Fairytale Come Alive (57 page)

Mikey shook his hand and then leaned back, proclaiming dramatically, “Good to see
you
too.” He gazed down at Bella and asked, “Girlie-girl, what’s in the water here? Because I want some of it. You look ten years younger and he’s hotter than hot and since he was hotter than hot before, he’s off-the-scales hotter than hot now.”

Bella snuggled into Mikey’s body, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder as she looked at Prentice. At her cuddle, Mikey looked like Fiona reckoned anyone would look before they dropped dead of a heart attack. Then his face grew soft.

Bella didn’t notice.

“I think he either made a deal with the devil or he’s the bastard love child of Father Time,” Bella remarked with a radiant grin thrown in for good measure.

Mikey burst out laughing but Fiona looked at Prentice and saw him gazing at Bella with that expression he got before Fiona was popped back to her tent by the stream.

“Mister Mikey!” Jason shouted as he also ran down the stairs.

“Jason, be careful on the stairs,” Bella cautioned as she moved out of Mikey’s embrace.

Jason ignored Bella, ran up to Mikey and then her son gave him a quick hug.

Jason stepped back and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise inspection,” Mikey muttered, his eyes on Bella.

“What?” Jason asked, his voice filled with humor.

“Nothing, bucko,” Mikey answered. “I just was sitting around, thinking, ‘What am I going to do for Christmas?’ and it came to me that Bella said the guest suite in your house was magnificent so I figured I just
had
to spend time there and, therefore, invite myself to Christmas with all of you, so here I am!”

Jason grinned and declared, “You’re mental.”

“Yes, indeed I am,” Mikey replied, sounding proud of Jason’s assessment.

“Oh my God! School!” Bella shouted. “Kids, car! Mikey, I’ll be back in twenty minutes, tops.”

“Elle, I’ll take them this morning,” Prentice offered.

“No, it’s out of your way and you have that meeting. I’m good, Mikey’s good.” She was hustling the kids to the door then she suddenly changed directions, dashed forward, threw herself in Prentice’s arms, pressed a quick kiss on his mouth and dashed back, going back to her babbling. “Mikey, coffee, toast, get your stuff settled in the guest suite, twenty minutes.”

“Bye Mister Mikey! Bye, bye, bye!” Sally jumped up and down as Bella hustled her forward at the same time shoving on a pair of shoes.

Jason waved behind him and they all hurried out the door.

The minute it closed, Mikey turned to Prentice.

“I’d give you a hug if I didn’t think you’d punch me. Or I’d offer you a million dollars if I didn’t know you’d turned down fifty-four or if I actually had a million dollars.” His voice lowered and his eyes grew bright when he finished, “So, Prentice Cameron, the only thing I can do is say thank you.”

Prentice tilted his chin up slightly and gave Mikey a moment to compose himself before he commented, “I’m guessing we passed inspection.”

“You all get gold stars,” Mikey replied and Prentice grinned.

Then Prentice’s eyes went to the door and he asked, “Have you ever seen her like that?”

Mikey looked behind him toward the door and answered, “Yes, often, at school.” He turned back around. “After she lost you, when she was vulnerable and he could beat her down, rarely.”

Prentice’s jaw grew tight.

“Prentice,” Mikey said softly, “that was then, this is now. Let it go.”

Prentice tilted his chin again but this time it was more of a jerk.

Mikey’s voice was still gentle when he stated, “Annie tells me she’s not self-harming anymore.”

Prentice’s eyes narrowed. “You knew about that?”

Mikey nodded. “Both Annie and I talked to her. She was seeing a doctor.”

The color went out of Prentice’s face. “She’s not seeing a doctor now.”

“She’s also living thousands of miles away from her abusive father with whom she used to live in the same city and, regardless of her age, he was unrelenting in his attention. And she doesn’t have photographers breathing down her neck because she’s not attending all the soirees and high-brow events her detestable ex-husband and then her despicable father demanded she appear at which, by the way, she
loathed
. Instead, she’s living in a beautiful house with the only man she’s ever loved, helping him raise his children. So,” Mikey threw out his hand absently, “I’m no psychologist, but I’m guessing she doesn’t need a doctor anymore.”

Prentice wasn’t convinced. “Life has a way of twisting and turning.”

“Yes,” Mikey agreed. “It does. And usually one can go with the flow. But when one finds they can’t, they need a strong, solid anchor.” He nodded to Prentice. “You aren’t made of iron but I think you’ll do.”

Prentice didn’t reply then again, he didn’t need to. He was Bella’s anchor and they both knew it.

That was why Mikey smiled before he clapped and exclaimed, “All right! I need coffee and you need to get to a meeting.”

“I’ll bring in your bags,” Prentice offered.

“I’m gay, not disabled.” Mikey smiled through his refusal. “Go to your meeting.” When Prentice didn’t move, Mikey started waving at the door, saying, “Shoo, shoo.”

Prentice shook his head but slapped Mikey on the shoulder.

“Good to have you back, mate,” he mumbled before he strode to the door, grabbed his coat off a hook, gave Mikey a departing nod and left.

Mikey stared at the door, the tears he wouldn’t allow himself to shed earlier pooled in his eyes and he whispered, “Have a good day at work, Superman.”

Then Fiona watched as he turned to the coffee.

* * * * *

“Bella, no. What you’re saying is you want
four
different colors of
cream,
” Mikey declared in a disgusted tone and Fiona agreed with him.

You need blue, Prentice LOVES
blue
, Fiona screamed.

Bella hesitated, looking mystified and maybe a little scared.

She glanced at Fern and asked, “Can we see that blue swatch again?”

Bella, Mikey, Annie and, of course, Fiona were in Fern Goodacre’s little shop. Fern sold candles, candleholders, pretty, unusual jewelry made by locals, frames, artsy knick knacks and other gift items. Fern also had a small side business in interior design that she ran from the back room of her shop.

A lot of local folk said Fern was really good but Fiona was not the type of lass who would hire an interior decorator so she didn’t know. But Janice MacHolm used Fern to decorate her sitting room and Fiona always thought it was really lovely.

They were all crammed in the back room of the shop and Annie and Mikey (and, of course, Fiona) were also cramming their ideas into Bella’s head.

Which might have been a wee bit out of line but, good God, the woman had picked four different colors of cream!

“Can I just say,” Fern started, glancing at Mikey and Annie, “I actually like the cream on cream.”

“What?” Mikey cried, openly aghast.

“See, this has a little salmon,” Fern said, separating swatches on the table they were sitting around, “this a little blue, this a little more blue and that one, well, that one’s just cream.”

Annie tilted her head to the side and pointed. “Well, that one is blue and that one is kind of blue but the rest just look like cream to me.”

Fern was gazing at the swatches and her eyes went funny. “Actually, I’m thinking it would be kind of brilliant, subtle, fresh, clean, bright but with hints of color making it warm and interesting.” She looked at Bella and grinned. “I really like it.”

“You do?” Bella asked quietly.

“Aye. I could work with this, definitely,” Fern replied.

“Really?” Bella breathed.

“Let me put some ideas together,” Fern offered. “I’ll work on it tonight, come over to see the space tomorrow and we’ll talk more.”

“I’d like that,” Bella smiled.

“But it’s all
cream!
” Mikey exclaimed.

Bella bit her lip and her eyes slid away, clearly tentative and worried.

Fiona watched Bella. She hadn’t seen that look from Bella in awhile.

This decorating business was for some reason causing her anxiety so Fiona decided to lay off and she also decided to get Mikey, who was the naysaying ringleader, to do the same.

Shut it, mate,
she shouted at Bella’s friend.

“Seriously, girlie-girl, those rooms are
huge
filled with
windows
, you can
so
go bold,” Mikey, clearly not like his friend and unable to hear voices from beyond the grave, declared.

“Bold,” Bella whispered and looked at Mikey. “Fiona was good with bold, the rest of the house –”

Mikey paled at her words, having been informed of why they were on their errand, and he turned to Fern instantly. “Cream. Cream is good. Work with the cream.”

“No,” Bella said, her gaze had slid beyond Fern and she got up, scooted around the small space and pulled out a roll of peacock blue fabric. She turned to her audience and said, “This is gorgeous.”

“I love that,” Fern said, getting up to join her and touching the fabric. “No one’s ever used it and I’ve always wondered why because I think it’s lush.”

“It’s
bold,
” Mikey announced.

“It would be great for toss pillows or something. Just a splash of color,” Bella replied and then looked at Fern and asked, “Don’t you think?”

“Oh I do!” Fern said excitedly. “All that cream framing these bright flashes of blue. Only toss pillows or maybe a bedroll. Perfect!”

“I like it too,” Annie declared.

“Is someone going to wait on me?” They heard asked peevishly from the door and everyone turned to see Hattie Fennick standing there.

Fiona turned too and when she did, her ghostly body went completely still.

Hattie Fennick was glaring at Bella with such hate, if Fiona had breath, that look of frank, open hostility would surely have stolen it.

Danger,
Fiona thought.

Then Hattie scowled at Fern with such ill-will that Fiona thought she was being silly about the way Hattie glared at Bella.

Hattie hated everyone. She was a notorious cow.

And Hattie was also incapable of being dangerous. She was just a bitter, little nobody who no one liked because she took out her bad temper on anyone who was unlucky enough to cross her path.

“Hattie, we’re getting some ideas down for Prentice and Bella’s bedroom. Can you wait just a tick?” Fern enquired.

Hattie’s eyes went back to Bella and her lip curled.

“You’re using
Fern
to decorate Prentice’s
bedroom?
” she asked as if she wouldn’t ask Fern to paint the house number on her recycling box.

“Prentice and
Bella’s
bedroom, darling,” Mikey corrected and Hattie sliced a derisive glance at him before she looked back at Bella.

“So, if you’re redecorating
Fiona’s
house, can we assume you’re going to stay longer than a few months before you run away again?” she queried and Fiona watched Bella brace as both Annie and Mikey shifted into defense mode.

Really, Fiona thought, Hattie was
such
a cow.

“Hattie,” Fern said in a low voice.

“Well, everyone’s thinking it,” Hattie snapped.

“No, everyone
isn’t,
” Fern snapped back. “In fact, you’re the only one who
is
.”

“This is the one who sold Prentice and Bella’s story to that magazine,” Annie talked over the byplay, informing Mikey of Hattie’s duplicity.

“
Really?
” Mikey asked then raked Hattie top-to-toe with his eyes. “You obviously didn’t negotiate a good enough fee or, perhaps, you
like
that handbag?”

“Mikey,” Bella said softly.

“Americans,” Hattie muttered in xenophobic abhorrence.

“Poorly-accessorized, small-minded Scottish people,” Mikey muttered back, using nearly Hattie’s same tone.

Fiona giggled.

So did Annie.

“I’ll just take care of you now, Hattie,” Fern offered but Hattie walked in, slammed the candle she was holding on the wee table and glared at Fern.

“Don’t bother. I’ve decided I don’t want it,” she declared, cast a venomous gaze about the room and stormed out.

Mikey snatched up the candle and smelled it, exclaiming loudly enough for the departing Hattie to hear, “Oo,
meadow
, my favorite scent! I’ll take it!”

Annie and Fiona were still giggling but Fern was looking at Bella.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Bella shook her head but said, “Yes, fine. It’s not unusual from her, Hattie’s never liked me.”

“Hattie doesn’t like anyone,” Annie proclaimed.

“I don’t know,” Fern whispered and her eyes were on the door.