Christmas Magic by Lucy McConnell

Author:Lucy McConnell [McConnell, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orchard View Publishing LLC
Published: 2019-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

December 16

Beck

Beck smiled at onlookers as they gave him curious looks. Of course, standing in the middle of the park with a curtain square wasn’t normal and would attract attention. That’s what he’d been counting on. Harmony had drawn a snowman instead of an elf on the chalkboard sign this time. She had a lot of artistic talent—meaning that not only could he tell that she’d drawn a snowman, but she’d made him look alive.

“Maybe you have a future in art,” he’d said after admiring her work.

She’d swatted the idea away. “I passed classes in high school, but I don’t love it.”

“What do you love?” He folded his arms and rested his chin on his fist, gazing at the back of her hand as letters appeared, all swoopy and Christmasy.

“I’m not exactly sure anymore. I think that’s why I want to go home for Christmas. I want to reconnect with the parts of me I lost in the big city.” She’d stood up and brushed the chalk dust from her hands, not even knowing she’d broken off a piece of his heart with those words. The way she’d spoken about leaving, as if she wouldn’t miss him at all, wouldn’t miss their magic act, was normal. It wasn’t like they’d become best friends over the last four nights as they practiced. But he’d gotten used to having her around.

Who was he kidding? He waited on bated breath for her to get off work and come over. The moment she walked through his door was the brightest spot in his day.

Now, she was inside the curtain, waiting for the signal to climb into Frosty. He was waiting for anyone who had seen her around to move on. The trick only worked if the audience didn’t know there was someone inside the snowman moving its parts.

When the last mother took her toddler twins home for a much-needed nap, he clapped his hands three times, letting Harmony know that he would start in five minutes. She snapped her fingers in response, telling him she would be ready. He checked the cameras on his phone once more. They were all up and running. He hit record, counted to three, and lifted his arms in the air.

“Ladies and gentlemen, gather ’round for a truly magical Christmas show.” He stepped on a lever, and two confetti cannons went off on the sides of the curtain box.

The whump got attention. One woman grabbed at her heart and gave him a dirty look. Oops. She moved on, but others stayed.

“May I borrow your hat, sir?” He proceeded to pull a poinsettia out of the man’s hat and hand them to the woman standing beside him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the surprise. He was probably saving those for when you got home.”

She twittered behind her fingers and smacked at his arm.

He grinned. His mind wandered to what Harmony would do if he gave her flowers. Maybe he could send some to her office tomorrow, as a thank-you for giving up her weekend to perform.

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