Jewel Adams - Romance with a Touch of Spice

Can you imagine how you would feel if a nice trip to an old movie actually ended you back in the Old West. More important, is there really a Tall, Dark and Handsome hero waiting there for you?

You won't find out unless you follow Ali back in time in the BLUE NOIR Digest.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? When Ali plays a wishing game with her goddaughter nothing could have prepared her for the trip back in time, where arrows fly and men are as large and powerful as the great Wild West!

Do You Believe In Magic

By

Jewel Adams

Chapter One

"Come on, Ali. Pleazzz come with me."

"Evie, I have so much to do, can't we stay here and watch a movie?"

"It isn't the same, this is in a theater. Besides, you will really liked the movie, Ali. The Captain is handsome and everyone rides horses."

"Good looking, huh?" She ruffled Evie's blonde curls, swallowing down her agitation that she'd have to be in her eighties just know who the actor might be. Watching an old, black and white movie about the old west just wasn't in her plans for the night. Neither was babysitting her godchild, Evie. "How do you know he is handsome?"

"Oh, my friend told me."

"One of your friends went to see this movie?"

The girl nodded her head.

What kind of parents give their ten year olds tickets to a rundown theater, to watch old movies? Ali picked up the tickets and looked at them. They looked as old as the movie probably would be. "Are you sure your mom gave you the tickets, Evie?"

"Oh yeah, she got them from some charity event." Evie's little girl face lit up as she looked at Ali and took hold of her hand. "You will like it, Ali. It is so nice back in the old days."

"I am sure I will." God, she sounded like a kid, herself. It must be babysitting that did this to her, a grown woman just didn't do this anymore, even if Tracey was her cousin. If Ali were honest, she would admit what she just didn't like about the situation.

Evie wasn't just hungry for attention, she must be starved for it to want her godmother as company. Ali didn't think most kids would want to go see an ancient movie. "Where did you say she got these tickets, Evie?"

"I think she said a 'silent auction' or something like that."

Now that, Ali could believe. Tracey carried the charity event queen label, along with her other activities. So many that she had no time for little Evie. Like tonight, another class or other. "Alright Evie, but after this movie is over I need to get home and do the work I brought home."

"Oh, it won't take long, you'll see"

"I need to change first."

Evie followed her into the bedroom.

"You better start thinking about the place."

"Why?" Ali slipped out of her work suit and kicked off her heels, half listening to the girl.

"The movie is in this small town, what would you want to be back then?"

As she walked past Evie to the dresser, she twisted Evie's pigtail. "Don't push your luck, Evie. I'm going, and right now all I want to see is some good looking dude on that screen."

The giggling Evie fell back on the bed.

When she pulled on her sweater, Ali looked at the girl. "What's so funny?"

 "Oh Ali, you have Chet."

"Hmm, he's definitely good looking, but forget the have part." Ali recalled their conversation from last night, he certainly didn't agree with her standards.

 "Ali, your ideas are archaic."

 "I don't think waiting until we're married, to go to bed with you, is an ancient philosophy."

 "The is the twentieth-first century Ali, wake up!"

Ali closed her eyes over how hard he slammed her door, "It's how I feel..."

"What is Ali?"

She brought her attention back to the girl. "Nothing, honey. Where were we?"

"We are going to the movies."

"Right." Ali held up the tickets before slipping them into her jean pocket

"We should live in the old west."

She gave Evie a rueful look. "Oh sure and what could I be?"

"My mother?"

Ali rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.

"Sister?"

"You could be a teacher. In the movie the lady is a school marm."

Ali conjured up the image of a spectacled spinster. "It doesn't sound very flattering."

"You are prettier than she is and she gets the cowboy."

"He better be tall, dark, and extremely handsome if I have to teach a room full of kids."

Ali reached out and started tickling Evie. "Come on, we better get to this theater of yours."

* * * *

"You have to sit here, Ali."

Ali followed the girl down the dimly lit aisle, glad that she stopped half way. Leaning back to see any movie wasn't something Ali wanted to experience. Seeing as the place was empty, they could have any seat they wanted.

On the drive here, Evie never stopped talking. She explained to Ali that they needed to do a wishing game at the theater. Ali just nodded, deciding she'd play along with the girl.

Ali lowered herself down into the seat beside Evie.

"Now we have to think together about the same thing."

"Set the stage?" At the girl's questioning look, Ali took the lead, trying to make the evening fun for Evie. "I see blue sky all around."

Evie chimed in, "And mountains, big ones."

"Green grass and rolling hills."

"Looks pretty, Ali."

"Now what do we do, Evie?" The girl's attention was on the movie starting to play.

"We close our eyes and wait."

Ali wondered how they would watch the movie. "What about the movie, Evie?"

The girl asked for the tickets. When Ali held them out, Evie took hold of them, but didn't take them.

"It is starting, Ali, so we need to begin our wishes."

"Pretend we are there and the movie works its magic." Thankfully, Evie was still too young to hear Ali's sarcasm.

"See, it's easy, Ali."

Maybe Evie's game wasn't so bad. The girl needed the escape it lent from her rocky home life. What with Tracey and Bob always at each other, Ali couldn't see the harm.

"You have to close your eyes, Ali."

"Right. I forgot, sorry."

It proved hard to play along, the movie was beginning, and Ali kept thinking about all the work waiting for her at home. She watched the opening credits roll by and wondered why Evie would want to watch an old western.

"Ali, you aren't playing."

"Yes I am, I was just wondering how we will know when it works."

"Oh, you will know."

Ali took a deep breath and forced her eyes to shut. She tried to clear her mind, whispering to herself "Blue sky, mountains and green rolling hills..."

She let her mind go with the imaginary scene, she could hear gunshots and racing horses from the movie. Ali began to relax under the spell's silent peace. A strange feeling of calm washed over her as if she were floating on a cloud. Snow capped mountains encircled the expanse of countryside. Wild flowers covered the open slopes of the hills moving past. A rocking sensation rolled over her, she smiled and wondered how Evie was doing.

Ali sighed, letting the tranquility block out reality...if only for a little while.

But a sudden lurch jarred Ali out of her peaceful dream.

She blinked furiously against the glaring sunlight. "What...sunlight?"

Ali bit her lip to silence what she didn't want to hear, but her senses betrayed her efforts.

The changes came at her like arrows. The assault's speed left her breathless as one reality slipped pass and became replaced by another foreign one.

"Evie?" Ali didn't like the fear she heard in her voice.

Shaking her head against what she felt and still refused to let her mind comprehend, Ali flatly refused to let this go any further!

She took a steadying breath and silently laughed at what she almost allowed herself to believe. Old theaters and movies didn't make the imagination come alive. She forced her eyes open to seek out the old row of seats…

What came made her denial strengthen against the frightening reality taking hold of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, and forced them to reopen, sure she'd been overcome by Evie's game.

"No!...it can't be real." The stage coach…Oh God, it really is one. Another rut sent the coach swaying and she bounced all over the seat. Automatically her hand reached out to grip the open door frame. Ali couldn't breathe over what shouldn't be there to hold.

"Evie?"

Ali turned against the swaying, thankful that she found the girl beside her. She reached for her, "Evie?"

The girl looked up at her with the same confusion Ali felt. "Come here, honey."

Evie needed no coaxing to accept Ali's embrace.

"Lady, get down!"

Her mouth opened more from the realization that a man sat across from them than his shouted order.

The curse he directed at her was nothing compared to the blast of the gun in his hand that cut loose.

Ali instinctively fell over Evie to shield her. "What is going on?" She shouted over the blasting noise.

"Are you blind?" He cursed and kept shooting. "Damn Easterners. Stay down or those arrows the redskins are shooting will give you the answer!"

"Indians?"

Ali's gasps drew Evie's frightened whimper. "Ali, I don't want to be here anymore."

"I know, Evie." The swish and thud above their heads confirmed all the man's threatening words. The arrow wasn't imaginary, neither was the fear it instilled.

"Hush, Evie, it will be okay."

"Ali, it's not right, what happened?"

"I don't know, honey, I don't know." The arguments waged inside her head that none of this could be happening. A stupid old movie couldn't make something this crazy happen. Could it?

Another bone jarring jolt of the stagecoach made her teeth bite down against the answer.

Arrows kept flying, she could hear the war-hoops of the attacking men, yet all she could do was look at the clothes on Evie and then herself.

"Calico?" The tiny flower print dress looked a far cry from her jeans. Her hand rose and touched the bonnet secured by the satin blow under her chin. A light, short traveling cape fell about her shoulders. Ali truly wished it could shield them from the danger.

"Ugh!"

She looked up at the man's cry. Ali swallowed her scream over the arrow protruding from the man's chest.

"Ali!"

"Don't look, Evie."

The sideway lean of the coach stole her transfixed gaze from the dead man. A bare arm and hand moved about the open door panel, followed by the painted chest.

"Oh, no way!"

Looking to the man for help, she groaned. She tried to look away, catching the site of the gun still clutched in his lifeless hold. "I'm not really doing this…" Ali kept repeating the lie as she pried his fingers away from the weapon.

It took both hands for her to hold the heavy gun up and point it at the Indian now fully in view, clinging to the door. His eyes went to the weapon, then her. The vicious sneer that crossed his face sent ice through her veins. When he raised his arm, she saw the knife, the gun in her hands fired as if it held its own agenda.

The horrible scream filled her ears. Dropping the gun, she tried to block it out with her hands, but Evie demanded her attention. Cradling the child in her arms, Ali heard the reassuring words she spoke to Evie, while she silently demanded that they be brought back!

Ali gave up the effort over the new sound of a bugle and the slowing of the stagecoach.

"Where is it?" She scrambled about the floor with her hands, searching under the folds of dress material for the gun, nearly crying when she finally felt the warm metal.

"Evie, stay behind me."

She held the gun before her. Ali waited for the next savage to appear. Her only thought was to protect Evie, nothing else mattered any more…