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~ Tales of Romance ~
Whispered Promises
Chapter 18
Over plates of spaghetti, a huge basket of breadsticks and bowls of Caesar salad, sleeping arrangements were discussed and argued over; Andie flat out refusing to take the room Matt had spent the previous night in.
"I'll fit on the couch much more easily than you will," she stated determinedly, looking at his broad shoulders, remembering how long his legs were and knowing there was absolutely no way he would get a decent nights sleep on the couch. "There's no reason for you to give up your room for me," she concluded, shaking her head resolutely.
"I'll sleep on the couch!" Emily piped up willingly, with a spaghetti-faced smile, the breadstick in her hand waving in the air as she made her declaration.
"No you won't; you're sleeping with me!" Andie countered, giving her daughter's mouth a quick swipe with her napkin, cleaning at least some of the red sauce off her pale skin.
"I sleep with you lots!"
"I thought you liked sleeping with me?"
"I do. Bunches. It's just I'd like to sleep with someone else; just tonight." Emily sent her mother a searching look; she hoped she hadn't hurt her mother's feelings. "Is that okay if I sleep with someone else, just for tonight?" she asked softly.
Andie saw the worry in her daughter's blue eyes and playfully flicked her nose, dissolving her daughter's worries away with a bright smile. "Of course it is, baby. If, of course, you can find someone who doesn't mind being kicked and drooled on and having all their blankets stolen away in the night," she teased.
"I don't drool!" she declared with a lilting laugh, then scrunched her nose impishly, "At least not, lots," she clarified, looking at all the adults who surrounded her, her eyes bright with joy.
"I've never slept with anyone who drooled before," Matt stated in feigned seriousness, scratching his head as if trying to remember, sending Dani a quizzical look.
"Jordan drools all the time, so it's no big deal, as far as I'm concerned," Aleksei stated off-handed, grunting dramatically as his wife punched him lightly in the shoulder and disagreed mightily.
"Miss Jordan drools?" Emily asked in astonishment, her eyes wide with disbelief. She simply couldn't believe that it was possible.
"Like a raging river!" Aleksei announced theatrically, his dramatics making everyone laugh. "It's a wonder I don't wake up all wrinkly every morning!" He stated with a slight shudder.
"Keep it up, Rocmanov and I'll give you wrinkly!" Jordan threatened prettily, her green eyes flashing with humor and the promise of retaliation. Judging from the mischievous look in her eyes, Aleksei looked forward to whatever form of torture she had in mind for him.
"Well I don't drool that much!" Emily stated, her announcement causing another round of laughter among the adults.
"Then you can sleep with me, Princess," Aleksei said, sending Emily a saucy wink.
"And where, exactly, does that mean I get to sleep?" Jordan asked sullenly, her eyes shining with humor belying the perfect pout her full lips portrayed.
Aleksei looked at his wife and it took every ounce of control he had to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her silly. He simply adored everything about her, especially this side of her, the side that allowed her to tease and be teased with the best of them. Sneaking a secretive squeeze to her knee, beneath the table, he sent her a wicked wink and asked all at the table, "So, who hasn't had a bath in a while?"
It would later be debated exactly who had thrown the first breadstick, but the laughter that ensued, and the mess that followed, was well worth the time it took to put everything back in order.
* * * * *
Aleksei's deep voice perfectly portrayed the emotions the prince, who had been turned into a beast by a sorceress, felt as he longed for the chance to love, and be loved. He explained, how in the prince's belief that he was better than anyone and didn't need to be kind to people, the sorceress had turned him to a beast, thus allowing him to feel the same pain he had caused so many others. As the two lay on the wide bed, Emily tucked tightly against his side; she listened in wide-eyed amazement, practically vibrating in excitement.
"The beastie sounds sad to me; not mean," Emily offered softly, sending Aleksei a look filled with compassion.
"I think so too," Aleksei agreed, snuggling a littler closer to Emily's tiny body, and continuing with the story.
For several minutes, Emily listened in rapt attention, as Aleksei told her how the beast and the beauty slowly became friends, that they found things in each other neither could have guessed were there, and neither expected to find; like patience, and understanding, and kindness. He told her how they came to discover how very special they each were in their own way, despite all the things they'd believed at first.
Emily listened to Aleksei's deep voice, her eyes closed, a gentle smile on her little lips.
"Are you tired, Princess?"
"No, I'm 'magining in my head how everything looks," Emily answered quietly.
A little smile curved Aleksei's lips. "Ahhhh, I see. And how does everything look in your head?"
Emily's eyes twitched behind her closed lids. "Well&ldots; the beastie is very big and hairy and he has sharp teeth; he sounds a lot like you!" she added seriously, laughing brightly at Aleksei's snort of disagreement.
"I sound like a beastie?" he growled dramatically.
"Only sometimes."
Aleksei's eyes blinked in surprise. "Em, do I scare you?" he asked softly, his heart in his throat as he thought about the possibility he had frightened this magical child in any way.
Emily's blue eyes opened to meet his, holding far more knowledge than they should, and she shook her head. "Grampa 'Leksei, you never scare me. You just like to be loud sometimes, like Mr. Whittaker," she said calmly.
Aleksei had to agree with her last statement. Whittaker only spoke at two levels - loud and explosive! "Does Mr. Whittaker scare you?"
Again she sent him a too grown up look. "Mr. Whittaker only yells 'cause he gets scared sometimes and when he's yelling, nobody knows he's scared."
"I don't know, Em. I don't think Mr. Whittaker's ever been afraid of anything," Aleksei countered with a little shrug.
"Oh yes he is; he's scared of lots of things," Emily stated determinedly, nodding her head up and down.
"Like what?" Aleksei gently urged, brushing golden curls away from her face, and resting his hand lightly on her blanket covered stomach.
Emily began to trace the shape of his hand with her finger. "Well&ldots; he's scared whenever he watches Sergei and Chloe skate, 'cause he knows what could happen when they do some of the 'crazy stunts' they do, and he worried about you and Miss Jordan because he's scared you could get hurt again, like you did a long time ago. He really worries about Miss Dee," she said, rolling her eyes for emphasis.
"Why is that?" Aleksei asked, a smile in his voice.
"Mr. Whittaker says he doesn't know how he would be able to live without the old witch if something happened to her. I don't exactly understand what he means, 'cause I thought witches are mean, but that's what he said," she explained with a confused shrug of her shoulders.
Aleksei's deep laugh rumbled in his chest. "You have to realize, sometimes grown ups say one thing, but they mean another."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just say what you mean?" Emily asked innocently.
Aleksei gave her a considering look. "Well, Princess, it would be the smarter thing to do, but I don't know how much easier it would be."
Emily's look was a bit baffled.
Aleksei sighed, pondering the best way to try to explain his point to her. "Sometimes grown ups do, and say things, they don't mean because they're unsure of how the other person might take what they're trying to say. So, instead, they do the opposite of what they want to say and hope the other person understands what they're doing. Get it?"
"Sounds to me like we're back to people being scared to say what they really mean," Emily suggested wisely.
Aleksei shook his head in amazement. "Pretty much," he agreed.
"I still think it would easier to say what you really mean," Emily argued, sending him a searching look.
"But then, we're back to people being afraid to say what they really mean, afraid they'll get their feelings hurt."
"Matt's not afraid to tell Miss Dani how he feels about her," she stated softly and then sent him a look filled with mischief. "and he makes gooey eyes at her too!"
"Gooey eyes, huh?"
Emily nodded enthusiastically, a brilliant smile lighting up her face. "Yup, and he likes to hold her hand too!"
"Among other things," he murmured quietly, pushing the image of his hands on his daughter's bottom out of his mind.
"What?"
"Nothing, I was just mumbling to myself. It's part of getting older. You find yourself talking to yourself," he offered with a smile.
"That's okay. I do it too," Emily offered in commiseration.
Aleksei simply smiled.
"I think Miss Dani likes him too," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Oh? What makes you think that?"
"Well&ldots; she laughs, and smiles and she's not so sad when he's around. I don't like to see her sad."
"Neither do I," Aleksei murmured quietly.
"But, when Matt's with her, she's not sad anymore."
Aleksei knew Emily's words were true. Dani was a different person when Matt was around; more lively, ready to smile and laugh, ready to fight; vastly different from the beautiful ghost who had been haunting their house only a few weeks before. His biggest worry now was what would happen when Matt was no longer in the picture? How many more disappointments could Dani handle before she gave up allowing people close enough to feel anything?
"Miss Dani and Matt are going to get married and live happily ever after, you know!" Emily stated knowingly, her tone allowing no doubt.
Aleksei blinked in surprise. "What makes you so certain of that?"
"I just know," she answered in a soft sing-song tone.
"Do you have a crystal ball under those covers?" Aleksei teased her, peeking underneath them.
Emily laughed. "What's a crystal ball?"
Aleksei thought about explaining, but decided it would be too involved and he was beginning to remember just how exhausting a five-year old could be. If only he could bottle their energy. "I'll tell you about crystal balls another time," he stated, tucking the blankets back in around her tiny body. "Now, what makes you believe Dani and Matt will get married and live happily ever after?"
"'Cause Miss Dani and Matt both love the ice, and they love each other, and he makes her smile," she stated succinctly.
Aleksei pondered her words. "And those three things will mean they'll live happily ever after?"
"Yup!"
"What makes you so certain?" he asked softly, his gaze absorbing ever little feature on her angelic face.
"'Cause when I asked Miss Jordan what made her decide to marry you, she said it was because you loved the ice, you loved her, and you made her smile. Was she right?"
Aleksei's heart melted at Emily's words, and it was several seconds before he could answer her. "Yes, Miss Jordan was right. But the order was wrong; I loved her much more than I loved the ice," he answered deeply, his eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.
"Grampa 'Leksei, why did you marry Miss Jordan?"
He thought about the question, for only a moment, and in a voice filled with emotion, quietly stated, "For the same exact reasons."
Emily smiled brightly. "I told you they were good reasons; they're happily ever after reasons!"
Aleksei's smile beamed. "You're right, Princess. You're absolutely right! You can't find many better reasons than those!"
Emily smiled in agreement, trying - unsuccessfully - to stifle a huge yawn.
"It's time you went to sleep, Princess. I'll be back soon and then we'll see just exactly how much you drool," Aleksei murmured quietly, kissing her on both cheeks before leaving and quietly shut the door behind him.
A quick survey of the cottage, had him viewing Matt quietly playing Solitaire, and Dani, Andie and Jordan busy making up the trundle bed in the room the two older women would be sharing. A flipped coin had decided who would sleep where.
Aleksei came to stand over Matt's shoulder, silently watching him shift the cards around on the table. "Emily tells me you love my daughter," Aleksei stated conversationally, surprised to see that Matt neither dropped the cards nor jumped in shock at his unexpected words.
"Emily's a very perceptive person, sir," Matt answered calmly, continuing his play without pause.
"Is she right?"
Matt stood up and turned to face Aleksei, their eyes meeting levelly. "Yes, sir," he answered in heartfelt truth.
"Exactly what are your intentions toward my daughter, Tanner?"
Matt looked into Aleksei's obsidian eyes, saw the emotions that swirled headily, and wondered how he would react when he was facing the man who would one day be asking him the same question about his own daughter. "To love her with all of my heart, see her back on the ice, doing what she loves, and see her smile again."
Aleksei's left eyebrow lifted in amazement, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. He felt like yelling in joy but knew everyone would think he was totally crazy if he did. Instead, he glanced down at the rows of cards on the table in front of Matt, and offered in a calm tone that belied the raging emotion within him, "That nine of hearts belongs on the ten of clubs."
Without another word, he left Matt, thoroughly puzzled, and went to offer help to the ladies still struggling with the trundle bed.
Yet again, Matt was certain he had slipped through the looking glass and it was only a matter of time before the White Rabbit came bouncing through cottage!
* * * * *
Hours later, the cottage lay cloaked in darkness, silent but for the occasional pop and crackle as a piece of wood was devoured by the fire in the large stone fireplace, its cheerful flames cast a warm glow into the room.
Matt squirmed around on the small couch, silently cursing his long legs and punching his pillow, not that it would make a difference, but simply because it gave him something to do other than think about Dani laying warm and snug in her single bed.
A bedroom door opened with a soft creak, and Matt sat up, searching the shadows, hoping it was Dani coming to keep him company. Instead, Emily emerged from the shadows; her favorite blanket wrapped around her neck, her blonde curls tussled.
"Miss Emily?" Matt's voice was a soft whisper filled with concern in the darkness.
"Grampa 'Leksei sounds like a beastie; I can't sleep!" she mumbled tiredly, rubbing her blue eyes, her lower lip pouting prettily.
Matt tossed the blanket from his legs, hissed a sigh of surprise as his bare feet touched the bare wood floor and quickly made his way to Emily.
"Are those your underwears?" Emily whispered in amazement, pointing at the black and red plaid boxers he wore.
"Yes, Miss Emily, these are my underwears," he agreed cheerfully, scooping her into his arms and speedily returning to the couch, covering them both with the blanket.
"Why do you sleep in your underwears?"
"Because I don't have any jammies."
Emily's eyes widened. "At all?"
"Well, not with me," he stated with a small shrug. He figured it would be easier to say he'd simply forgotten them than try to explain that he didn't ever wear pajamas. He could just imagine the line of questioning that might follow if she found that out.
"Oh," Emily nodded in understanding. "At least you gots some jammies, I know there are some people who sleep bare-butt naked!" she stated in a tone laced with astonishment, as if sharing a scandalous secret.
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Hunter asked with a smile, bedeviled by this little sprite filled with impish delight that sat next to him.
"I saw it on TV," she whispered conspiratorially, her blue eyes wide.
Matt's eyebrows lifted. 'Oh?"
"Mommy and I were watching a movie once and a man fell into some really cold water when he was walking by a river in the mountains and he got very, very cold. And when he finally got back home, his wife made him take off all his clothes and crawl into bed to get warm again," she stated.
"Do you think that he maybe needed to take his clothes off because they were all wet and his wife didn't want him climbing into their bed and getting it all wet too?" Matt asked casually, smoothing a hand over her riotous pale curls.
"Maybe, but then his wife crawled into bed with him and snuggled up really close to him, and hugged him really tight," Emily countered, scooting a little closer to Matt. "He was shivering and his teeth were clicking together like this," Emily stated and proceeded to show Matt, her little teeth clicking like castanets.
Matt's low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Sounds like the man was really cold," he agreed, smiling down at Emily.
"Yup, but after awhile his teeth quit clicking and he wasn't so cold as before and he told his wife maybe she should take off her clothes off too and then he would get warm real fast."
"Ahhhh." He wasn't sure exactly how to respond and wondered if he dared ask the question that was bouncing around in his mind. But then he figured, what the hell, and went ahead and asked it. "And what did the man's wife say to his question?"
Emily laughed brightly. "She said she had done her job and warmed him up but she refused to sleep with a popsicle and risk the possibility of creating another generation of idiots. What ever that means," she ended with a little shrug.
Matt's chuckled rumbled again. "It means, the lady was very smart!"
Emily's look was filled with skepticism. "If you say so."
"I say so. Now, it's very late. Suppose we see if we can't get some sleep?" Matt asked.
"How late is it?" Emily asked, covering another yawn with her hand.
"So late even the owls have gone back to bed," Matt answered quietly, wiggling around on the small couch and making room for Emily. "Here you go, Darlin', room for a Princess," Matt stated, holding up the blanket and waiting for her.
Emily looked at the small space on the couch. "I gotta sleep in that little bitty spot?"
"You're a little bitty Princess; you'll fit," Matt encouraged her, shivering dramatically in the hopes it would get her moving. "Now, are you coming, or not Princess? You're letting all the ping-pong balls out!" he teased.
Emily frowned in confusion. "I don't see any ping-pong balls."
Matt huffed a sigh. There was definitely a trick to dealing with five-year olds. "It's just a saying. My mama used to say that to me when I forgot to close the door in the wintertime or stood in front of the refrigerator with the door open trying to decide what to eat. It means you're letting all the good air out, in other words, I'm freezing. So either crawl in here and warm me up or let me freeze to death, but don't just stand there!"
Emily tilted her head and sent Matt a considering look. "Are you really freezin'?"
"Trust me, Darlin'. I wouldn't lie to you!"
Tentatively, Emily crawled onto the couch and settled beside Matt's chest, in the curve of his body as he lay on his side, her blanket tucked up securely beneath her chin. Her small head rested on his arm. The heat of her little body, as she snuggled against him, had him warming up nicely and he tucked the blanket that covered them both snugly around her.
"How's that?" he asked her a moment later, brushing away the pale curls that teased his nose.
"All warm and snuggly," she offered, sighing in contentment, wiggling a little closer to his chest.
"Good," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her head.
For several moments, the two laid silent, watching the dancing shadows created by the low-burning fire, content in the silence and warmth.
"I'm glad you love Miss Dani," Emily stated in the quiet of the room.
Matt smiled. "I'm glad you're glad."
"I love you too," she whispered shyly.
Matt's heart expanded with emotion. "I'm really glad to hear that. After all, it's no fun loving someone and not having them love you back," he answered softly.
"You love me?" Emily asked in surprise.
"Darlin', it's impossible not to love you!" he stated quietly, giving her a gentle squeeze.
A gentle silence descended upon the room.
"Promise you won't ever forget me?" Emily asked timidly, one small hand sliding along his arm where her head rested, and into his palm.
His fingers curled around her small hand. "Princess, as long as I live, I will never forget the angel that slept in my arms this night, and every time I look at a fire, or a star or a snowflake, I will remember you," he answered huskily. His heart squeezed painfully as he fully came to understand all Dani went through when she had to admit to herself that this amazing creature was merely a special gift, meant to only be here for a short while longer.
For long moments, Matt contented himself with simply absorbing the warmth Emily's small body shared with him and her quiet breaths that whispered in the night.
When sleep finally claimed him, his dreams were filled with peace, and love and laughter. And Dani.
* * * * *
An hour later, Dani found the two of them asleep on the couch, Emily wrapped in Matt's arms, her beloved blanket tucked beneath Matt's chin.
Dani's heart melted at the sight of the two of them together, and if she hadn't admitted her love for him before, this would have done it!
Carefully, she pulled the blanket that had slipped down, up to Matt's shoulder, making sure Emily was covered, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Leaning away, she was surprised to find Matt watching her, his eyes filled with emotion.
"You couldn't wait for me? You just had to find yourself another girl, didn't you?" Dani teased quietly.
Matt's shoulder lifted in small shrug, and he murmured lowly, "What can I say? She loves me."
"I love you too," Dani countered, her eyes confirming her statement.
"I know," he answered, his smile filled with warmth. "Two girls who love me. I'm blessed!"
"No, we're blessed to have you love us," Dani countered.
"We're all blessed," he corrected her softly.
Dani smiled, and nodded toward Emily. "I thought she was sleeping with Grampa 'Leksei?"
"Apparently he was sounding like a 'beastie'; she couldn't sleep."
"I can take her; she can sleep with me," Dani offered, her glance taking in his less than comfortable position.
Matt shook his head back and forth. "Go find your own bed partner, Darlin'. This one's mine!" he teased, snuggling closer to Emily.
"Already leaving me for a younger woman," Dani sighed dismally, her eyes dancing with humor.
"Not at all, Darlin', simply sleeping with the one who is the least likely to have your father coming after me with a large club!"
"You know, you won't always have Emily to hide behind? One of these days you're going to have to let me have my way with you?" Dani stated in a low, sultry tone, her eyes filled with wicked delight.
"I would have thought our earlier encounter might have helped alleviate your little itch," he countered huskily.
"Oh, Darlin'," she drawled seductively, "This evening was merely an appetizer. It's just not right to give a girl a mere nibble of something that delicious and then leave her imagining what the entire meal would be like!"
Matt lifted one eyebrow in astonishment. "Why, Miss Dani, do your parents have any idea about this less than angelic side of you?"
"Mr. Tanner, if my parents had any idea about the thoughts presently swirling in my mind, regarding you, they would be scandalized," she stated huskily.
Matt's deep laugh rumbled in his chest. "I doubt that Darlin', but I sure wouldn't mind seeing just how scandalous your behavior could be."
"Alas, you're already tied up with one lady for the evening," Dani stated, with a sultry pout, her gaze softening as she looked down at Emily. "I suppose I'll simply have to bide my time and wait until you decide 'older women' have something to offer you as well!" she concluded in feigned dismay.
"You're so brave," Matt offered reverently, his eyes flashing with humor as the two teased each other.
"I do try," Dani sighed, her accent dripping of the south and filled with drama, one hand resting on her heart.
"You succeed," he offered on a low murmur.
"In what?"
"In making me fall deeper in love with you each time I see you."
"Then we're even," Dani murmured and at his puzzled expression, quietly said, "I didn't think I could feel anymore for you than I did. When I came out here and saw the two of you together, my heart exploded! You're a wonder, Matthew Tanner, and I love you!" she stated quietly, intensely, and carefully leaning over Emily, met his lips in a soft kiss. "Sleep well," she wished him gently and with a final loving smile, Dani headed back to her room, the door closing quietly behind her.
Matt watched the low flames dance in the hearth and smiled to himself, snuggling closer to Emily.
"Gooey eyes," Emily whispered in a sing-song voice, a bright little laugh escaping into the room.
"Yeah, gooey eyes!" Matt agreed, giving her a smacking kiss that had another bright laugh tinkling in the night, before the two settled back down and let sleep reclaim them.
* * * * *
Jordan smiled as she listened to Emily's light laugh and slipped silently into her bed. Snuggling up to her husband's warm, muscular body, she sighed in contentment and slipped an arm over his waist, her hand coming to rest against the steady pulse of his heart.
Aleksei's hand covered hers, and he wiggled against her warmth, and softness.
"You lost your bed partner," Jordan offered quietly against his back, her breath a warm caress that seeped through his soft t-shirt and teased his skin.
"I must be losing my touch," he sighed dramatically.
"Not at all, my love. Andie told me she would be very surprised to see Emily wake up in the same place she went to sleep. Apparently, she can be a wanderer at times; especially when she's in a strange place," Jordan explained, rubbing her cheek against her husband's soft t-shirt.
"God knows this is a strange place," Aleksei mumbled deeply, thinking of everything that had occurred in the last couple of days. Strange was about the kindest word he would use to describe the last forty-eight hours as being.
"Shhhh," Jordan whispered, smiling in agreement and snuggling closer to her husband's warm body. "It's time to go back to sleep. Heaven only knows what tomorrow will bring."
"You're right about that," Aleksei agreed tiredly, already drifting toward sleeps welcoming arms. "Thank you for coming to sleep with me," he murmured huskily, all but asleep.
Jordan's soft smile curved her lips. "Anytime, Rocmanov. Anytime at all."*
Copyright © 2001-2002 C.E. Moynihan
*All Rights Reserved