 |
 |
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] "Sometimes things happen that are too painful to talk about and it's nice to just hug someone," which she did, but she also broke down and cried, and that seemed to help& "What's the story with Katy?" Dimitri asked, in a sober voice. "She was born with a complex congenital heart defect they haven't been able to correct through surgery or medications, so the only option left is a heart transplant," Maddy replied. His gaze straight ahead, Dimitri said, in a morose voice, "I gave her the promise of a new heart then couldn't deliver." "That's just not so," Maddy replied. "You were entertaining kids with magic, but you had no way of knowing a sick child was among them." "You didn't see her face. In ten minutes I gave her more hope than any of the doctors who'd been treating her since she was born, and then I let her down." "But you also gave her something to look forward to," Maddy said. "I saw the smile that lit her face when you offered to teach her some magic and put on a show. You saw it too." A lengthy silence followed as the horses continued to make their way up the trail, but after a while, Dimitri looked askance at Maddy, and said, "I've been going over in my head some tricks Katy should be able to handle. What are her limitations?" "She's okay with activities that don't require much energy because she tires easily," Maddy replied. "She's a real little trooper though. In spite of everything, she smiles a lot." "Then I'll work up something she should be able to handle. Putting on a magic show for the ranch will make her feel special. She needs this." Maddy stared at Dimitri, surprised at his level of involvement with a child he'd only just met, a side of him she'd never seen, that touched her heart. "We'll use the Sleeping Beauty prop," Dimitri said. "Katy can be the princess and she won't have to do anything but pretend to be asleep. I'll give you some money to buy her a dress and shoes, and when she leaves she can take them with her." "The resale shop has a wedding section with a whole range of flower girl dresses," Maddy said. "I'll pick up something there." "Maybe a small tiara too, so she'll feel like a real princess." Dimitri smiled and his gaze became distant, and his expression tender, like he was holding Katy's face in his mind, and Katy was smiling back at him. The quiet moment was broken by a far off rumble in the sky, and with it, the air became suddenly cool. Hearing another rumble, Maddy looked skyward. The clouds were darkening and she felt dampness on her face. If they pressed the horses they could make it to the cabin in less than ten minutes and wait out the rain there. On the other hand, maybe they should do the logical thing and head back to the ranch, away from the direction of the darkening clouds. Her quandary ended with a bright flash and another rumble in the sky, this time considerably closer, which brought the first real drops of rain. "Come on," she said. "Let's head for the cabin and hope we make it before the sky opens up." She kicked Blackjack into a gallop, and as they raced for the cabin, Maddy tried to tell herself that taking shelter there was the most logical thing to do, but she knew it was her justification to be alone with Dimitri. She couldn't set aside the way he looked at her just before the Sleeping Beauty kiss, like he might want her for more than just his assistant. He kidded with her a lot, but there were moments when she'd find him looking at her the way her brothers looked at their wives, with a combination of amusement, affection, and love. When they reached the clearing where the cabin stood, rain was falling steadily, and by the time they'd removed the saddles and taken them into the cabin, then turned the horses into the corral, both Maddy and Dimitri were soaked from the rain. Once inside the cabin, Maddy dragged a tub of kindling in front of the fireplace and said to Dimitri, "If you can get a fire started, I'll find some towels and get the coffee pot ready. There are matches on the mantle and newspapers in a box in the corner." Maddy went into the bedroom in search of towels and located a stack packed away in a small trunk at the foot of the bed. After using one to blot her shirt and hair, she took several more and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |