Did she? That had sort of slipped out. She looked him over. The hat covered his hair, so she had no idea what was under there. His eyebrows were dark, expressive as they moved constantly during his show and even now as they talked. His nose was straight and just the right size for his face. His lips were nice, the bottom one just a bit plumper than the top one, and his jaw was covered in three-day stubble that was super sexy.
“Like you don’t know you’re cute.” She took a step back to create some space between them. Part of her wanted to run away from Breck’s easygoing posture and confidence. He was everything she didn’t feel at the moment.
“Well, my mom used to tell me that I was adorable, but don’t all mothers say that?”
If he was affected by the space she’d put between them, he didn’t show it. She released the breath that had tightened her chest. Holding a conversation with a man was a baby step on her long road to healing her heart. Breck was friendly and an entertainer. That was all he was doing—providing her with a much-needed distraction from her very bad, no-good day. “It’s part of the job description,” she teased back.
He nodded while reaching under the tabletop and coming up with a piece of paper. “You’re probably right. And I’d believed her all these years …”
His mock sorrow tugged at her silly side. “Maybe you should get a second opinion.”
He brightened like a kid who’d asked for a friend and found one on the playground. “I thought I just did.” He winked and waved the paper. “I need your name and number for the release form. I’d like to use this segment on my channel.”
Despite the cold nipping at her nose, her cheeks grew warm. “Of course. Sure.” She took the proffered pen and filled out the appropriate lines. “When will this post? My family will get a kick out of it.”
“In a couple days. I’ll need time to edit.” He whisked away the form and folded it in four.
Careful, her heart whispered.Sam was razzle-dazzle in the beginning too.
The magic show, the connection she’d felt with Breck in those few seconds, couldn’t be real … He could be a scam artist, and she’d just handed over her personal information. Not that she had anything worth taking. Still, she had her identity. Panic coursed through her blood. She’d trusted herhusbandand been sideswiped; what was to prevent a stranger from doing the same? “Wait! I should have read that.”
With a flourish of his hands, the paper disappeared. “Too late—you just promised me your firstborn son.”
Her hands began to shake. “If that’s the case, then you’ll need to spin straw into gold, Rumpelstiltskin.” She practically spat the words out, angry that she played his game.
“Drat!” He snapped his fingers and the paper appeared again. “That’s one magic trick I haven’t figured out yet.” He handed her the sheet with a smile. “Take your time. I’m going to get my cameras before they disappear and I can’t bring them back.”
Her eyes followed him as he went to the street sign where a small camera was zip-tied to the metal. She hadn’t seen it there.
Breck was full of surprises. For one, she hadn’t expected him to give her the release form back. If hadn’t, she would have called the police and hoped he didn’t make a run for it.
For two, he didn’t get defensive at her tone. Sam always said she’d been mean to him, claiming she’d spoken harshly from day one. She didn’t realize she sounded caustic, but she’d heard it when she’d spoken just now. Maybe Sam was right. Or maybe she was stressed out and unsure of herself. Ugh! She hated that feeling. Of all the things Sam had taken from her, her confidence was the one she missed most.
Harmony glanced over the document, finding it … typical … and rather basic as far as release forms went. If Breck was out to steal her identity, he wasn’t very good at it. What he had stolen for the last fifteen minutes was her attention. If Breck was a good guy, then he was even more dangerous, because her heart yearned for a good man.
At that very moment, her heart thudded with warning beats. She set the paper down and backed up a couple steps. When he finished with the camera and saw the sheet, she darted before she could get trapped in his warm gray eyes again.
A block away, she slowed down. Her heart kept right on racing, though, and it continued to do so every time she thought of Breck’s warm chuckle.
“I’ll never see him again,” she mumbled in an effort to comfort herself.
Another block and she stood up straighter. She’d survived an interaction with an attractive single man who’d flirted and teased with her. A smile crept across her face. Baby steps were still steps forward, and she was on her way to recapturing the parts of herself that had been lost.
“Jingle Bells” spilled out of the toy store as she passed. Christmas was a time of healing—a time to find joy. Maybe she could find hope too—hope that her heart, which yearned to love and be loved, would one day find a home.
“Thanks, Breck,” she whispered into the wind. He didn’t know it, but he’d given her a small gift today. It wasn’t a trick and didn’t have a fancy bow, but it did warm her soul. “Merry Christmas,” she added while blowing a kiss behind her. The street magician had brought magic back into her Christmas season with the snap of his fingers and a sexy smile.
Chapter Three
December 3
Breck
“Hey,” Breck said by way of answering the phone. His lifelong best friend, Jeb, must have just seen the Harmony video—as he called the video in his head. Officially, he’d posted the nameA MagicalChristmas Surprise. Keywords were important in titles, and he was throwing everything he had into this channel. His first MyHeartChannelattempthad flopped big time. It was Jeb, the marketing genius, who’d patiently explained that doing card tricks on camera wasn’t interesting. That was when Breck had come up with the idea of performing for a live audience and recording their reactions.
“Hey yourself. Have you checked your numbers today?”
Breck grinned. “About every twenty minutes.”
