“If it helps, I think my father likes you,” he murmured against her hair, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “And believe me, I’ve spent most of my life trying to avoid my mother. If you marry me, we’d just do it together.”
“Tell me that wasn’t your attempt at a proper marriage proposal. I’d hate to have to apologize to Katharine for completely failing in your training.” At the sound of Lawton’s voice, both Jon and Kate looked up to see him walking across the lawn toward them at a properly casual but dignified pace. “Though in your favor, you do seem to have maneuvered yourself into a far more promising position than when I last had one of my people check on you.” Before Jon could glare at that last bit, Lawton gave him his driest expression. “I would have myself, naturally, but I found myself otherwise occupied entertaining your guests.”
Jon winced, guilty—from the second Kate had vanished out the door he’d completely forgotten the crowd existed.
“I am so sorry about that,” Kate told Lawton, sounding as apologetic as Jon should have been. “I kept trying to make him go back inside, but there were some things we had to work out.”
“Namely, that she was going inside with me,” Jon cut in, voice firm enough to make Kate look back to him. Her brow lowered like she was about to argue, but after staring into his eyes for a moment she very carefully closed her mouth again.
Lawton smiled. “Excellent. We have a plan.” Ignoring Jon for the moment, he recaptured Kate’s attention by lifting her hand off Jon’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Always a pleasure, Katharine,” he said genially, sketching a brief bow in her direction. “Your delightful associates inside filled me in on some of the new complications Rupert’s little adventure has left us with. You have my deepest sympathies, though I do have some ideas that may be of assistance.”
Kate looked at Lawton, then back over at Jon, before letting out a resigned sigh. “You can tell me all about it once we’re inside.”
SIXTEEN
Jumping Off
The walk inside, unfortunately, gave them plenty of time to eliminate all the easy options.
“I’m serious, Lawton.” Kate shook her head, biting back her rising annoyance. She, Lawton, and Jon stood outside one of the many sets of ballroom doors, doing their best to resolve this particular debate before dealing with the crowd. “I may have looked like I knew what I was talking about during our little spy session, but that was mostly because I’m very good at nodding my head.”
Lawton sighed like an adult trying to deal with a stubborn child. “Katharine, it’s not as if blackmailing is really that difficult.”
“For you, maybe.” She heard the stubbornness in her voice, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jon grin. In a way, it was almost as much his fault— both Lawton and Jon seemed convinced they could alter the course of the universe if they felt like it, and needed reminding that the rest of the world didn’t have quite the same skill set. “But if I tried to be threatening, all we’d get out of Director Carlson is hysterical laughter. I’m just not scary enough.”
Lawton raised an eyebrow, then turned to Jon. “Is she?”
Kate scowled at them as Jon laughed. “I’m already in enough trouble tonight,” Jon said. When the scowl deepened, he grinned and took her face in his hands. “And now, as much as I’d rather stay here and let you explain to Lawton just how wrong he is, I really need to get inside and start making it look like we’d planned this from the beginning.” He leaned in to capture her mouth in a quick, toe-curling kiss, frying good sense and nerve endings before pulling away and opening the doors. “Come inside as soon as you can.” His voice was warm and soft enough to cuddle. “Seeing you will help give me strength.”
It took the sound of the door shutting for Kate to realize she’d started walking after him without any conscious command from her brain. She immediately stopped where she was, waiting until she was sure any more embarrassing impulses had passed. “That wasn’t fair, either,” she murmured, rubbing her chest as if the motion could settle her heart down at least a little.
Behind her, she heard Lawton chuckle. “I’d rather not repeat that cliché about love and war. It’s beneath both of us.”
Kate was almost startled into a laugh. “Thank you for that.” Then, taking a final deep breath for courage, she opened the door and stepped into the fray.
Admittedly, the position behind the stairs didn’t offer the clearest view of the ballroom and its multi-hued swirl of occupants, but the relative privacy made Kate feel secure enough to take a few steps out onto furthest edges of the dance floor. A part of her wondered if she should feel self-conscious about her wings, but in the sea of peacock feathers, miniature jeweled shrubs, and what from here appeared to be genuine gold frosting, she doubted anyone would actually notice.
She hunted for Jon, craning her neck a little to spot his dark head in the midst of the unnaturally tall piles of hair. She found him talking to a couple decked out in abundant, ludicrously tacky jewelry, holding the woman’s hand as if he’d just kissed it and smiling confidently like all was right with the world. What was amazing was the way the couple nodded along with whatever Jon was telling them, the slowly relaxing expressions on their faces making it clear they believed every word he was saying.
She folded her arms across her chest, letting herself watch him work for a little while. “It’s a little scary how good he is at that,” she murmured, feeling absurdly proud of him. It was a lot easier to appreciate that particular talent of his when it wasn’t directed at her. “Looking at him, you’d almost think we really did have all this planned from the beginning.”
There was a moment of silence before Lawton came forward to stand beside her. “So, why aren’t you quite convinced?” The words were light, but Kate recognized the seriousness behind the question. “For a moment, there was a look in your eyes that said you expected all this to disappear right in front of you.”
“I want to believe him,” she said quietly, feeling like she was admitting something dangerous.
“You sound utterly terrified when you say that.”
She took a deep breath, weirdly relieved someone had said it out loud, and worked on relocating her calm so she could hold on to it with both hands. Hoping was one of the hardest things she’d ever been asked to do, and it felt nice for someone in the middle of everything to recognize that. “I’ll try to work on that,” she said finally. “Could you maybe not mention this to Jon, though? If he starts trying to convince me again, I’m pretty sure I won’t survive it.”
Lawton stared at her, expressionless, then paused to catch the attention of a young man walking by with a tray full of pink champagne glasses. He snagged two when it got sufficiently close, draining one in a single swallow. Kate had just enough time to hope Ned had the good sense to keep Rellie away from any of those trays before Lawton held the other glass out to her. “It’s inferior, but surprisingly fortifying when good brandy isn’t within the immediate vicinity.”
Kate shook her head, amused. “I don’t really like alcohol.”
Lawton sighed. “That explains so much.” Then, as if he’d somehow gotten an answer that satisfied him, he turned his attention back to the swirling crowd. “Your young charges dance with enthusiasm, I’ve noticed.”
Kate just smiled, climbing the first couple of steps of the immense staircase before scanning the crowd for Ned and Rellie. She found them in almost the exact center of the ballroom, twirling happily around the floor in what from a distance appeared to be some sort of mutant version of the waltz. Occasionally, the duo would bump into nearby guests, who would shift away in annoyance without even turning around to get a good look at the source of their troubles. “Jon spent the last couple of weeks teaching Rellie and me how to dance,” she said affectionately, watching them. She wanted to give them as long as she could before getting Rellie for her entrance and staged dance with Jon, both of which were necessary to fuel the information mill Bubbles would
make sure she overheard. “I don’t think Ned’s ever been out on a dance floor before in his life.”
Lawton finished off the second glass of champagne before following Kate up the stairs to get a better look at their current topic of conversation. “I can’t help but note that, despite their rather erratic path, they seem to be making a concerted effort to avoid any of the ballroom’s innumerable entrances. Am I correct in thinking they’re trying to avoid us?”
“In a pathetic attempt to keep some control of the situation, I told Ned he would have to bring them back outside after one dance.” Truthfully, she hadn’t really expected Rellie to listen to the request, and it would be hard for an entire army of dwarves to stop the girl when she was intent on doing something. Ned didn’t stand a chance. “They probably think if they stay away from the doors, I won’t be able to find them and make them stop.”
Kate watched Ned and Rellie pause in the middle of the dance floor, catching their breath in the silence between songs. Rellie leaned close to say something to Ned, who blushed so hard the tips of his ears changed color. Rellie grinned at him, eyes soft and full of affection, and planted a gentle kiss against his cheek. When her lips touched his skin, Ned’s eyes closed.
Feeling the weight of the inevitable hit her, Kate sighed. If it had happened at any other time . . .
At her side, Lawton gave his head a quick shake, like he was trying to get rid of a surprising thought. Following his gaze, it was clear to see that he, too, had been watching Ned and Rellie, and it was enough to make Kate give in to what she’d already known. Just because everything else was a mess didn’t mean someone in the middle of all this didn’t deserve a happily-ever-after.
When Lawton noticed her watching him, Kate smiled. “Romance really is infectious, you know. Worse than a cold.”
Lawton’s eyebrows lifted, smiling wryly. “Is this your professional opinion?”
Kate shook her head, hiking up her skirts and starting down the stairs. “If you’re looking for an expert on romance, the last person you want to talk to is a Fairy Godmother.”
Returning her attention to the crowd, she took a deep breath and plunged in. After what felt like a mile of plumed headdresses, enormous skirts, and shiny gold buttons—which, apparently, could be blinding if the light hit them just right—Kate finally reached the happy couple. She grabbed Rellie’s shoulder, causing the girl to jump like she’d been shouted at. “Rellie, I need to talk to you.” Kate tried to keep her voice as low as possible, despite the orchestra blaring in their ears.
Rellie whipped around to face her, somehow managing to keep her hold on Ned in the process. Her expression was panic, while over her shoulder Ned’s held an equal mixture of guilt and regret.
“Is it time?” he asked, trying to sound brave.
“That’s actually what I needed to talk to you about.” Kate wrapped her hand around Rellie’s arm, pulling it away from Ned’s. “Come with me out into the corridor where we can at least pretend to have some privacy.”
Rellie gave Ned one last tragic, worried look, then stepped away from him and followed Kate just outside the nearest exit. Once the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind them, Rellie inhaled shakily and lifted her chin. “Okay, I’m ready.” Her voice only wavered a little. “But I’m just going to have to dance with Jon, right? I mean, I don’t have to worry about dancing with Rupert until you find him?”
Kate just looked at her, annoyance losing to the sudden rush of sympathy. After all, she knew just how the girl felt. “You don’t have to marry Rupert if you don’t want to.”
Rellie blinked, startled. “I don’t?” Her eyes lit for a second, then faded as her brow wrinkled with thought. “But I thought the point of doing all this in the first place was to get me all dressed up and swoony about the prince.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me we’re going back to that me-marrying-Jon mess.”
“Of course not.” The denial was immediate enough a slow grin spread across Rellie’s face, and Kate had to follow it up with her best quelling look in order to keep the conversation from digressing. “But I also don’t want you to marry someone you’ve never even met when you’re interested in someone else.”
Rellie’s cheeks flushed nearly as red as Ned’s had been. “I . . . it’s not . . .” Her eyes met Kate’s, and she let all the air out of her lungs in a rush. “Now, I know why you always get so goofy-looking every time you’re talking to Jon.”
Kate opened her mouth in denial, then closed it when she realized there was absolutely no safe response.
Then a thought hit Rellie. “Wait,” she said. “Don’t I have to marry Rupert for all of this to work out? I mean, that love potion you mentioned sounded pretty scary, and even if we avoid that stuff, your boss isn’t going to be very happy with you.”
Kate told herself to think positively. If nothing else, when Fairy Godmothers, Inc. tried to sue her she could at least ask Jon to pay for her lawyer without a twinge of guilt. “I’ll try talking to your fa— the man who bought you the contract, convince him that you’re safe and happy and . . .” She waved a hand vaguely, having not had much time yet to work out the specific details of her argument. “. . . don’t need a Fairy Godmother-style happily-ever-after.”
Rellie watched her, an oddly solemn expression on her face. “Do you think it’s going to work?”
No, but it would do absolutely no good telling Rellie that. Besides, Kate didn’t have a better plan at the moment. “I think we have to at least try.” Then, not wanting to answer any more questions, she pushed the door to the ballroom back open. “Now, let’s go find the boys before they get themselves into trouble.”
It was Jon who found them first, intercepting Kate and Rellie before the crowd swallowed them back up. “Is everything all right?” he asked under his breath, not quite able to keep the worry off his face.
He and Kate should at least pretend they wanted to keep his and Rellie’s dance together looking believable, but at his obvious concern Kate couldn’t stop herself from leaning over and pressing a quick kiss against Jon’s cheek. “Everything’s fine,” she said. Behind her, she could hear Rellie trying to jump high enough to see Ned over everyone else’s head. “But we’re not going to need Rupert anymore.”
Jon tensed, moving closer to her. “I’m afraid more explanation is going to be necessary before I’m comforted.”
“It’s obvious Rellie and Ned like each other.” She drew Jon’s attention to the sight of Ned bursting through the crowd, practically skidding to a stop in front of Rellie with a terrified, hopeful look on his face. In response, Rellie threw her arms around his neck. “Okay, so maybe like is too mild a word.” She turned back to look into Jon’s eyes. “Either way, I can’t make her marry Rupert.”
Jon was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to decide what his reaction was going to be. Then he took her hand, holding on tight. “Your boss isn’t going to be thrilled with this new insight of yours.”
Kate took a deep breath, stealing a boost of courage for herself by giving Jon’s hand a quick squeeze. It was cheating, maybe, but she needed it. “I’ll go to Director Carlson and try to convince him that Rellie can be properly settled without the help of a company contract. As long as he doesn’t feel responsible for her anymore, I don’t think he’ll care enough to argue.” She probably wasn’t going to mention that Ned was an intern—she’d try not to talk about him at all—and she’d suggest to Ned that a career at Fairy Godmothers, Inc. was probably not the best life plan for him. “If Carlson withdraws, then there’s no reason for Bubbles to come after you and Rellie, or even Rupert and Rellie, with True Love.”
“I’m starting to feel slightly more comforted,” Jon said. Then, catching something in her eyes, his gaze narrowed and he moved her further out of Rellie and Ned’s hearing range. “Do you think it’s going to work?”
She smiled deliberately, wishing people would stop asking her that question. She wasn’t nearly as good at lying as Jon. “I’m pretty sure you�
��re going to need to find me a new job when this is all over. Even if I manage to convince Carlson, Bubbles isn’t going to like me going over her head.”
Jon lifted her hand to press a gentle kiss to its back. “I’ve already mentioned the job I think would be perfect for you.”
Kate blinked, confused, then realized he was referring to the proposal. She glared at him, even as she felt her heart wobble dangerously. “Let’s try surviving this first, okay? Then maybe we’ll have the time to talk about this little insanity problem you have.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” He squeezed her hand as his gaze shifted to a spot over her shoulder. “Congratulations on not becoming my sister-in-law.”
Kate turned around to see a beaming Rellie, standing in the arms of a rather stunned-looking Ned. Kate had made the decision for Rellie’s sake more than his, but it was probably a good sign he looked more awed than afraid. “I know! Isn’t it great?” Rellie hesitated, wrinkling her nose a little as she mentally reviewed what she had just said. “Not that you would have made a bad brother-in-law, but—”
Jon held up a hand. “I understand.”
Rellie settled back, relieved. “I mean, we still need to do the dance and everything so that this Bubbles lady doesn’t get tipped off, but I’m not worried about that part. You’re a pretty good dancer when we’re not worried about marrying each other.”
At the word “marry,” Ned winced. “Not that I’m not all for making sure Bubbles doesn’t come after us with the pointy end of her wand, but haven’t we already screwed up the big dance? Rellie’s been dancing with me all night, and you and Jon are practically radiating.” At Kate’s flushed cheeks, he cleared his throat and wisely skipped ahead to the next part of his thought. “Even if Rellie and Jon dance, isn’t everyone going to know they’re not really together?”
Jon looked over at Kate with the edges of a grin. “We were radiating?”
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. Page 16
