Chapter Eighteen – Michael

“I thought you were coming over so we could be alone?” Michael asked, his body pressed against Ruth’s, the taste of her on his lips. They were standing outside his cabin. He had the urge to take Ruth to bed, but she had different ideas.

She laughed. “You are going to have to wait. We have a lot to do, and not much time to do it.”

“Tell me what you need.” Michael let her go, watching her bottom wriggle as she reached into the back seat of her car, emerging with an armful of—“Fairy lights?”

“The kids are coming over,” Ruth explained as she heaped the lights into his arms. “I borrowed these from the school.”

“Wait, back up.” Michael gave her a quizzical look—and she gave him a kiss.

“I wanted Jenny to have friends of her own. So I got to talking to Dani, and she encouraged her adopted daughter, Juliet, to make friends with Jenny.” Ruth stopped. “Oh, before that, I asked Frankie if she would reprise her role as a fairy.”

“Not following. You know schoolteachers are supposed to be good at explaining stuff,” Michael told her. However, the sheer happiness on Ruth’s face told him he’d pretty much go with whatever she said, and however she said it.

“Sorry.” Ruth rolled her eyes upward and shook her head. “So much to think about.”

“Calm down, have some coffee while I unravel these lights, and explain it to me.” Michael didn’t wait for an answer, he walked toward the house, with Ruth following.

“I had this idea, after Jenny and Jason ran away. They want to see fairies, so we’ll give them fairies. At least one of them. Frankie is trying to recruit another.” Ruth sipped her coffee. “Oh, I needed that.”

“Right. And the fairies are coming here, because this is where Dean told Jenny and Jason the fairies live.” He unwound the lights, and then plugged them in to check that they worked. “Excellent.” The small colored lights lit up and started to twinkle.

“And I thought, why not make it into something special for Jenny and Jason? They have friends coming over to see the deer. But in a secret woodland glade they will see fairies instead.” She held up her hands. “I should have called ahead, but it all happened so fast.”

Michael crossed the kitchen and put his hands on her shoulders to massage her tired muscles. “It’s a wonderful idea. I know just the place.”

“You do?” Ruth asked, grabbing a fresh cookie he’d baked that afternoon and following him out of the cabin.

“Yes.” He went to the shed next to his workshop and opened the doors. “Get on.”

“I didn’t know you had an ATV.” Ruth climbed on behind Michael. The ATV had a trailer hooked up to it, which now contained the fairy lights.

“The forest is big, and I often need to access far away areas with my tools, and my bear does not take kindly to being a pack horse. So, this does the trick.” He switched on the engine and squeezed the throttle, sending the ATV lurching forward. “Hold on tight.”

They raced across the clearing in front of his cabin and turned down a green lane that ran in a straight line between the trees. Ruth held on to Michael, giving an occasional whoop as they drove along with the trailer bouncing behind them. When they got to a clearing, and Michael stopped and switched off the engine, she asked, “Were you showing off, Michael?”

“No.” He grinned. “Not much.”

Ruth climbed off the ATV and stood looking around the clearing. “This looks perfect.”

“The tree stand is over there.” Michael pointed through the trees. “If we hang the fairy lights here, the kids will see them through the trees.”

“Wait, how do we plug them in?” Ruth asked.

“You are lucky. Your mate is a man with lots of talents.” He moved a canvas cover and unveiled a generator in the ATV’s trailer. “And just the right equipment.”

Ruth flung her arms around him and kissed him. “And you thought you were a lucky bear. I think I’m luckier by far.”

Michael caught her in his arms and pulled her close. “I love you, Ruth.”

She gave him a crooked smile. “I love you, too.” A quick peck on the lips and she pulled away. “Let’s get this done. Frankie will be here in an hour.”

Between them, they hung the lights from the branches, and Michael hid the generator behind a thick bush. “It runs almost silent. I don’t think they’ll hear it from the tree stand.” He took Ruth’s hand. “But we should go and check it out, just in case.”

They raced through the trees and climbed the steps up to the tree stand, where they looked down at the fairy lights in the distance. Close enough to be easily seen, but not close enough for the sound of the generator to reach them, it was perfect.

“I’ll show Frankie how to switch it on,” Michael said as they walked back to the clearing and got on the ATV.

“Thank you so much.” Ruth hugged him tightly as he drove back to the cabin.

“It’s for our kids,” Michael said happily.

“I never asked, did you make the appointment?” Ruth got off the ATV and faced him.

“I did. Tomorrow, after school. Fiona said to call her when we’re on our way, and she’ll meet us at her office.” Michael’s stomach fluttered. He was nervous. He never got nervous.

“It’ll be fine.” Ruth stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “It’s all going to work out. I know it is.”

“Of course it is. I’m a lucky bear.” He looked down into her sweet face. “Do we have time for a proper kiss now?”

“We just might.” She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and he pressed his lips to hers. She tasted of coffee and cinnamon. Michael deepened the kiss, his tongue meeting hers, just as their souls met and entwined each time they were together. The bond between them was deep, and strong, and unbreakable. He placed his hand on the small of her back and drew her closer, wanting them to share the same air, the same place in time and space.

When he released her, she stood breathless, her cheeks tinged pink. “Will you stay tomorrow night?”

“I…Frankie…” He saw all the excuse running through her head, but then she answered, “Yes.”

“I want to spend a night with you in my arms, and wake up with you as the sun lights the sky.”

“I want that, too.” She kissed him fiercely. “I want you.”

“There’s a car coming.” He groaned and they parted, but he didn’t want to let her go. Michael draped his arm around her shoulders possessively. “Frankie the fairy. Where did she get the car?”

“Frankie went out to collect what she needed this afternoon and then called to say she had a ride.” They walked over to meet the car as it pulled to a stop next to Ruth’s vehicle.

“Hi, Ruth. Hi there, Michael.” Frankie got out of the passenger side of the car, dressed in a sparkly fairy costume, complete with wand and face paint. She banged on the roof of the car. “Come on, Ruby, don’t be shy.” A pretty young woman, who Michael vaguely recognized, got out of the car. “This is my new best friend, Ruby, who is a dragon shifter.”

“Any relation to Fiona?” Michael asked as the two women joined them.

“Fiona is my mom,” Ruby answered and then twirled around in her pretty fairy dress. “Which is why I was volunteered to do this.”

“Oh, I forgot, we need our wings,” Frankie said, going back to the car.

“Of course we do.” Ruby sighed. “I have wings of my own, and I can breathe fire.”

“Here.” Frankie helped Ruby put her wings on.

“I’ll help you, Frankie,” Ruth offered.

When the two girls stood side by side, with their fairy wings fluttering in the breeze, and their sparkly make-up catching the light, there was something truly magical about them.

“We should get you into position,” Michael suggested.

“Yes.” Ruth jumped into action. “They’ll be here soon. Dani was feeding them all, and then they were coming over.” She went to her car. “Which reminds me, I have this to give her.” Ruth held up the drawing she’d done. “Do you think Dani will like it? She wants to give it to Jamie as a birthday gift.”

Ruby collapsed in laughter. “I can see it’s them. But they look so funny. I love caricatures, as long as they aren’t of me. Will you draw one of Harlan and Fiona for me?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to lose my mate if she offends a dragon,” Michael said in mock horror.

“She’s not that bad. And you two can do no wrong since you are adopting Jason and Jenny. Mom has been trying to figure out what to do with those two children since she heard about them. She’s in a really good mood.” Ruby paused. “Maybe I should ask her to buy me a new car.”

Michael herded the two fairies down to the clearing. They stood in the trailer, while he crawled slowly along the green lane. Although it was still very bouncy and a couple times the fairies looked as if they had taken flight as their wings flapped in the breeze.

He showed them how to work the generator, and then made his way back to the house. They had arranged a signal, Ruth would text Frankie, who had her phone tucked inside her dress, set to vibrate. Everything was perfect, all they needed was the guests.

“Dani texted me and said they are just leaving,” Ruth informed Michael. “They were seated on the porch, watching the sun dip over the mountain peaks in the distance.

“I’ve got flashlights so we don’t get lost in the woods.” Michael got up and he and Ruth wandered over to where the cars were parked to wait for Dani to arrive. “Jason is coming, too?”

“Yes, of course. Dani invited another boy, Henry, along.”

“By your tone, I’m not sure you approve of Henry.” Michael sensed a story that needed telling.

“Oh, he’s a good kid. But on my first day, he put a frog in my desk drawer. I don’t mind frogs, in fact I like them, but not when they jump out at me.” Ruth smiled to herself.

“Did you scream?” Michael asked.

“I did. In front of the whole class.” Ruth nudged him in the ribs. “Never speak of it again.”

He chuckled and said, “I won’t. You have my word.”

“I don’t believe you,” Ruth told him.

“That’s no way to speak to your mate.” Michael was still chuckling to himself when Dani’s headlights appeared through the trees. “Here we go.”

The quiet of the forest was disturbed as the car doors opened and five children spilled out. “Shhh,” Dani told them. “Or the deer will run away.”

“Sorry,” Juliet said to her mom.

“So, this is fun, we have four J’s. Juliet, Jasper, Jason and Jenny. And of course, Henry.” Dani put her hands on the shoulders of a tall boy. “Ruth told you about the frog?” she asked Michael.

“She did.” Michael gave Henry a stern look, and the boy looked suitably nervous. But Michael couldn’t keep his face straight and grinned, giving Henry a wink.

“Where’s your loyalty?” Ruth asked him, slapping his arm jokingly. “Okay, children. Michael is going to spread the secret deer treats and we are going to watch for them to come and eat.”

“Here’s a flashlight for on the way back. Keep them switched off while we approach the tree stand, or we’ll frighten the deer.” Michael handed out the flashlights to each of the children. “If you get lost, just switch it on and we will find you.”

They all walked together through the woods, the night settling around them. Whether it was the somber mood of the forest at night, or anticipation of the deer, Michael couldn’t tell, but the children were quiet and well-behaved. Of course, it could have something to do with being flanked by two teachers.

Michael left the children to climb into the tree stand, while he went and spread out his deer treats. Then he doubled back and climbed the steps up into the tree stand. He tapped Ruth on the shoulder, who fumbled in her pocket sending the text without anyone else seeing.

They all stood in silence, watching the place by the stream where Michael had spread the treats. An air of anticipation surrounded them, even Jasper, who was the youngest, kept a hushed silence.

“What’s that?” Juliet whispered in awe and pointed into the distance.

“What?” Jason asked, standing on tiptoes.

“I can see lights in the trees.” Juliet looked up at Dani, who didn’t give a hint she knew anything.

“It’s the fairies,” Jenny whispered to Jason, before looking up at Michael. “They do live in the forest.”

“I’ve never seen them before,” Michael admitted.

“Maybe you’ve never believed before,” Jason told him quietly.

Michael placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You might be right.”

“There, I can see a fairy dancing. And another.” Jenny pointed into the gathering darkness as the lights in the trees twinkled, and Ruby and Frankie danced and cavorted around the clearing.

Five children stood enthralled, their eyes wide with excitement. Michael reached for Ruth’s hand. And as their fingers entwined, he would be the first to admit he truly did believe in magic.