--she trusted me. Dad, on the
other hand, worried too much.

"It's all good," I told Nate. "I'll throw some stuff into a
bag."

"We'll be there in thirty."

"But I didn't tell you where I live."

"Just looked it up."

As I'd looked up his address the moment I could legally
drive. Though I probably came off as obsessed with him, in truth,
Nate Marshall had only consumed maybe five to eight percent of my
waking thoughts at any given moment since junior high school. That
meant I'd led a normal life and even had boyfriends. Nate was simply
the guy I'd expected to remember forever with a wistful, what-if
sigh.

"Leeloo?"

"Oh, um, sorry. I'll be ready when you get here."

"Thanks. I'll owe you big time."

"What you'll owe me is fifty dollars."

The moment I got off the phone, I began to tear around my
room grabbing toiletries from my oak dresser and clothes from my
oversized closet to wear tomorrow. I also packed my best PJs and got
out of my worst ones, changing into jeans, UGGS, and a hoodie.
Snagging my just-in-case coat and my can't-live-without-it cell phone
and charger, I tucked the latter into my zebra bag and hauled
everything to the den, where I stared out the front window.

My reflection revealed a normal eighteen-year-old girl with
excited blue eyes and long blonde hair. As looks went, I was passably
pretty on a good-hair day, though a little short. I seemed to have
stopped growing at five-foot-three, which would mean a lifetime of
watching my weight, since I had a six-three appetite just like my big
brothers.

Exactly twenty-eight minutes later, an SUV pulled into our
drive. I turned off the living room light, locked up, and ran out the
door and down the steps. The moment my feet met the sidewalk,
they both flew out from under me. I landed on my butt. Nate
bounded from his ride and jogged over.

"Damn, Leeloo. Are you okay?" He slipped his hands under
my armpits and lifted me to my feet, which put me forehead to
Adam's apple with him. I saw he wore a hoodie just like mine with
our high school's mascot on it.

"Yeah, sure, though I might miss my tailbone later." I could
see that Nate struggled not to laugh and punched him in the gut just
on principle. "Don't you dare."

"Wasn't gonna." He gathered up my scattered stuff,
deliberately took my hand and led me across the grass to his silver
Explorer, which sat in the drive, motor running. Just as he opened
the passenger side door, thunder rumbled again. Anna, who sat in
the back seat, buried her face in Sparky's furry back and
shrieked.

Changing my plans, I had Nate toss my gear into the front
seat and then opened her door and scooted inside. "So you don't like
thunder much, huh?"

She sniffled in reply.

"I used to hate it, too. Then Dad told me it was just faerie
drums. Sometimes they get a little loud. Faeries do like to party." I
tweaked her nose. "But you knew that. You were at one today,
though we didn't have drums at ours."

"Technically, it was yesterday," said Nate as he settled in
behind the wheel.

A glance at his dash clock confirmed that. "So it was. Did you
have a good time in our Faerie Garden?" I asked Anna to distract her
from the weather.

"Uh-huh. Did you?"

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "I love parties, and I've always
wished I had wings. I can't think of anything more exciting than
flying. And wouldn't it be fun to grant wishes?"

Anna nodded.

I noticed that her eyelids drooped, which gave me hope that
she'd sleep once we got to her house. By then Nate had his SUV on
the road, wipers swishing to keep the windshield clear of what was
definitely sleet. I saw right away that he drove with care,
approaching intersections as if there might be ice. Thirty minutes
after he picked me up, Nate killed the engine by a single-wide mobile
home in a park full of them. I realized that Anna's eyes were now
closed and her head had lolled to one side.

I reached out to touch Nate's shoulder. "She's out."

He turned in the seat to look at us. "Figures. Sorry I dragged
you over here."

"I don't mind." To prove it, I hopped out the door and got my
stuff. Nate gently maneuvered Anna out of her seatbelt and then took
her to the trailer. The sight of him carrying little sis nearly took me to
my knees. He did it so tenderly. I suddenly missed my own big
brothers.

When we got to the front step, Nate turned to me. "Key's in
my jeans, right pocket."

I tried to retrieve it.

"Other right."

Embarrassed, I gingerly slipped a hand into the correct
pocket and pulled out the key. I then unlocked the door, stepping
back so Nate could enter the trailer. The first thing I noticed was
Anna's Christmas tree, which dominated what was a pretty small
living room-kitchen area. Fragrant and green, the pine branches
were loaded with homemade decorations, ranging from a string of
popcorn to what I recognized as dried and glittered Play-Doh
ornaments. Since I'd crafted those in kindergarten, I easily imagined
all the fun Anna and her mom had making them at the table just big
enough for two I saw to my right.

"This way." Nate headed down a short hall with me just
behind him. When we reached Anna's tiny bedroom, he didn't bother
to turn on the light, but moved to a twin bed with the covers tossed
back as if someone had sprung out of it in a hurry. I knew who that
someone was.

I kept my voice low. "I'll get her out of her clothes."

"Thanks." He deposited Anna on the mattress and then
straightened to look down at her. "Is this bed big enough?"

"It'll do." I glanced up at Nate, who now had his eyes on me
instead of his precious stepsister. "Good night, sleep tight?"

"Oh, uh, right. You're probably tired after working all day."
He walked to the door, a matter of two whole steps.

"My work is play, but while I'd love to stay up, I don't want
her to wake all alone."

"Smart thinking. See you in the morning, Leeloo." Nate
stepped into the narrow hall only to turn and stick his head back
through the doorway. "What kind of name is that, anyway?"

I put a finger to my lips. "Shhh. And it's the worst kind ever.
I'm named after the love interest in a Bruce Willis movie,
The
Fifth Element.
"

"I've seen it. That was the red-haired chick's name, wasn't
it?"

"Her hair was blaze orange, and yeah, that was her
name."

"She saved her guy."

"So she did."

"Just like you saved me tonight."

I slapped my hand over my mouth so my laugh wouldn't
wake Anna. "You're not my guy, you're Missy's. And what Leeloo
really saved was the world. Bruce's rescue was strictly incidental
and not as important."

"It was to him." With that grin, Nate left me.

I grinned myself, even though he hadn't corrected my
assumption that he was Missy's guy as I'd hoped he would. Gently
removing Anna's coat, I saw that she was still in her leotard, tights,
and tutu, which meant they hadn't been washed. I removed the fluff
of skirt and her shoes. Leaving it at that, I quickly put on my flannel
sleep pants and my
I Believe in Faeries
tee, not easily done in
that confined space. Then I edged around the bed and slid under the
covers, sharing Anna's pillow.

"Leeloo!" Nate whispered from the hall.

I raised my head. "What?"

"Missy and I have been over for ages."

"Oh!" I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't.
Assuming he'd gone back to his bedroom, I settled in again. Though
certain Nate's big news would cancel any chances I might sleep, I
actually did, not opening my eyes until Sunday morning. At least I
thought it was morning. The room was so dark, I had doubts.

One glance out the window showed me why I couldn't see
daylight. The weather had not improved. Was it cold? I wondered,
sitting up to touch the glass. Warm panes told me we'd definitely be
in for a stormy day. Anna, who still slept, would not like that. I had to
wonder if the trailer was partly to blame for her fear. The gusty wind
did funny things to it, and though not frightened myself, I could
easily believe the sounds would scare a child.

Since I needed to pee like crazy, I slipped out of bed and
stepped into the hall. A quick peek up and back showed me no Nate,
so I ducked into the bathroom, where I also washed my face and
finger combed my tousled hair. When I opened the door to leave, I
found Nate there, his bare chest right in my face. I squealed for a
couple of reasons. He laughed his butt off.

Slipping past him, I saw Anna standing in her doorway.
"Well if it isn't Faerie Rose. Did Prince Nate wake you?" I glared at
him before giving her a hug.

"I did not," said Nate from behind me. "And that's still
spelled f-a-e-r-i-e, right?"

"Always," I said without looking at him. "What do you want
for breakfast, Miss Anna?" I figured I'd impress Nate with my
culinary skills before he took me home.

"Nate promised we'd have McDonald's every single
day."

Now I looked at him. "Oh, he did, did he?"

"I don't cook." Nate stepped into the bathroom, shutting the
door behind him.

"Will you come with us?" Anna yawned and rubbed her
sleepy eyes.

"We'll see." I went into her bedroom, stopping just inside the
door. Details hidden by the night were now better seen, and I finally
noticed them. "Oh, Anna. I guess I'm not the only faerie fan. Who
painted your walls?" I thought that the local artist we'd contacted
about murals for Festivities might've done them; sadly, he'd been too
pricey for us.

"Mommy."

My jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Really," said Nate, who'd joined us again. "Dad keeps telling
her she should give up being a teacher's aide and paint for a living.
Maybe she will now that they're married."