Bonds

by Susan Copperfield

  “There will be no brawling with the Canadian physician.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’re guests and there will be no brawling.”

  Melody scowled, set her cat’s carrier down, and planted her hands on her hips. “Why not?”

  “We’re guests, Melody.”

  “I can handle my own damned examination, thank you!”

  “Your Highness.”

  “No.”

  I strolled to the nearest downed log, sat on it, and watched with interest as the pair settled in for a spat. “Most people in our situation would’ve been yelling at each other weeks ago, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re finally fighting now. That said, fight quietly, as we don’t want to draw unwanted attention. For the record, while I have no interest in participating in this argument, I’m siding with Kevin. The examination won’t take long, it’ll clear Canada of liability if they do their checks, and everyone feels a little better. Except for you,” I added when the princess glared at me. “It’ll probably be a courtesy check to make certain I properly cared for you while stranded in the wilderness.”

  “You properly cared for me?” she demanded, her brows shooting up.

  I laughed. “You handled the medical portion of our adventure, yes. Who handled the rest?”

  “You do not play fair, Jack.”

  “I know I don’t. The weather doesn’t play fair, either, so I have to take whatever advantage I can. Hey, Kevin? Don’t feel bad. You helped, and it would’ve stressed Melody more if you’d gotten an infection or broke your arm again. You did exactly what you needed to do. I’m still going to sit you down and show you how to pack a proper survival kit, though.”

  The RPS agent waved off my commentary and grinned. “Let her get it out of her system. She’s been corking her temper ever since the crash, and it’s best if she picks a fight with me rather than someone from Montana or Canada. I think I’ll make a recommendation for RPS agents to go through search and rescue training in the future. I wouldn’t have done nearly as well as you at figuring this out.”

  “You would’ve been okay with the supplies, although you would’ve had more issues than we did.”

  “Especially when that blizzard stopped in for a visit,” the RPS agent muttered.

  Melody snorted. “We don’t discuss the blizzard. I’m going to Texas for the winter so I don’t have to see snow again this year. I’m taking my cats with me, and I’m going to take Jack, too. You can come along if you’d like, Kevin.”

  “Going with you fits within my job description, but thank you for the invitation, Your Highness.”

  “Damn it. I had you calling me Melody for two whole weeks.”

  The RPS agent smiled. “And I will enjoy watching you try to get me to slip for the foreseeable future. The situation required abandoning certain formalities.”

  “I’m still going to call you Melody,” I said, grinning at the princess. “I’m not good at titles.”

  “I look forward to you turning the entirety of the Royal States on its ear as you sweep in and dare to call people by their first names.”

  She would. “I’ll also insist on carrying my shoulder cat around with me wherever I go, unless allergies are a legitimate issue. I’ve gotten used to having a shoulder cat.”

  “Good job, Melody. You, with some help from Antoinette, have created a monster.”

  I pet my kitten. “Don’t listen to them, Sparrow. You’re the sweetest of kittens, although Mr. Asshole isn’t a slacker in the sweet department.”

  “You can’t steal my cat, Jack. However, you may visit him whenever you’d like.”

  I’d take what I could get. “I can work with that. Think we’re on the presumed dead list?”

  Kevin chuckled. “Not anymore.”

  A stay on the presumed dead list made a mess out of things like leasing agreements—especially if my former landlord was notified. “I’m going to need a new apartment, aren’t I?”

  I’d also need to replace a lot of things if nobody claimed my property before my landlord cleared the place out for the next tenant.

  Striding to me, Melody leaned over and prodded me in the chest with a finger. “You will, because you’re moving to Maine.”

  I liked the princess feisty, and I hoped Maine’s monarchs wouldn’t mind me returning their daughter in top form and ready to conquer. “I am?”

  “You are.”

  “I’m going to need a good job offer to make that move. Right, Kevin? A wise man makes sure he has a signed job offer before committing to an international move.”

  Chuckling, the RPS agent sat beside me, stretching his legs and rolling his shoulders. The grimace I expected didn’t make an appearance. “I’m sure Her Highness could find some paperwork for you to sign, but I’d be very careful about reading it first. She might try to slip a marriage license in. And don’t think I hadn’t noticed your hints, Your Highness. You weren’t hinting. You were trying to bludgeon him with your suggestions of where he should live. Thank you for limiting yourself to suggestions.”

  Melody’s cheeks turned a delightful pink. “Kevin!”

  “Please continue to limit your advances until you are in a private suite. After that, I don’t care what you do with Jack, as I’m not your father. I do have to protect your safety and interests, but I’m satisfied Jack has your interests at heart.”

  The pink coloring Melody’s cheeks darkened to a rich red. “Kevin!”

  I suspected the RPS agent dove over the line of professionalism without a care in the world, but when I thought about it, I figured he had the right idea. “I feel like I may have been tossed under a bus here, but strangely, I don’t mind.”

  “While you have done an admirable job of not drooling while she’s been watching you, the instant she turns around, you’re hopeless. I’m old, but I’m not blind.”

  I shrugged. “I can’t help it I have a thing for doctors who are prettier and smarter than me.”

  “If you want to make him yours, Melody, I recommend you ask His Royal Majesty of Montana for help. He’s rather experienced with arranging paperwork for impulsive couples who don’t want others nosing about their private business. Just don’t expect it to stay a secret for long. You’re not very good at being subtle.”

  “I’d be mad at you, but you’re right.” Melody bowed her head and sighed. “I’m half the reason I never get asked out on any dates.”

  I spent all of a few seconds considering the situation before I decided I had everything to lose and gain in the situation, which put me in the middle of a big mess. “I’m allergic to royalty, but you can take me on a date if you’d like. There’s only one issue. I have a furry chaperone.”

  Sparrow rubbed her head against my cheek to make it clear I was her property, and I sighed.

  “I can work around your furry chaperone, never fear. Also, I counted you going to the baseball game as a date. Was I supposed to tell you about that?”

  “How’d I do?”

  “Pretty good. You didn’t run away, and you watched the game. I view you as a challenge. One day, you will go to a game for the hot dogs but secretly want to watch the game, and that is when I’ll swoop in for my victory. I’m not sure I’ll be ready to go camping again right away, but I’m not against the idea.”

  “I think I could live for a while without camping, too. I’ve gotten my fill for a few weeks.”

  “A few weeks?” According to Melody’s tone, she likely wished for a few months—or years—before another camping adventure.

  “Isn’t part of recovery exercise?”

  Melody huffed and refused to look at me.

  “I don’t think that’s the type of exercise she had in mind, Jack,” Kevin muttered.

  I didn’t have a chance to say a word, as the princess dove for her RPS agent and went straight for his throat. Aware his arm wasn’t fully healed yet, I lunged for her, caught her around the waist, and hauled her away, laughing as she did her best to strangle the man
responsible for protecting her life. “You need some alone time in a gym with a punching bag, Melody. You’re set to blow.”

  I doubted the exercise she had in mind involved a struggle to keep her from fighting with Kevin, but I’d cross that bridge later.

  And I’d take Kevin’s advice and wait to talk with Melody in the privacy of a suite.

  Between Montana and Canada, fifteen vehicles came to pick us up, something I found so absurd I shot accusatory glares at Kevin, who shrugged. The instant the first of the vehicles, a black SUV, had come into view, he’d transformed back into a professional RPS agent with a job to do.

  Thanks to Melody’s frayed temper, we were covered in mud. I expected it would take hours to clean the gunk out of Sparrow’s fur, but the kitten seemed to enjoy playing in puddles.

  Maybe Sparrow wouldn’t object to the bath I’d have to give her. It still amazed me Melody had managed to knock me over in her quest to roll around with Kevin in the mud. All in all, her quest had been a success, and somehow, Kevin had emerged without doing extra damage to his broken arm.

  I liked to think I’d helped with that, pulling her off the man every time she got too enthusiastic.

  As expected, Melody argued bitterly against having some royal physician examine her, but I’d gotten her to cooperate by wandering off to be put through my paces, which got her on the move to the ambulance. The paramedics and royal physician seemed astonished we were in such good health for having spent eighteen days on our own following a plane crash.

  A Montana RPS agent, an older man with graying hair and a cowboy hat, strode over, looked me over and narrowed his eyes. I considered staging a retreat to Melody, who kept arguing with the royal physician and defending her work on Kevin’s arm.

  “I’m Geoff, the head of Her Royal Majesty of Montana’s detail. I figured I’d come get the story from you, since Her Highness and her RPS agent seem to be waging war with a doctor right now.”

  I checked my phone; it’d only taken an hour for someone to get around to wanting to ask questions that didn’t involve our health. “I like the lack of formalities,” I admitted. “I’m Jack.”

  Geoff chuckled. “That’s what your file said, so I thought I’d just jump straight to the chase. We try to be accommodating, especially to folks who have a lot of adapting to do, such as yourself. You’re not the first I’ve worked with who got dumped into the life of royalty without much fanfare. Good job getting yourself and them out of a tight spot. If I thought I could hire you, I would.”

  “I can offer advice if needed, but I think you have some competition.”

  “What sort of competition?”

  I pointed at Melody and Kevin.

  “Which one?”

  “Both.” Laughing, I shook my head and removed my kitten from my shoulder, setting her on the ground. She immediately pounced the nearest puddle. I sighed. “We got lucky.”

  “So I gathered.” Geoff pulled out a badge and an identification card, which proved his claim of who he was and his affiliation with the Montana RPS. “Kevin wasn’t forthcoming with the circumstances of how the plane crashed, and he said you took over the controls. He suggested we should ask you.”

  “I’m guessing the pilot took cyanide, judging from the symptoms and the smell. He nosedived the plane, although I can’t tell if it was intentional or if it happened as part of his death. The pilot didn’t know I have enough training to crash land a plane. I dumped the plane on a lake, where it skidded onto shore. Luck, there; if the lake hadn’t been there, we would’ve ended up in the trees, and I doubt we would’ve survived that. There weren’t a lot of places to land, which I feel was a deliberate choice. The pilot was dead by the time I reached the controls. Kevin broke his arm in the crash.”

  “How did you manage to survive for so long in such good health? I understand you work in search and rescue, but the conditions here have been less than ideal.”

  “Kevin had a survival kit on the plane, mostly to keep me satisfied because of my background. It made the most difference, but I could have managed without the kit. Probably.” As I didn’t want to deal with the constant barrage of questions, I went over the entire situation, beginning with when I’d joined the crew answering a call about the sinking oil tanker. Geoff listened, and his only reaction was to raise a brow, especially when I mentioned Melody’s short temper and inclination to pick a muddy fight with her RPS agent.

  “It’s more unusual you’re handling this so calmly, but I suspect that’s due to your training. Are you willing to fly to Montana? We can make other arrangements if necessary. Her Highness and her agent have both agreed to fly, but I didn’t want to commit to such a plan without your okay.”

  “I’m fine with flying, but I’d like to make sure Melody’s cat’s okay first.”

  “Yes, we’re aware of her cat’s health concerns. We have a vet with animal empathy looking at him.” Geoff’s attention settled on my kitten, who rolled in the mud. “Are you aware your cat is acting oddly?”

  “Sparrow seems to be a unique kitten. Once she’s done there, she’ll expect an invitation onto my shoulder, I’m sure. I’ve somehow spoiled her, I think.”

  Geoff sighed. “What’s one more spoiled animal? Montana’s palace is overrun with spoiled animals. That leaves the issue of your attire.”

  “I’d rather get cleaned up in Montana, if that’s fine. Assuming they’ll let us onto a plane covered with mud.”

  “That is what Her Highness said as well. You won’t be required to travel completely covered in mud. We have an earthweaver who will help with that.”

  “If Melody wouldn’t kill me if I took off the suppressors right now, I could take care of it, too.”

  “Waveweaving is a useful skill. Your file mentioned you have a very interesting variant of a waveweaving talent. Iceweaving is not common.”

  “I’m primarily a waveweaver. Working with ice is difficult on a good day.”

  “That doesn’t mean what you can do is any less impressive. I’ve seen videos of your talent in action. I used to be a part of the Texas RPS. I’ve seen skilled waveweavers in action. You’re skilled—and powerful. Do you have any ability to work with the weather?”

  I shook my head. “No one in my family does as far as I know. But I actively develop my talent. My family doesn’t.”

  “I’ve heard. For good reason. I’ve also heard rumors that you’re being pursued by Her Highness.”

  “Considering Kevin suggested she talk to His Royal Majesty of Montana, you heard right.”

  “It’s part of my job as an RPS agent to make you aware that if you would like the situation to be quietly defused, we can arrange for you to be relocated elsewhere.”

  I tried to figure out a way to tell the RPS agent that unless I was being relocated somewhere private to discuss the situation with Melody, I wasn’t interested in being relocated at all. “Relocated is a very gentle word. It sounds so sterile. Like it’s not a big deal.”

  “We prefer it over kidnapping. It makes the kidnapped feel a little better about the situation.”

  “I thought your job was to stop people from being kidnapped, not do the kidnapping?”

  Geoff chuckled. “We train royals and principals how to handle themselves in relocation scenarios. Part of our job is preparing them for such situations. Once you’re settled, you’ll require the same training, although you have an edge on most due to your career. Still. Ties with Maine’s royal family can be serious due to the nature of their talent, and you’ve already been treated by her—and exposed to a hefty dose of her magic.”

  “Probably several times now,” I admitted. “I had to push my luck somewhat after the plane crash. We lost a few days because of it.”

  “During the freak snowstorm in the area?”

  “Yes. She was concerned, and I’ve worn suppressors ever since, and she would only let me do limited magic. Mostly fishing and making sure we had clean water.”

  “We have several royal physicians in Mon
tana who are used to handling such cases. We’ll review your situation. How would you like us to proceed? You do get a choice in this, Jack.”

  “I’m a willing participant in her schemes, and I’ve already accepted the inherent risks of being bonded to her. I was given full disclosure of her talent and the consequences. I’d have to take extra care with my work in the future, I know.”

  “Still, it’s my job to make sure you know the ramifications of such a decision. There’s been a lot of young royals jumping into long-term relationships head first.”

  “Have said jumps worked out?”

  “To the shock and amazement of everyone, yes. But it’s important you know you do have a choice in the matter. The last time I informed someone of this choice, she tried to kill me with her shoe,” he admitted in a wry tone.

  My eyes widened. “Which royal tried to kill you with a shoe? Is that normal?”

  “The woman in question is Her Royal Highness of Illinois, the heir’s wife. Her name is Evangeline, and she will weaponize anything she can get her hands on if she feels her husband is threatened. Should you meet her, I recommend against making any commentary about the shoe incident—or about her husband. She’s very protective of him.”

  “To the point of attacking an RPS agent with a shoe?”

  “It was an educational spar. It also gave her a chance to work out her nerves. I do ask you keep that in confidence. She finds the incident rather embarrassing. Part of the embarrassment was how easily I fended her off.”

  “Why? I mean, weaponizing her shoe seems a little weird, but after seeing Melody go after her own agent following a stressful incident, I can see how it could happen. Tempers flare. Melody doesn’t really seem like the type to go for her agent’s throat, but I had to pull her off Kevin earlier. What’s embarrassing about you fending her off?”

  “She was insecure, takes pride in her martial arts skills, and thought I was trying to come between them when I was just informing her she had a choice in the matter. And yes, her temper had flared. Her Royal Majesty of Montana found the whole thing to be hilarious. It’s my job to make sure you are aware you do not have to accept pursuit by any member of any royal family.”