by Grady, D. R.
She spent about ten minutes with her patient before allowing him to be moved. “He’s in better shape than I feared, but I believe his condition will worsen.”
“Why?” Lila asked worriedly.
“He appears to have a fresh gamut of drugs in his system, which is most likely where he received the strength to escape. He’s going to experience a period of withdrawal. This period may be extremely painful for all of you to watch,” Jenna warned. Her eyes were shadowed as she stared at the Saltaires.
“There’s no way to know if this is habit forming?” Mallen asked quietly.
“Not without extensive research. Those tests still might not show what was administered, since these drugs are likely experimental. However, most drugs sold on the streets are more cost-effective for the manufacturer if they’re habit forming. So said person will buy, no matter what, because they now need the fix.” Jenna’s lips turned down.
“How long do you believe these substances will remain in Daddy?” Giselle’s voice sounded alarmed and sad. She spoke in French so Mallen translated for Jenna.
“I don’t have a definitive answer for that, either. The full withdrawal process can take days if not weeks. It depends on how fast whatever he was given breaks down.”
“Is there anything we can do for him, for you?” Mallen asked.
Jenna shook her head. “I’ll let you know. I’m going to need more observation time.”
“We’ll give you all the time you need,” Lila promised. Her statement was backed up by affirmative nods from her children.
“Just to warn all of you,” Jenna said quietly, taking a deep breath, “Some of these drugs will bring on a nasty backlash. We don’t know what to expect,” she continued. “You may visit when we deem it safe.”
Julia was grateful for Jenna educating the Saltaires. This was a world they knew little of, and now they were receiving a crash course.
As though Jenna’s words had been a prophecy, Hugo Saltaire thrashed and writhed, wrestling invisible demons. He struck out, and although emaciated, his hands still formed huge fists, his power strengthened by the remnants of the chemicals coursing through his body.
His eyes took on pools of vague blue. Involuntary tears streaked down his face as he clenched his jaw and flailed against the restraints Jenna was forced to add.
Hugo’s care proved to be overwhelming to the Sandovian hospital staff who Mallen called in to assist Jenna. Each was trained in the medical field, and Jenna convinced them that although this was a painful process to watch, they would learn from the experience.
It was little comfort as they watched their former king fight demons they couldn’t help him defeat.
Despite Hugo’s struggles, life had to go on. Saturday dawned bright and chilly, and it was Mallen and Julia’s day to cook. Neither of them tried to wiggle out of the duty, as they both needed something to occupy their time in a productive manner. Hugo’s condition was taking a toll on all of them, but the family persevered.
“Don’t we first need to know what we’re making?” Mallen asked, arms outspread as he followed her around the kitchen.
“We already know what we’re making.”
“We do? When did we discuss this?”
“Last night, don’t you remember?”
“No,” Mallen said, his brow furrowing.
“We’re having pizza and salad for lunch, for supper we’re making a pot roast, mashed potatoes, broccoli, green beans, and yellow squash and peach soup. Maybe some biscuits.”
“Are you sure we agreed to make pizza?” he asked for the tenth time.
“I’m sure. Besides, pizza is a favorite of Jenna’s and mine.” She sent him a quelling look. “So pipe down.”
“I like it, too. I just have no idea how to make it.”
She stopped measuring ingredients to stare at him. “Never?”
He shook his head. “No. But I always enjoy some when I travel to America.”
“Well, pay attention. This is very easy and fun.”
“Okay.” He sounded dubious.
Julia showed him, step by step, how to make the crust, which was as simple as throwing the necessary ingredients into the bread machine. Then set about preparing the dessert. A fruit tart greatly appealed to her, and Mallen was agreeable to most desserts, so the bargaining didn’t take long.
He sliced the fruits while she prepared the crust. In between stealing kisses, of course. This resulted in sticky hair when he cupped her head with his dripping fingers. “Mmm,” he said, as he cocked his head and set his lips on hers for another kiss.
“Do you two ever do anything other than kiss?” An amused voice inquired behind them.
“No. Go away,” one of them said, but Julia wasn’t certain who.
“Can’t. I don’t know where the lab is, and I need supplies,” Jenna parried easily.
Julia reluctantly took back her lips. “Oh, yes, I did promise you a tour today.”
Jenna offered them an innocent smile as they both turned to stare at her. Her cousin wasn’t any more intimidated by Mallen than she. Actually, Jenna seemed to have already adopted him as an honorary brother.
“I’ll show you the lab,” Julia said as she set her spatula on the counter.
“Don’t mind me. I’ll just slave away here in the kitchen, slicing and dicing and mashing. Tied to the kitchen counter. I’ll be fine, staying here working while you two have fun. Go ahead.” Mallen tried to pout through this dramatic comedy.
Julia grinned and patted his bottom. “You’re doing a wonderful job, honey, keep up the good work.”
“He does look kind of cute,” Jenna mused and upon seeing Mallen take a menacing step toward them, the ladies exited the kitchen with speed, laughing.
Their pizza proved to be a big hit and Julia officially earned a spot in the family cooking rotation. Since Giselle would be married soon and moving out of the palace, Julia was “awarded” her slot. She didn’t mind because this way she could incorporate a few of her favorites into the menu. While some of the dishes served in the palace were recognizable to her, she was hard pressed to determine others.
Lila let her in on a few, and directed her away from some others. Mallen, although born in the United States, was all Sandovian. He and Giselle teased Julia and Lila about their picky American pallets. Julia didn’t care and suspected Lila didn’t either.
By the time the pot roast finished cooking, they had two more mouths to feed. Working in the kitchen, Julia and Mallen weren’t aware of the visitors until one of the guards buzzed him.
“Why are we leaving the middle of our supper preparations again?” she asked breathlessly, and Mallen was glad.
The summons had come at a very inconvenient time. They had been lip locked, thoroughly enjoying the passionate kiss when his phone beeped obnoxiously. Certainly the interruption had been timely, as they came close to burning a hot pad, but he was still unhappy with the disruption.
“We’ve apparently got visitors.”
Her forehead furrowed in the cutest manner. “Who?”
“That’s what we’re trying to determine.” He curled a possessive arm around her as they hurried down the hallway.
They turned the corner and into the foyer. “Oh.”
There stood her parents and Julia gasped before running to them. Both enfolded her into a tight grasp together, then her dad took her separately and spun her around. Jenna had shown up by then, and she and Helen hugged before Jake and Helen traded girls and they began the whole process again.
Laughing and a little teary eyed, Julia pushed a curl away and gazed at her parents. He liked the warmth and affection in her eyes. Those emotions were heartily returned by the older couple and Jenna.
“You’re so tanned. And you look positively fit.”
“We weren’t just goofing off in Australia, you know,” her dad replied as he tugged her back to his side with an arm.
“Speak for yourself, dear, I goofed off,” Helen commented dryly. Her husband shot h
er an amused glance before Julia, with a start, tugged her parents to where Mallen and his family waited with smiles.
Julia made the introductions, a shy smile flitting around her lips. He was ensnared by her all over again.
“We know this fellow,” Jake told his daughter calmly as he extended a hand to shake Mallen’s.
“How?”
“He’s been to our house, love.” Helen hugged Mallen like she meant it.
“I didn’t know that.” Julia still looked confused.
“I’ve been to the States several times since I met Jared and Annie. When I called them for a visit, they had plans with your parents.” Mallen shook her father’s hand.
“So naturally we just told them to bring him along,” Helen continued with the story.
“As that evening was the only night I had available to see Annie and Jared, I accepted.” Mallen and Jake smiled at one another.
Helen had turned and now stared at his mother. “Lila Bridges?”
“Helen Fields,” Lila returned as the women grasped hands, and then hugged.
Mallen caught Julia’s eye. “This probably isn’t good.” He pursed his lips.
“Probably not.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“Perhaps we should return to the kitchen,” Mallen commented, watching his mother and Helen talk animatedly, while Jake, Jenna, and Giselle visited.
“Your mother or Giselle will think to move everyone into the family room, right?”
“Of course,” Mallen answered, but upon more observation changed his mind. “Maybe.”
Lila and Aunt Helen had been schoolmates, and good friends until college and marriage had caused them to lose touch. They shared many memories and twittered back and forth across the table. Jake and Mallen discussed Australia while she, Julia, and Giselle conferred about the upcoming wedding.
They had progressed through the main course when one of the palace guards interrupted.
“What’s wrong, Jean Paul?” Mallen asked.
“It’s the computer, that one we’ve been having trouble with. It went blank again,” the man said, and though his frustration was evident it didn’t stop him from swiping a piece of the pot roast from a platter.
“You haven’t eaten?” Lila sounded concerned.
He shook his head. “No time.”
Lila made him a sandwich from the items on the table. Julia piled a few more things on his plate.
“Same problem or a new one?” she asked as she pushed back her chair.
The man ran a distracted hand through his hair.
“It looks like someone chewed on some of the wires, actually.” He spoke through a mouthful of sandwich.
“If it’s not too bad, we can splice those,” Julia reassured him. “I’ll take a look.” The two left the room, with the man still munching on his sandwich and carrying his plate of goodies. “I’ll be back,” Julia told the table occupants with a vague wave. Jenna grinned. Her cousin was more likely to forget she’d been eating if the problem proved challenging enough.
Helen and Jake both watched her leave. “You’re trusting her to do the computer maintenance?”
Mallen nodded. “She’s very capable and can squeeze into spaces far better than I. I’m quite relieved to have her take over,” he replied. “Why?”
“Her curiosity and logic,” Jake added. “That girl is always getting into something new.”
“That’s why she got her older siblings in trouble,” Lila stated. She ate a delicate bite of broccoli.
“Oh my, yes,” Helen breathed, closing her eyes. “Julia was such a sweet girl, but she did tend to land the lot of them into trouble.”
“We couldn’t be angry with her. She usually wasn’t doing anything wrong – she just had an avid curiosity. Julia had to know what happened if you mixed different things together.” Her dad sounded rather proud of his youngest.
“Or what this would do, or how that worked...” Helen continued her husband’s train of thought. She launched into a few of Julia’s more hair-raising antics.
“My,” Lila said, fluttering a hand to her chest, although her mouth curved into a smile.
“I heard she was trouble from Jared, but I didn’t know.” Mallen stared at them in bemusement.
Jenna leaned across the table to tweak Mallen’s nose like she’d seen Julia do. His only answer was to blink. Hmmm.
“What did Jared say?” Julia demanded, returning to her seat. She drank from her goblet before forking up some roast beef. She also apparently noticed her biscuit was gone and glared at Mallen, who didn’t notice.
“Did you fix the computer, love?” Lila’s eyes danced with laughter as they darted between Julia and Mallen.
“I did. Just had to splice a few wires together, and I think it’ll work better than when it originally rolled off the manufacturer’s conveyor,” Julia said smugly. “Old Fergusen needed that computer, as it’s the system they use for the security cameras.”
Mallen, still with shell-shocked glazed eyes said, “Demolitions expert.” And Julia blinked. It was hard for Jenna to keep a straight face.
Julia turned abruptly to her parents. “You did not tell him about my childhood business.” Jenna recognized the accusation in Julia’s voice. She had to work harder to hide her amusement.
Helen smiled serenely. “Of course we did, dear.”
Jake snorted. “Unusual kid, you were.” He ruffled his youngest child’s hair.
“I am your daughter,” Julia reminded him as she dropped her fork then crossed her arms over her chest. “My nerdiness was not a fluke.”
“This is true,” Helen agreed as she glanced at her husband. “She does come by those tendencies naturally, dear.”
“We picked up on that after she nearly destroyed the house,” Jake said, but Helen corrected him, “She nearly blew out the south basement wall.”
Jake continued as though his wife hadn’t interrupted. “We finally gave her one of the old sheds no one used, but which would be fine for her experiments.”
“Then the neighbor had an old building he wanted to bring down because his son and daughter-in-law were expecting their second child and he didn’t want the kids getting hurt in the structure,” Helen said.
Jake took over again. “Everyone he talked to was quite expensive, and he didn’t think they could implode the building neatly and with minimum mess. But he remembered Julia—”
“At age thirteen—” Helen shuddered.
“Had already obliterated our old silo for the same reason. She really did a neat job of it,” Jake added, as though he had to give her credit. Jenna liked the light of admiration in his eyes.
She took over the story. “So the neighbor came and asked Julia to take a look at the old shed. He asked her how much she wanted to implode the thing. I remember Julia’s astonishment at someone actually paying her.” Jenna laughed. What fun they had that summer. Julia slapped a hand over her eyes, as though embarrassed. She didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you used to blow things up,” Mallen wasn’t ready to let the conversation drop, obviously. Julia dropped her hand to mock glare at her biggest heckler. He looked like he wanted to kiss her and Julia went all moony eyed so Jenna thought she better intervene.
She said with amusement threading her words, “Mallen, she hasn’t blown anything up since she left college.”
“That’s only because she dried the business up by then, dear.” Helen patted her niece’s hand.
“What other secrets are you keeping from me?” He groused Julia playfully as they both rose to take the supper dishes and bring out dessert. Jenna trailed after them. Since she was here for another month at least, she thought she better learn the basics.
“I’ll never tell.” Julia’s grin was mischievous.
“I should be relieved you dried up your business,” Mallen mused as he set dirty dishes next to the dishwasher. Jenna started to stack them inside.
; “I can’t believe my parents would bring up such ancient history.” Julia laughed and poked him.
“I find it very relevant. Sandovia is new territory for you and I like the palace the way it is...” Mallen returned, glancing around the kitchen.
Julia playfully whapped him but when it didn’t elicit enough reaction, started beating him with a handy dishtowel.
Laughing, Mallen easily sidestepped her swats, and attempted to grab her arms. He had just managed when a, “Children!” interrupted their play. Jenna was thankful to see Lila since she didn’t think she wanted to interfere. She also carefully suppressed all notions of wanting her own man.
With determination, Jenna even managed to shove the image of a certain red-haired cop into the furtherest reaches of her brain. She doubted Owen O’Maley shared Mallen’s penchant for play anyhow. It was too bad, really.
“Mom, go away. Julia’s beating me and I need to show her what happens to demolitions experts who pick on me.” Mallen deftly caught Julia’s right hand in his. Her left eluded him.
“I knew you should never hear of my childhood. I figured you’d never let me live that one down,” Julia huffed as she continued to keep her dominant hand out of his reach.
“I still need to show you who’s in charge,” he returned with a cheeky grin.
“Ha! Like I’m scared of you,” she taunted, and managed a good poke with her left hand. Julia gleefully stuck her tongue out at him, which totally distracted him. And then her.
They apparently forgot about her and Lila watching, and those waiting in the next room. Instead Mallen and Julia fell into each other, their lips meeting and then opening so they could spar with their tongues in another, more interesting way.
Lila cleared her throat, loudly. “As much as I’d like to be privy to your practice, I do believe I should remind you that we have several people in the dining room who are expecting dessert.” Her raised voice penetrated their love haze.
Grumbling, the pair pulled away from each other and both glared at Lila. She held up both hands, “Look, I’m just the messenger. The voice of reason...” As Lila warmed to her subject, Mallen picked her up and bodily deposited her outside the kitchen. Julia plopped the fruit tart in her arms and they shut the door in her face.