The Fairy Shop Read online

  Nate wasn’t quite so spunky. After tucking Delly in the night before, he’d hit the shower and jerked off, but when he crawled into bed, images of that guy rolled through his head like a pornographic tickertape. By the time he’d fallen into a fitful sleep, he’d worn skin off his right hand and his corresponding appendage.

  That morning he would have liked to have slept in a little, it being Saturday, but Delly had been so excited about buying ornaments she’d been bouncing on his bed at seven—and it wasn’t even light yet. They’d put the last of their fairly meager collection of ornaments on the tree—Raina had always been the one to decorate while he’d paid for all the presents—and then he’d taken Delly to the Breadboard for scrambled eggs and muffins. With full stomachs, they left the car at home and made the walk to downtown.

  “Daddy, look. Look.” A cat face ornament claimed Delly’s attention, and they walked into the store to buy it.

  After putting the cat face by the cash register to start a collection, Delly began to examine all the fancy ornaments while Nate grabbed a couple boxes of plain-colored balls that they could use to fill in the blank spaces around the more special pieces. Since Delphine was inspecting every ornament in detail, he set his boxes of decorations on the counter and wandered over to look at a collection of toys to see if anything looked like a Delly present.

  “Daddy!”

  He looked up in time to get an armful of Delly, and she cowered into his embrace.

  Nate glanced and saw a tall man in a puffer jacket and a cap standing near the checkout counter, staring after Delly and looking confused and upset.

  Nate said, “Delly, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head.

  “Did that gentleman say something to you?”

  She nodded.

  “What did he say?”

  “Hello.” She clutched his jacket.

  “What else?”

  “He liked my cat face.”

  He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him. “Was that a scary thing for him to say?”

  She shook her head.

  “Want to say that out loud?”

  “It’s not scary.”

  “So how about you tell the nice man thank you for admiring your cat face.”

  She shook her head emphatically.

  The guy was clearly signing for his purchase and getting ready to leave.

  Nate took her hand. “Come on. I’ll be your wingman.” He grinned at the memory of Lewis.

  “No. Please don’t make me.” She actually shook.

  He tightened his arms. “It’s okay, sweetie. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want except maybe eat your broccoli.”

  That got a tiny grin from her.

  “Okay, baby. So where would you like to go next?”

  Another shrug. Her eyes followed the man out the door.

  With a soft sigh, Nate strode to the desk and paid for their purchases, grabbed the bag, then took Delphine’s hand. Back on the street, they wandered by the shops and stopped for ice cream at Zoey’s. As they walked back toward their house, a little girl came toward them with her mother, holding a stuffed unicorn.

  Delly actually gasped. “Daddy. Unicorn.”

  “That’s a nice one, isn’t it?”

  She stepped over to the child. “Excuse me. Can you tell me where you got that cool unicorn?”

  The little girl smiled and hugged the unicorn. “Isn’t he great? I got him at the Fairy Shop.”

  Delly looked up at Nate. Okay, he knew his duty. He said to the child’s mother, “I think I need to find the Fairy Shop.”

  She smiled. “I think you do. Fortunately, it’s straight across First Street near Lithia.”

  “Thank you. Most excellent unicorn.”

  As they walked away, Delly looked at him with huge eyes.

  He nodded. “Yes, we can go there. I can’t promise we’ll buy anything, but at least it will give Santa something to go on. Deal?”

  “How long till Christmas?”

  “Two weeks.” He held up ten fingers, then four.

  “That’s a lot.” She scowled.

  “It will go by real fast.” He tugged her hand. “Let’s go.”

  She trotted along beside him, her little legs taking three steps for every one of his. She wasn’t holding back, but she wasn’t smiling. Still, the lure of the unicorn was too great.

  They crossed Lithia Way and turned a block toward First Street. As they turned on First, Delly pointed. “Look.”

  Tucked between two larger buildings was a little house set back from the road, surrounded by trees. A little sign on one of the porch columns said The Fairy Shop.

  “Come on, Daddy.” This time, she did the pulling.

  A green Dutch door greeted them at the top of the porch steps. The upper half of the door stood open against the warm, winter day. Nate pushed the bottom of the door and let Delly walked in first.

  Two steps inside, she stopped. “Oh, Daddy.”

  He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

  The Fairy Shop was illuminated entirely by tiny sparkling lights, some blinking and some still. They reflected off masses of magical things—unicorn dolls and paintings of wizards, tiny figurines of what must be hobbits and elves, and everywhere were fairies, big and small, in all colors and shapes.

  Delly pressed her hands to her chest like her heart might escape.

  A woman’s voice, old and crackling, said, “Well hello there. Is this your first time to the Fairy Shop?”

  Delphine turned in a circle, looking for where the voice was coming from. “Yes, yes it is.”

  “And what do you think?”

  Nate saw her before Delly did—a small woman emerged from a door in the sidewall of the shop. She had a lined face, brilliant sparkling blue eyes, and hair so red it would have made a fire engine proud. She was wearing a long green skirt that brushed her ankles and showed off a pair of red-and-yellow striped leggings that fit into flat, red shoes with sparkles on them. Above the skirt, she sported a brilliant blue jacket embroidered with every color, featuring tassels hanging from all the buttons. A flat cap of green and orange sat jauntily on her huge halo of hair.

  Delly turned, and her eyes widened at the sight of the woman. “Oh my.” She took a step closer to Nate but never took her eyes from the woman. “I like it.”

  For a second Nate forgot that the woman had asked what Delly thought of the shop. Clearly, the lady remembered because she said, “Of course you do. You’re one of us.”

  “I am?” Delly’s eyes got huge, and she squeezed Nate’s hand.

  The woman said, “Of course. I knew right away.”

  Delly looked up at Nate and whispered, “What am I, Daddy? What did she know?”

  He glanced at the lady. “Better ask, don’t you think?”

  Delly stared at her shoes, then up at the woman. “Pardon me, what are you that I am too?”

  The woman swept her arm in a huge arc. “A lover of fairies and magical beings. A seeker of wisdom and truth.”

  “I-I am?”

  “Well, aren’t you?” The woman smiled, a web of lines radiating beside her eyes.

  Delly stood a little taller and released Nate’s hand. “Yes. Yes I am. Who are you, please?”

  The woman swept a curtsey. “I’m Ophelia, mistress of the Fairy Shop. And who might you be?”

  “Delphine. I’m Delphine.”

  “A magical name for a magical lady. And who did you bring with you?”

  “This is my daddy. His name is Nathan.”

  She looked at him with an unexpectedly steady gaze. “Ah, the gift from God.”

  He cocked his head. “What?”

  “Nathan. It means God has given or gift from God. Didn’t you know that?”

  “Uh, maybe somebody told me that once.” He shrugged. “Not something a kid wants to live up to. An adult either, I guess.”

  “But then you already have lived up to it, haven’t you?” Before he cou
ld even blink, she bent toward Delly. “How can I assist you, Delphine?”

  “I-I don’t know. I mean, Daddy says maybe I can give Santa some ideas.”

  “Well now—” Ophelia spun. The woman actually spun in a circle. He expected her to say, “Bibbity, bobbity, boo.” “Santa’s magic himself, so he has excellent ideas of precisely what each of us most requires to tap our inner fairy, but let’s help him along, shall we?” She walked to a big glass case, clear on all sides with doors in two directions, and opened it, then stepped back. “Wands. Choose.”

  Delly squeaked. “W-wands?”

  “Yes, yes. Of course. Choose.”

  Nate looked over the array of fancy sticks in the big cabinet and raised an eyebrow. Glitter and feathers and little charms embellished each one. Little charms but probably a big price tag. Oh well, he’d give a lot to make Delly’s eyes light up, and right then they were glowing.

  Delly walked closer to the case and stared into it, her hands shaking. She glanced back at Nate in awe.

  He said, “I thought the wand chose the wizard.” Yes, it was a little snarky.

  Ophelia widened her eyes. “Don’t be confused. You refer to wizarding wands. These are fairy wands. Even more powerful.”

  Nate gave her a half smile. Obviously, lots of people had preceded him with the snarky remark.

  Delly’s lips parted in amazement. “I can’t choose.”

  “Of course you can. And you must. No one can choose for you.”

  “Not even you?” If Cinderella’s fairy godmother herself had appeared, Delly couldn’t have looked more awestruck.

  “Not even me.”

  The bell on the door sounded, and Ophelia said, “Excuse me.” She walked away in a swirl of skirts, leaving Delly staring into the case.

  Nate said, “Do you see one you like?”

  “I like all of them.”

  He crouched so he was staring in at her angle. “That blue one is pretty.”

  “Yes, but—” She shook her head.

  “Okay. See, you know that one’s not it. Right?”

  She smiled tentatively.

  “So which one is it?” She stood frozen. Nate kept his voice patient. “Go ahead and touch them. That will help, I bet.”

  Very carefully, she picked up a gold wand with silver ribbons and waved it a tiny bit.

  “How does that feel?”

  “Nice.” She set it down and picked up a green one.

  Nate glanced at his watch. “Remember, we need time to put all our new ornaments on the tree before dinner.”

  She looked up, panic-stricken.

  He put a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. That won’t take too long. Take your time.”

  She chewed her lip but peered back in the case.

  Nate glanced toward the front door and the still brilliant sun outside. Out on the sidewalk, a couple walked by and then— Wait! A big guy wearing a cap over dark curly hair passed the building. Both his arms had tattoos at the wrists where they came out of his jacket.

  Nate took a step forward, then glanced at Delly. “Sweetheart, I have to run outside for just one minute, okay? You keep looking at the wands. I’ll just be a minute? You stay right here.”

  She seemed to swallow hard, but then she looked back into wand central and nodded.

  Nate ran to the front and said to Ophelia, “May I leave Delly here for a minute?”

  “Of course. She’s in good hands.”

  He took off like a bat and ran out the front door, not even closing the bottom half. At the sidewalk, he looked in both directions. Nothing. Nobody. The guy had been going toward Main, so Nate ran to his left until he got to the corner and peered around. A person was disappearing into an alley behind a car repair store. Was that him?

  Nate ran flat out until he got to the alley and looked down the narrow drive. Not a soul. If someone had been there, he’d disappeared.

  Strange how disappointed he felt.

  He looked up. Shit, he’d just run four blocks after a phantom. Taking off at equal speed in the opposite direction, he rushed back to the shop. What if she’s scared?

  The bottom door had been closed. He threw it open and found Delly sitting in a chair, her feet dangling, with Ophelia opposite her in a matching seat, her feet also inches from the floor.

  Ophelia flashed a brief crease between her brows at him. Hell, he sure deserved that.

  He shook his head. “I’m so sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew and I—I didn’t mean to make you a babysitter.”

  She gave him one shake of the head, then said, “Delphine and I have been discussing the fact that she’s not quite ready to make her selection. We must all choose our own wands, but only when the choosing is good.” She smiled. “Right, Delphine?”

  “Yes, Ophelia.”

  Ophelia scooted forward and stood. “So, you let me know when you’d like to try again, all right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Delly stood and took Nate’s hand. “I’m ready to put cat face on the tree now.”

  “It’s a deal. Thank you again.” He tried to force genuine contrition into his smile. Then he and Delphine walked out the door toward home, having both run a wild goose chase.

  Chapter Three

  “YOU WANT some more mac and cheese?” Nate smiled at Delly as she yawned for the third time in the last few minutes and navigated a forkful to her mouth.

  She shook her head.

  “You sure?” Since he packed his mac and cheese with finely chopped broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes, he managed to get a boatload of antioxidants into her along with her favorite food.

  She nodded as she chewed.

  “Okay, do your job. Then go check out the tree one more time while I clean up the dishes and bring us our ice cream.”

  She nodded again as he began to clear the table. She grabbed the flatware and carried it after him, then stashed it in the dishwasher. After another yawn, she turned and stumbled toward the living room. The day had taken it out of her. She’d gotten up so early, walked and spent time in the sunshine, then suffered with decision-making. He chuckled, dished the chocolate chip into two dishes, and carried it to the living room, where the tree winked and sparkled with lights and ornaments. Not that Delly would notice. She was sound asleep in her chair.

  Tiptoeing, he carried the ice cream back to the kitchen and stashed the dishes in the freezer, then went back and picked up Delly. She was already in her Tinker Bell pajamas, so he didn’t even have to wake her to tuck her in. No tooth brushing but what the hell, she wouldn’t lose them in one night. Come to think of it, she was going to lose them anyway.

  After flipping back the covers, he laid her in the bed, then covered her and tucked her in tight. Interesting, she was usually so vigilant at night, but she didn’t even wake when he kissed her cheek.

  He walked out of her room, leaving the door ajar. As he passed the window in the hall, the lights in Marjorie’s kitchen next door went on. She’s home. He glanced back toward Delly’s room, and before he even thought, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

  “Hey, Nate. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. I guess I wore Delly out today. She pretty much fell asleep over dinner. So I thought I’d try a last-minute call to see if you might stay here for a couple hours while I go, uh, get a beer or something. No problem if I’m calling too late.”

  “Sure. No problem. Heck, you were barely gone any time at all last night. Go have some fun. I’ll be there in five.”

  Clicking off the phone, he hurried into his bedroom and changed into his favorite jeans and a deep-blue sweater that people said looked good with his sandy hair and green eyes. No particular reason why he was wearing them, since he was just going to the Rose and Crown on a regular old night when it was bound to be packed with happy heterosexual couples, which could make him feel pissed and envious at the same time. Envious of the happiness, not the heterosexuality, and pissed at the whack job he’d made of the one relationship he’d attempted in his life.

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nbsp; Sure he’d been young, but he’d known he was gay, in theory if not in practice. But Raina had chased him and he hadn’t run fast enough. Too much booze and one halfhearted roll in the hay had changed both their lives, with Raina getting the heaviest burden as she took care of Delphine while he worked and went to school. After two years, they’d stopped pretending it was a real marriage and divorced, but stayed friends and shared custody.

  Until eight months before when Raina had fallen for an asshole who liked to beat on her windows, show up in the middle of the night, and smack Raina around when he was drunk. It took Nate a few weeks to figure out his daughter was scared witless every time she had to go to her mom’s house. When he’d confronted Raina, she’d refused to get rid of the dude, and Nate had gone to court, but not before Delphine had developed a whole arsenal of fears, mostly of large scary men.

  “Nate?”

  He hurried out of the bedroom to keep Marjorie from calling too loudly.

  She waved a hand. “Hey, you look nice.”

  “Thanks. I doubt I’ll be very long. Just an unexpected Saturday outing.”

  “Enjoy.” She settled on the couch and flipped on his big-screen TV, which she loved.

  Pulling on his coat since the temperature had dropped, he set out on the short walk to the plaza—again. Why am I doing this? What am I expecting? The real truth was, he didn’t expect much, but somehow the night before had jangled loose some yearning for companionship. Plus, sitting alone in his living room watching television was never going to get him laid. Of course, he could have gotten all the sex he wanted from Lewis with just a nod of the head and he’d walked away.

  Face it. You’re only going out for one reason. The miniscule chance that you might see him.

  He sighed as he stopped at Lithia to let the busy stream of cars go by. It might be winter, which staunched the huge flow of Ashland’s summer tourists, but it was still Saturday. Whatever. It’ll be fun to get out for an hour.

  At the bottom of the stairs, he took a breath and trotted up. Come here often and he could quit the gym. When he got into the restaurant, he couldn’t stop himself from taking a quick look around. No big, yummy guy. Oh well. Probably for the best.