Bonds

by Susan Copperfield

  “I’ve gotten the message. Kevin seemed to have been hinting at that, too. He did tell Melody to talk to His Royal Majesty of Montana.”

  “He’s a good person to talk to, as he can verify the truth that you’re both serious. He won’t oversee any unions without both in the partnership being fully invested. He’s already aware you’ve captured Her Highness’s interest, so expect a conversation. If you’re interested, too, he’s the ideal person to discuss your choices with, and he can make arrangements for any official documentation you may need. He enjoys sticking it to traditionalists, as his relationship with his queen is anything but traditional.”

  “They seemed like nice people in France.”

  “That’s because they are nice people. I expect your past has colored you against royalty, but you’ll find them good allies and better confidants.”

  “I have an allergy to royalty.”

  “Yet you’re being pursued rather intently by a princess. She looks like she’s ready to come over and rescue you from my clutches. She’s stopped arguing with the royal physicians.”

  It took a great deal of effort to keep myself from looking her way. “As I told Kevin, I have a thing for doctors who are prettier and smarter than I am.”

  “I can see all hope for you is lost. If you plan on formalizing your surrender in Montana, please convince Her Highness she doesn’t need to fight to keep you. I’ve been attacked with enough shoes for one lifetime.”

  “That implies you’ve been attacked with shoes more than once,” I replied, wondering how the RPS agent found himself in situations where he might be attacked by angry women armed with shoes.

  “It’s a hazard when working with headstrong princesses who are ready to take over the world. You’ll get used to it.”

  I would? I debated my options but decided Maine’s princess was worth the possibility of being attacked with a shoe. “Do you teach self-defense courses? I think I might need them, especially if I might be attacked by headstrong princesses wielding shoes.”

  “I can make some proposals for training that can be done as part of your physical therapy.”

  “Should I be worried that you have ideas for how to train me to protect myself from princesses wielding shoes?”

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  I wasn’t sure what I thought about that, but I decided it didn’t matter. I’d already made my decision, and I saw no need to change my mind.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Due to unexpected snowfall in Montana, which closed the royal airstrip until it could be cleared, our plane landed at the international airport in Billings.

  It joined the ranks of airports I never wanted to fly into again, as the mountainous conditions and weather led to a rather bumpy landing. Sparrow, who rode on my lap thanks to the loss of her carrier, dug every last one of her claws into my leg. I grimaced, wished I hadn’t fallen prey so easily to the kitten, and endured despite my reflexive desire to fling the animal off my lap.

  Melody reached over and extracted my kitten’s claws from my flesh, clucking her tongue. I couldn’t tell who had earned her disapproval, but it didn’t take her long to free me. “Gentle, Sparrow.”

  Did the princess truly believe a cat would listen to an order given by a mere human?

  To prove she had no intention of listening to Melody, Sparrow sank her claws into me again and cowered on my lap. The plane bumped a final time before rolling to a halt, and rather than complain my leg had bloody holes in it, I pet my kitten. Following Melody’s example, I removed her claws, continuing to pet her the entire time. “Do all kittens train from birth to have knives attached to their paws?”

  “Yes. Kitten claws are awful. Kitten claws can probably cut through steel.”

  “How do you figure the carriers contain them?”

  “Possibly magic. Let me take her off the plane. Montana needs to do their health checks, and it’s just easier if I handle the whole thing. Next time we travel with the animals, I’ll show you how to handle all the forms, but I’d rather you take it easy for now. You’ve earned a break, and I’m used to this.”

  “What am I supposed to do while you take care of that?”

  “Unfortunately, this airport has all of that awful stadium style food you enjoy, including corn dogs. A lot of baseball fans fly in to here for games, so they always have stands.”

  I handed over my kitten, checked my pockets for my phone and the new wallet that had been foisted on me with temporary cards and some cash, and gave a satisfied nod. “I am ready to explore the airport in search of food you do not approve of.”

  “Try not to gorge and fall asleep somewhere. Also, stick with your agent. Geoff said he’d have one assigned to you in the airport, and arrangements for a permanent team will be established in a few days. Until then, you’ll float between various teams.” Melody turned in her seat. “Geoff? It’s not a problem if Jack indulges in a bite to eat while I handle the animal exams, is it?”

  The Montana RPS agent chuckled. “Not a problem at all. I’ll be taking Kevin to the hospital for his proper examination and a better look at how his arm is healing, but there are agents already in place ready for you. Jack, you’ll get a temporary agent while you look for something to eat. Just stick to after-security sections of the airport. Any dietary requirements for him, Your Highness?”

  “Don’t let him fall asleep somewhere after he gorges. He’s still recovering from talent exertion, and he needs the extra calories. What I don’t know won’t hurt me today.”

  I translated that to mean I could eat as much unhealthy food as I wanted. “You’re the nicest doctor I’ve ever had. They usually scold me if I even think about eating anything unhealthy.”

  “I can scold you later if you’d like.”

  According to the various sighs from nearby RPS agents, I was a deer, Melody was on the hunt, and they were wondering if I needed to be rescued. “If I say what I’m thinking, we might give the RPS agents a collective stroke.”

  “Strokes are troublesome in the best of situations, so let’s avoid giving them to so many upstanding RPS agents at one time. We can discuss what you’re thinking in private tonight.”

  “I’m up for a discussion in private tonight.”

  The last thing I expected a princess to do was leer, but she aimed one my way. “I bet you are.”

  “Despite appearances,” Kevin announced, “he is a willing participant in this. Geoff spoke to him about the situation. He did not opt to run away, so he only has himself to blame for whatever happens to him tonight. He probably won’t mind.”

  “Geoff,” Melody complained.

  “Your Highness,” the RPS agent shot back, mimicking her whine. “It’s policy. If you want His Royal Majesty to cater to your desire to secure a husband for yourself, it’s a requirement. As he’s a willing participant, you can start the next phase of the paperwork if you can convince him to sign the documents. I’ve already notified His Royal Majesty you might be approaching him, so he’s already made the proper arrangements on his end. That said, he voiced a complaint that Montana has become the chosen elopement kingdom of the Royal States, and if young princess and princesses could resolve their love life woes at home for a change, he’d be appreciative.”

  “This is better,” Melody replied, lifting her chin. “Sparrow can be the bridesmaid of honor, and Mr. Asshole can be the best man.”

  I tried to figure out how we’d gone from Geoff asking me if I was all right with Melody pursuing me to discussing wedding arrangements. With my lack of success at dating, I wasn’t necessarily against the idea, but I tended to keep my irresponsible actions limited to jumping from helicopters and the occasional plane. “How did this turn into arranging a marriage?”

  “You failed to run when the opportunity was presented,” Geoff replied. “It’s become quite the trend for couples to elope and do an official wedding later. It seems the younger generation has determined if they do not take matters into their own hands, the choice will be
made for them. This isn’t an incorrect belief.”

  “The Royal States has issues. That’s Dark Ages sort of talk, Geoff. Did we somehow regress to the Dark Ages?”

  “Sometimes, I truly believe so. It’s okay to tell her to slow down if you’re concerned about the situation. I’ve found young royals snatching their freedom of choice do tend to be a little hasty.”

  “Are you being hasty, Melody?”

  “Yep.”

  I shrugged. “Can’t argue with blunt honesty, Geoff. And she doesn’t mind me gorging on hot dogs without supervision. Where else am I going to find a doctor like that?”

  “A shady medical center.”

  I laughed. “She’s much better than a doctor from a shady medical center.”

  “Thank you, Jack.”

  The plane taxied to a terminal, and I heaved a relieved sigh when the disembarking process began. “That’s how every flight should go: without incident.”

  “Amen,” Melody agreed, placing my kitten on her shoulder so she could retrieve Mr. Asshole from beneath the seat in front of her. The old cat mewed his complaints, which she soothed with gentle words and slipping her hand inside to pet him. “Almost done, baby. Then you get to be treated like a king at the castle for a while. Maybe His Royal Majesty will have some kittens we can play with.”

  “When does His Royal Majesty not have kittens underfoot?” Geoff muttered. “He goes to the shelter once every week or two and brings home a new adoptee. It’s a ritual. We’re being overrun.”

  “Just how many animals live at the castle?” I asked, trying to imagine how many pets came home with the king each year if he went to the shelter on a weekly basis. “That’s a lot each year.”

  “We know. Trust me, we know. We have staff dedicated to taking care of the animals. At last count, the castle had seventy-six dogs, twenty-two puppies, and almost two hundred cats and kittens. I stopped counting the horses.”

  “A hundred and three horses,” a deep-voiced man said from the front of the plane. “I’d have more but I ran out of stalls and the wife won’t let me build new ones. How was your flight, Geoff?”

  “It went without incident, Your Majesty.”

  In France, His Royal Majesty of Montana hadn’t seemed quite so intimidating, but I suspected I’d been overwhelmed. In a more private environment, I was keenly aware of his presence, which had an edge he’d lacked before. His easy-going smile was in place, but he moved with wary tension, something I’d seen before in search and rescue from those fresh off a shift.

  “Good. You’re looking well for survivors of a plane crash. How are your patients doing, Melody?”

  Melody rose and, careful to keep my kitten on her shoulder, hauled Mr. Asshole up and set his carrier on the seat. “The agent needs a trip to the body shop, the future prince needs hot dogs and some tender loving care. I’ll have to check his talent exertion symptoms in a clinic, but he’s doing better. He needs calories more than anything else right now, and he likes stadium dogs.”

  “Go to the concession stand at Gate C,” His Royal Majesty suggested. “They’re the best. Alfred? Mind taking care of Jack?”

  “Of course.” An older RPS agent, one I recognized from France, stepped past the king and offered me a grim smile and his hand. “Welcome to Montana, Jack. While I’m regretful the RPS won’t be able to get you because a princess got her hands on you first, it’s nice to see a royal who can take care of himself—and others—for a change.”

  His Royal Majesty of Montana huffed. “I’m hurt, Alfred.”

  “A king who steals airplanes to go on dalliances with his wife without supervision does not get to participate in this discussion. You need remedial piloting lessons, and if you would please stop damaging your plane when landing, I would appreciate it.”

  “I scraped the wing. This is not the end of the world, Alfred.”

  “I’ll try not to cause you any trouble,” I said, shaking the agent’s hand. “I’ve had enough trouble for a while.”

  “We all have. Geoff, please don’t let His Majesty do anything foolish today. He’s met his quota for the next month. Her Majesty will have our heads on a platter this time. For certain. She also said, and I quote, ‘bring that poor princess to me immediately.’ She has not been notified that the princess wishes to elope yet.”

  “Thank you for that, Alfred. That’ll give us a few minutes of peace. Maybe. I’ll make sure Her Majesty understands we have to go to the hospital and attend to her pets first.”

  I pointed at Sparrow. “The little black and gray one is mine.”

  Geoff chuckled. “For however long it takes Her Highness to convince you to sign the paperwork she wants signed.”

  Laughing, I stood and pet my kitten. “She’s still mine no matter what paperwork is signed.”

  “I’ve turned him into a crazy cat man. I’m so proud.” Melody grinned, lifted Mr. Asshole up, and put the strap on her shoulder, careful to keep from dislodging my kitten. “I’ll return her to you soon. They’ll do a thorough medical exam, check for worms, fleas, and the usual stuff cats can contract in the woods, and handle any treatments needed. At most, it’ll be two or three hours, and that includes going with Kevin to the hospital afterwards. Try not to eat everything in the airport. Alfred? He’ll gorge and try to find somewhere to sleep on you. It’s inevitable. If you keep him walking, he’ll probably stay conscious for longer. I recommend directing him to the castle once he stops eating but before he decides consciousness is optional.”

  “I’ll take care of him,” the agent promised. “And should he decide consciousness is optional from over indulging, I’ll ensure he does so in an acceptable location.”

  I made a note to become allies with all RPS agents, as they were the true rulers of royal life. While Melody rolled her eyes, I grinned and said, “I think we’re going to get along just fine, Alfred.”

  “Glad to be of service.”

  I never made it to the corn dogs; three hot dogs did me in, and an amused Alfred herded me through the airport to make sure I walked it off without falling asleep somewhere Melody wouldn’t approve of.

  “Her Royal Majesty had similar troubles when she was going through physical therapy. While trauma and talent exertion are significantly different, some of the issues are the same. She couldn’t go near food without passing out within ten minutes, and she wasn’t nearly as easy to get moving as you are.”

  “I’ve done some physical therapy before, so I know how important it is to keep moving without indulging in a nap. Just never for something this severe. It’s usually been for sprains that kept me off my feet for a while.”

  “Search and rescue is dangerous work.”

  That it was. “I think RPS work might be even more dangerous. I just try to recover the mess afterwards. You all have to prevent the mess from happening in the first place. If Montana is anything like Maine, I don’t know how you all handle the stress.”

  “Montana isn’t much like Maine. Maine has been plagued with problems for years.”

  “That’s something. The situation in Maine is infuriating.”

  “I’m curious as to your reasons why.”

  “They’re nice people. Melody is one of the nicest doctors I’ve met, and her father seems to be just as nice. They’re a little obsessed with sports, though.”

  “Maine does have a reputation for being enthusiastic about their teams.”

  “What’s the deal with Geoff asking if I wanted to escape Melody, anyway?”

  Alfred sighed. “His Royal Majesty is very concerned about younger royals being pressured into forming relationships they may not truly want or be ready for. It’s a common trend. When pushed long enough into marriage, young men and women will marry someone—anyone—so they have a say in the matter. Montana’s RPS has adopted policies to make sure that any couple coming to Montana for assistance genuinely wants the relationship. In some cases, it’s a matter of confirming a bond exists.”

  “Melody is capable of bonding.”


  “And the possibility she is bonded to you is a real cause for concern.”

  “For concern? Why concern?”

  “Ultimately, do you not think mutual love is a better reason to form a relationship?”

  I stared at him as though he’d lost his mind. “What is there not to love? Have you actually met the woman?”

  The RPS agent sighed. “I see it’s too late for you. My report will be short, at least. I’ll simply write you are smitten and beyond salvation.”

  “I’m okay with this. Do you need my approval or anything? The last few weeks have been interesting.”

  Had it just been Melody and I, I suspect we would’ve found interesting ways to keep warm. The thought had crossed my mind a disconcerting number of times, but I’d done a good job of ignoring my interest in the woman.

  Mostly.

  “We’re either going to have to put you in the same suite or on opposite ends of the castle. Which would you prefer?”

  “I’m going to let Melody decide that.”

  “She’s going to have you in the same suite, possibly chained so you don’t escape. Royalty tend to get possessive when they’re preparing to settle down, especially the young ladies. They have a harder time securing partners in some ways.”

  “They do? I’d figure they could just point at a prince, snap their fingers, and win. My exposure to queens and princesses is fairly limited, but every last one I’ve met? They’re not wilting lilies.”

  “Her Highness has been for most of her life. She’s assertive in the operating room and with patients, but not in other elements of her life.”

  I tried to imagine Melody as anything other than assertive and found myself unable to. “Really?”

  “You don’t see it, do you?”

  “She’s always been assertive with me.”

  “Love changes people, even royals—and that’s usually a good thing. But you’ll see that part of her one day, and I have the feeling you won’t like it. I suggest you prepare yourself for that reality so it doesn’t catch you by surprise. I’ve met most royalty, and Princess Melody of Maine is not, outside of her work, all that assertive.”