Kenneth flushed, and I fought to keep my expression neutral. No matter how he clipped it, he’d have a tough sell for an article. If he removed anything, the context wouldn’t favor the media. The best he could do was clip words from an audio recording and change my statement.
If he did that, I’d be able to sink him with a single call to his employer.
“We’ve heard rumors Texas won the auction, but it hasn’t been confirmed.”
“His Royal Majesty of Montana confirmed it on Friday, Mr. Jericho. I’ve been told he’s looking forward to working with me on the preparations.”
“You’ve been told? You haven’t confirmed this for yourself?”
“No. I’ve been too busy with the preliminary planning to watch the news.” I smiled while I delivered my zinger, and I spotted Geoff’s black SUV pulling up to the entry. “Have a good day, Mr. Jericho.”
I made it to the doors before Geoff had a chance to get out of the vehicle, and I opened the front passenger door, ignoring his rules about sitting in the back for my protection. “I refuse to act like a victim.”
I climbed inside, careful of my boot, and buckled my seatbelt. Just to make certain he understood I wasn’t going to hide, I repeated, “I refuse to act like a victim.”
Any other day, I would’ve felt guilty over his frustrated sigh. “You talked to a reporter, didn’t you?”
“If you had come any later, I might’ve told him His Royal Majesty of Montana looked forward to intimately working with me. It would’ve been brilliant, Geoff.”
“I’m never going to understand how you think. Please explain how that would’ve been brilliant.”
“I would have mocked His Royal Majesty of Montana using his own words, I would’ve driven Jessica insane trying to figure out how to prevent my comment from becoming a disaster, and my boss is going to flip his lid.”
“What did you tell the reporter?”
“That you were helping me because I couldn’t drive with this boot on, that you were in the RPS, and that someone up the chain decided I needed an RPS agent to make sure Texas preserves its reputation as a hospitable kingdom.”
“You’re a wicked woman, Mackenzie. You accomplished two of your three goals with that little bit of information.”
“That’ll teach Her Royal Majesty to steal my daughter.”
“Mireya wasn’t stolen, Mackenzie.”
“No matter how many times you tell me that, I’m going to stick my fingers in my ears, chant ‘la la la,’ and ignore you.”
Geoff laughed, eased his SUV away from the curve, and navigated through the parking lot. “You’re something else. I have some good news for you.”
“Oh?”
“Her Royal Majesty has decreed your child will be returned to you within an hour. They finished testing early.”
“Really? She’s coming home today?” My eyes widened, and I held my breath.
“I wouldn’t tease you like that, Mackenzie. You’ve been moping all weekend. Between your foot and Mireya going abroad, you’ve been a mess.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”
“No one expects you to do better. You’ll settle down in a few weeks. You’re adaptable. Mireya changing schools will give you time to handle the charity auction, and she’ll be under protection while abroad along with Prince Adam. This really is the best for her.”
“I know that. I just wasn’t expecting her to grow up so fast.”
“That’s the way it is with children. Prince Adam is advanced for his age, too. Don’t let him trick you like he tricks his mother. He’s playing a witty game of expectations. He’s pretending he’s just far enough back so he can leech onto your daughter. It was noticed by the RPS long before it came to Her Royal Majesty’s attention.”
“I’m hiring you as my spy.”
“I can probably help you with some limited spying. It is my job to make certain of your safety. Your mental health counts.”
“You need a raise.”
“You’re fine. You’ve had a rough few weeks. I’ll limit my requests for raises for if you decide to have more children. At that point, I’ll need more than a raise—I’ll need a full team to keep you contained.”
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
“Never.”
Traffic thwarted us, and ten minutes after the plane was scheduled to land, we idled in a sea of cars. Geoff’s phone rang. He pressed a button on the steering wheel and answered, “Agent Howards speaking.”
“Everything okay?” Jessica demanded.
“We’re currently parked on the expressway, Your Majesty.”
“Why am I not surprised? All right. We’re going to clear off the tarmac so we don’t give the airport authorities seizures. How far from the airport are you?”
“In this traffic, we might get there tomorrow sometime.”
“Take the first exit, tell us where to meet you.”
“The Dallas ranch isn’t far from us.”
“Traffic’s that bad? Damn it!” Jessica muttered a few extra curses for good measure. “All right. I’ll herd everyone there. Drive safely.”
Geoff pressed another button on the steering wheel. “It seems her herd must have passed the examinations for her to be that cranky.”
“She’s cranky?”
“She’s cursing where the children might hear her.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.”
“I don’t envy her detail. She’s going to be a handful. Do us all a favor. Don’t team up with her. If you feel a need to run, schedule your escape in a safe location. If you want to run in Congressional Hall, for example, as long as you stay in the secure parts of the building, run to your heart’s content.”
“While wearing this boot? I’m not running anywhere.”
“Good.”
Despite taking the first exit, Jessica beat us to the so-called ranch, which was more of a park with a stable nestled in the heart of the city. I got my door open before Mireya lunged inside the vehicle, hit me hard, and clung to me. Geoff’s hand smacked to my back to keep me from sprawling into the driver’s seat.
“Mom! You were on TV.”
Oh no. I paled, swallowed, and asked, “What scandalous things are they saying about me now?”
“They’re reporting someone made you fall down the stairs. You broke your foot?”
I sucked in a breath, wondering how I’d explain away the problem without frightening my daughter.
“Your mom’s fine, Mireya. I’m keeping an eye on her. She even dealt with a pit viper of a reporter all on her own and emerged the champion. It’s not a bad break, and we were just at the hospital for an exam. It’s healing well.”
“You need a raise,” I murmured. Since I couldn’t downplay the incident, I considered the ways I could reassure her everything was okay. “The photographer didn’t mean to knock me down the steps. He just wanted a picture, and he wanted an up-close shot. I tripped over my own feet and fell down the steps. I have to wear this boot for a few weeks, but it’ll be gone soon. How were your tests?”
“Hard,” she complained, resting her head on my shoulder.
She hadn’t tried to take a nap on me since she’d been six, and I wrapped my arms around her, determined to enjoy every second of it. “That sounds promising. How’d you do?”
“I passed.”
Why did her success have to hurt so much? “I’m so proud of you, spawnling. When do you start?”
She clung to me, and she fisted her hands in my blouse. “They want us there on Tuesday. We’re going to have to leave tomorrow morning. They don’t want us to fall further behind this year. Mrs. Jessica took us out for school clothes yesterday.”
Mireya was leaving tomorrow? My heart skipped several beats and took up residence in my feet. While I wanted to cry, I needed to pretend everything was fine and smile. “I’m so, so proud of you. You grew up so fast. Have they told you anything about your classes?”
“We’ll be placed a
fter we arrive, but they’ve given us a few classes we’ll be taking. I have a science course with Adam!”
I hoped she sounded as excited when she found out I’d conspired with Adam’s parents to make certain she spent a lifetime with him. Uncertain of how to proceed, I decided to get the worst out of the way first. “Which school are you starting at?”
I hoped for Colorado. Colorado meant I could visit her on open weekends.
“France. We’ll be there until September, then we’re going to New Zealand until March.”
Damn it. After New Zealand, they’d be headed to somewhere else in Europe before circling to Colorado. I doubted I’d ever make it to New Zealand or France in my lifetime, but I’d try my best to live through my daughter. “I’m going to have to get you a camera so you can take pictures for me.”
Could my daughter hear my heart breaking into thousands of tiny pieces?
I could.
She lifted her head from my shoulder and stared at me with wide, bright eyes. “Really?”
“Really. We’ll pick it out on the way home. Sound good?”
With a squeal, she scrambled over me as though she were still a small child, and Geoff yelped as she kicked him on her way into the back of the SUV. Jessica waved from her herd of children, but it was Prince Adam’s disappointed expression that dealt the killing blow.
No matter what, I couldn’t let either one of them learn how much I didn’t want my daughter to take flight and leave home. Aware he might sense my unhappiness, I concentrated on the one thing I could to turn my mood around.
His expression promised he’d treasure every moment he spent with her. Magic had passed me by, but I still held faith.
Some things were just meant to be.
Lifting my hand, I acknowledged the queen with a wave, and when I caught Prince Adam’s attention, I winked at him. I’d leave him wondering, which was far better than unease he didn’t understand.
I didn’t need magic to give him a little peace.
Closing the door, I buckled in and stretched my legs. “Know of a good camera store, Geoff?”
“I think I can manage something. What brand do you want?”
“Any camera will do,” my daughter mumbled, and I grinned at her tentativeness.
“I’ll leave it to your judgment, Geoff. You’ve seen those pesky royals with their cameras. One of those will do.”
Geoff arched a brow. “I do, and I also know how much they cost.”
Reaching into my purse, I pulled out the company credit card my boss had forced on me. “I hope it’s expensive, because Douglass is paying for it. And while we’re at it, we’re going to pick her out a laptop for school. She’s going to need it. If I’m worrying about Mireya’s schooling adventures, I can’t work on the auction to the best of my abilities, and this credit card is for that purpose. It counts, right?”
“You’re going to hell, Mackenzie.”
I grinned while my daughter giggled. “Yeah, but I’m going to hell for a good cause.”
“That you are.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I followed my daughter around in a numb daze, buying a camera so expensive I flinched at the total, grateful I had the company card. The damned thing cost more than my limit, and I’d be paying my boss back for years. After I included the mandatory accessories, I’d cry myself to sleep wondering how I’d cover my debts. Thus tenderized, I had Geoff take us to buy her a new laptop, one that wouldn’t embarrass her when compared to the ones her classmates owned.
It cost more than the camera, and Mireya’s eyes bulged when I flagged the store employee to make the purchase. “For me?”
“You’ll need it, spawnling.”
She knew how money worked, but she didn’t need to know it’d take a long time to make up for the expenses. She needed to believe I supported her, and I had no better way to confirm it than spending money I couldn’t afford to secure her place at school.
“I thought you’d be mad.”
Until the day I’d die, I’d thank Dylan for our daughter, a treasure I so often believed I didn’t deserve. “Yes, I’m so mad at you I bought a camera and a laptop for your exclusive use. How dare you be a smart, talented girl capable of making important decisions for yourself. You’re grounded. You’re going to France tomorrow, and that’s final.”
As I intended, she laughed. “You’re so weird.”
“You have me figured out. After this, we’re going home. There’s a lot you need to do to get ready for your flight in the morning.”
It took an hour to finalize the purchase of the laptop, and with help from Geoff, I picked out a briefcase suitable for her schoolwork. I turned myself into a liar on our way out the store.
I had Geoff take us to a watch store to have her watch cleaned and the battery replaced. Tears shone in my daughter’s eyes, and she held her wrist close to her chest.
The watch wasn’t from her father, but to her, it was her only connection to him. Bit by bit, I was losing the war I was waging against my memories. Mireya, who knew nothing about the man who’d given her life, clung to the one thing she had proving he’d existed.
How could anyone expect me to move on when my daughter yearned for the one thing I couldn’t give her?
After I paid for the new battery, I rested my hands on Mireya’s shoulders and propelled her towards Geoff’s SUV. “Hey, spawnling?”
“What, Mom?”
I couldn’t give her Dylan, but I could offer one thing I’d feared. My parents couldn’t take my daughter from me anymore. “Do you want to meet your grandparents? Your first break from school, I can make arrangements if you want.”
My daughter snorted. “No.”
I slowed my stride, furrowing my brows. “No?”
“They scare you.”
“They can’t take you from me anymore.”
“Still no. I’d rather see you on breaks.”
Wonders never ceased. “Do you want to still take a road trip to try to find your father?”
How hard could it be to get a list of all the single inheritor royals and royals with dark hair who’d been in New York for the auction?
Mireya laughed. “Mom, you’re being weird again. If you find my father, I’d like to meet him. He can’t take me from you anymore, either.”
Well, he could, but he’d have a fight on his hands if he tried.
“You heard about the auction, right? I have to participate.”
“Mrs. Jessica and Mr. Pat talked to me about it. We came to the general consensus you’re hopeless, Mom. I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it if my mother gets a boyfriend. If it makes you feel better, I’ll make up a questionnaire to confirm if he’s suitable for you.”
My eyebrows took a hike to my hairline. “If he’s suitable?”
“Sure. First, my real father gets a free pass. You obviously liked him since you had me. However, he must be thoroughly scolded for his failure to give you proper contact information. I’ll leave his punishment to you. Once he’s been suitably punished, I’d like a brother or sister. One, mind you. Maybe two. Not seven, or eight, or nine. I’ll negotiate on three if you have twins. Twins could happen. Seven’s crazy talk, Mom.”
“I see you’re interested in the idea of siblings.”
“I’m also approving your participation in that auction for His Royal Majesty. A king might be good enough for my mother, and he said nice things about you on TV. That’s promising.”
I had spawned a miniature human devil, and I snapped my fingers and pointed at Geoff’s SUV. “Get in, you evil little brat.”
“Shouldn’t you be happy you have my permission?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Whatever would I do without your permission?”
“Be a stick in the mud.”
“Ouch, Mireya. That’s just mean.”
“You’re hopeless. A date. Go on one. Go on a few, please. Get in some practice before you meet that king. Don’t blow my chance of becoming a princess. I’ll write my question
naire before bed and email it to you.” My daughter hopped so she could kiss my cheek before bolting to the SUV.
A laugh bubbled out of me, and once the first giggle escape, I dissolved into helpless chortles, staggering to the SUV and crawling inside, slumping over the seat while tears streamed from my eyes. I pounded on leather aware of Geoff gawking at me.
“What did you do to your mother, Mireya Mason Little?”
“I only told her I didn’t want her to ruin my chance of becoming a princess! I’m sorry!”
Geoff choked on his laughter, reached over, and patted my shoulder. “Take all the time you need, Mackenzie.”
“I’m okay,” I squeaked, climbing into the vehicle and controlling myself long enough to buckle in and close the door. “Sorry.”
“But I wanted to be a princess,” my daughter whined.
“I’ll cut you a deal, spawnling. I won’t tell him no immediately. How’s that for a compromise?”
“You mean it? You’re the best. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.”
I loved her so much. So very, very much.
Sending her to school and letting her find her wings felt too much like goodbye.
Jessica came for my daughter at seven in the morning, and I handed over the list Mireya had made, accounting for each and every item packed in her bags, including her new camera and laptop. Since kicking a queen in the shins would land me in prison, I snarled at her.
With a soft laugh, she hugged me. “It’ll be all right.”
“I have this urge to hit you right now.”
“Of course. I’m taking your child, delivering her to the airport, and sending her overseas. It’d be strange if you didn’t want to beat me black and blue. I’m woman enough to handle it—just don’t knee me in the groin.”
I flushed. “I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?”
“Probably not. She deserved it. I already told Douglass you’re going to be home moping today, so take it easy, don’t drive Geoff up a wall, and if you dig out your emergency bottle of wine, give me a call. I’ll happily help you drink it. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day for you, so be ready for it.”
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