Courting Carolina

by Chapman, Janet

  “That was a mother trying to get a handle on the man her daughter has fallen in love with,” Nicholas said, lifting the stirrup on his saddle to expose the cinch.

  “Jane’s not in love, she’s just infatuated with a ski bum who treated her like an ordinary, grown woman.”

  Nicholas gave a snort, tightening the cinch strap. “Keep telling yourself that, MacKeage, and maybe you’ll start believing it.”

  “Two questions,” Alec said, deciding to ignore that comment and move on. “First, why doesn’t Titus just use the magic to come and go?”

  Nicholas lowered the stirrup and turned to him. “The official story is that he and Rana made a conscious decision to live like normal, ordinary people. But unofficially,” he said with a grin, “I happen to know that popping around the world and traveling through time upsets Rana’s stomach, so Titus only uses the magic when he absolutely has to if she’s with him. Next question?”

  “Will you marry Jane and live in this century?”

  Nicholas stared at him for several heartbeats. “Do you have a sister, Alec?”

  “Aye, one, a couple of years younger than me.”

  “Then you understand my feelings for Lina. And I’m sure you also understand that I will do whatever is required to make sure she’s safe and as happy as is possible.”

  Not particularly liking that answer, Alec asked another question. “Can you explain to me why Titus simply doesn’t tell Rana and Jane about the birthday deadline? They’re both strong, intelligent women, so what’s he protecting them from?”

  Nicholas hesitated, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at Alec, then released a heavy sigh. “Titus nearly lost Rana when Carolina was born,” he said quietly. “My mother was the island’s midwife, and I was only seven at the time, but I’ve subsequently learned that up until that point, Titus hadn’t believed he could lose Rana—or his children, for that matter. He was so shaken by that realization that he appointed my mother as the family’s personal healer and moved us into the palace.” He grinned. “My father was quite excited to be named royal gardener, and I was immediately given a bedroom next to Carolina’s, along with the job of keeping the princess safe and happy until the day I turned her over to her husband.”

  “At age seven?” Alec said in disbelief. “You became Jane’s bodyguard while still a kid yourself?”

  “It wasn’t exactly taxing for the first six or seven years, and I was fourteen by the time Lina was old enough to start roaming the island.” He grinned again. “And by then Titus had made sure I was well trained.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why he won’t tell them why Jane has to get married.”

  “He’s afraid, Alec. If Rana ever finds out that he made a deal with the gods to keep his daughter safe until her thirty-first birthday, and that in three months they’ll be free to come after Lina, Titus is afraid the worry might be too much for her.”

  Alec snorted. “That woman is about as frail as a big old mama bear.”

  “I agree. But few people realize that Rana’s actually a mortal, and after nearly losing her in childbirth, Titus lives in fear that even his considerable power won’t be able to save her next time.” He shook his head. “If anyone ever wanted to paint a portrait of what love looks like, they’d only need to have Titus and Rana pose for them.” He chuckled, gesturing at the campfire. “You saw them tonight; even after thousands of years of marriage, they’re still crazy about each other, and one of their greatest joys seems to be trying to outfox each other. You have to admit that Rana inviting her own suitors to the ball just to make a point was nothing short of genius.” He turned and mounted his horse. “You were given a rare treat tonight, Alec. Rana rarely involves anyone other than immediate family in her battles with Titus, which tells me one of two things. Either she’s getting quite desperate, or she’s already decided you’re family.”

  But then Nicholas sobered. “I really don’t want to marry a woman I consider a sister,” he growled. “And I also hope that Lina gets to stay in this century. But unlike Mac, I prefer she marry a MacKeage.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if it’s you or Niall, just as long as she’s happy.” He leaned down. “If you care at all for Lina, don’t force her to sacrifice herself trying to uphold her father’s position as king of the drùidhs.”

  “Are you saying she really won’t say no to him?”

  Nicholas straightened with a sigh. “I’m saying that Lina feels the same powerful duty to protect the drùidhs that Titus does. She understands that the Trees of Life are all that’s ensuring mankind’s survival, so even though she doesn’t know why her father is demanding she marry, ultimately she will obey him. She might have come to you as Jane Smith, but at her core she will always be Princess Carolina.” He softly snorted. “If there’s one thing that Rana and Lina have taught me over the past thirty years, it’s that men don’t hold a monopoly on honor and duty. And the Oceanus women have spent their lives walking a precarious line trying to honor their own self-worth and their duty to humanity.”

  He spurred his horse forward toward the trail. “Marry Lina for me, MacKeage,” the bastard said with a suspiciously cheery wave as he disappeared into the darkness, “and if I stay in this century, you can introduce me to your sister.”

  Alec stared after him, fighting the urge to throw up.

  Christ, she was going to do it; Jane was going to marry one of those goddamn mortals in nine days. And even if he did manage to finish picking them off one at a time, she would just dutifully marry Nicholas—without even knowing why.

  Something pressed heavily against his leg, and Alec looked down to see Kit staring up at him, the light of the fire reflecting in his lupine eyes, the braid of Jane’s hair looking somewhat tattered as the wolf held the bottle of ancient liquid gold in his mouth.

  Alec shuddered trying to dislodge the bus sitting on his chest, took the Scotch away from Kit, and walked to the campfire. He sat down, uncorked the bottle and took a long, long swig, then poured a bit in his hand and held it out. “Go on, you’ve earned it,” he said, letting his thumb brush the side of Kit’s snout as the wolf gently lapped the Scotch. He then reached over and grabbed a leftover can of beer, poured it into his and Nicholas’s mugs, and set them out for the two remaining wolves—having seen the other three following Titus and Rana when they’d left.

  Christ, his campsite felt emptier than ever and too damned silent without Rana’s laughter—which had grown increasingly musical as the Scotch had finally worked its way to her toes. Alec picked up the vellum envelope and stared at his name written in bold yet decidedly feminine script, and softly snorted. He’d like to be a fly on the wall of the elder Oceanuses’ bedroom tonight to see how their royal battle of wills played out behind closed doors.

  Thousands of years of marriage, Nicholas had said, and Rana and Titus were still madly in love with each other.

  And mother and daughter could be twins but for their age difference.

  Dammit; Jane had no business loving him, because he sure as hell had no business thinking he could make an anything-but-ordinary woman happy for even ten years, much less thousands.

  Alec leaned over just enough to reach in his hind pocket and pulled out the letter Nicholas had given him—that Jane had hidden in the privy. Well, the woman certainly didn’t lack for creativity, he thought with a humorless chuckle. He unsheathed his knife and slit open the envelope, pulled out the single piece of Nova Mare stationery and unfolded it, and chuckled again at the salutation written in bold, feminine script.

  Dear Idiot,

  Stay the hell away from Nova Mare!

  Sincerely,

  Carolina Oceanus

  P.S. Thank you for returning MOST of my

  belongings, but there appears to be one item missing

  from my jewelry pouch. I would like it returned

  as soon as possible, please, as I have a pressing

  need to USE it.

  P.P.S. Oh, and thank you for the wonderfulr />
  education, as I believe it will come in quite

  handy very SOON.

  Okay then. Forget pissing off her father; Jane was ready to feed him to the orcas.

  But then, he had promised to be her champion.

  And last time he checked, he was strong and fearless and mortal.

  Alec refolded the letter and slid it in the envelope with a heavy sigh, guessing it was time he shoved the goddamn bus off his chest and started courting Carolina.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Four long, tiring days of doubling her efforts to appear interested in her three remaining suitors, putting up with Aaron and Sir Garth’s posturing at the fading handprint on her cheek as they swore to avenge her if they ever got their hands on the infidel, and all but turning cartwheels trying to get Niall MacKeage to just friggin’ kiss her, was starting to take its toll. Sweet Prometheus, it was time to start panicking.

  Jane stormed into her cottage while shedding her jacket and then rounded on Nicholas the moment he closed the door. “Thanks for the help,” she snapped, so angry she actually stamped her foot. “How in Hades am I supposed to know which one to pick if you keep scaring them off just when things start getting interesting?”

  Apparently not the least bit impressed by her show of temper, Nicholas also shed his jacket—exposing the modern gun he probably wore to bed—and pulled an equally modern lighter out of his pocket as he strolled to the fireplace. “I didn’t want to be holding your hair back over the bushes while you threw up after Devonshire kissed you,” he said with maddening calm as he crouched down and placed a few pinecones on the grate and set them on fire. He started adding kindling. “I’ll make a deal with you,” he continued, twisting on the balls of his feet to give her a grin. “In exchange for your doing me a favor, I’ll keep my distance when Niall takes you fishing up at the high-mountain pond tomorrow afternoon.”

  Jane folded her arms under her breasts. “I promised Olivia I’d watch the cherub tomorrow afternoon while she runs some errands.”

  “Perfect,” he said with a chuckle, turning back and adding a couple of logs to the snapping kindling. He stood up and faced her, his eyes crinkled with amusement. “Ella will probably make a better chaperone than me, anyway, and you’ll get to see how Niall is with kids. So, do we have a deal?”

  “That depends on what the favor is,” she said more sweetly than she was feeling.

  He sat down on the hearth and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I want you to design a cottage like this one for me,” he said, waving a dangling hand. “Completely self-sufficient like Nova Mare, using sun and wind energy and whatever that heat exchange system is that comes from the ground.”

  Jane dropped her arms in surprise. “You’re going to move out of the palace? But that’s your—” She clutched her throat on a gasp. “You think Daddy’s going to kick you out when I get married, like you’re…like yesterday’s trash?”

  He stood up and walked over and took hold of her shoulders. “No, Lina, he’s not kicking me out. I’m kicking myself out.” He pulled her into his arms. “I’ve pretty much decided I want to live in this century,” he said against her hair. “And I’m going to buy a boat and a fishing pole and a cooler to keep my beer in, and get drunk and fish and nap in the sun all summer and hibernate like a bear all winter in my cottage. And maybe,” he said gruffly, “I’ll find myself a lady bear to hibernate with me.”

  Jane leaned away. “Ohmigod,” she whispered, feeling her skin prickle as her vision suddenly blurred with threatening tears. “Oh, Nicholas, all these years you’ve put me before…You put your entire life on…” She smacked his shoulder, then struggled against him when he wouldn’t let her go. “Dammit, Nikki! Why didn’t you say you wanted a life of your own?”

  “You were my life,” he said, pulling her into a fierce hug. “It was my choice, not yours or Titus’s or anyone else’s. But you and I have known all along it wasn’t going to last forever.” His chest rumbled with his chuckle. “Hell, Lina, I couldn’t have dreamed up a more exciting thirty years.” He tilted her head back and shot her one of his maddening grins. “Or a more entertaining ending.” He gave her forehead a kiss before turning away to walk back to the hearth, where he stared down at the fire. “I don’t regret one minute of my life, so don’t even think about making me out to be some long-suffering…buffoon,” he said over his shoulder with another grin. “You just worry about making the choice that’s best for you five days from now.” He turned to her. “And design me a cozy cottage just like this one, only larger. Go on,” he said, waving at the desk, “get out some paper.” He headed toward the back rooms and stopped at the bathroom door. “You’ll need to write this down, as I have several requirements that might challenge even your sharp mind.”

  Jane stood gaping at the empty hall when he stepped into the bathroom. Nikki was staying in this century? And fishing and getting drunk and napping?

  And hibernating with a lady?

  Sweet Athena, he’d been waiting for her to fall in love so he could fall in love.

  But Nicholas had always been…well, Nicholas. He was also a guy. She knew he’d had lovers; heck, she’d even introduced him to some of them. But now that she thought about it, he’d never let any of them ever get emotionally close and had always broken it off if they’d started getting…clingy.

  “Princess,” he said in a tone that made her go utterly still, “could you come in here, please?”

  She ran to the hall and stopped in the open bathroom doorway to see him standing in front of the vanity staring at the mirror, which appeared to have something written on it in lipstick and something taped to—

  Jane gasped and ran in and snatched the packet off the mirror and tried to stuff it in her pocket. But Nicholas caught her hand and held it up between them, even as he looked at the mirror again. “This had better still be unopened, lass, the night of the ball,” he quietly read. He looked at her. “Mind telling me what’s going on, lass?” he asked, his eyes as lethal as his tone.

  Jane brushed down the front of her shirt with her free hand—since he wouldn’t give up the one holding the condom. “I really don’t think my love life is any of your business,” she said as she fought down her blush, “any more than your love life is mine.”

  “Until the ball, everything about you is my business.” He reached up and pulled the condom from her hand—after a small tug of war—and stuffed it in his pocket. “How in hell does the bastard keep getting in here?” he growled, finally letting her go, then pushing her ahead of him out of the bathroom.

  Jane ran into her bedroom, trying not to let him see her frantically looking around for other signs that Alec had been there. “Maybe he met the employee bus in the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain this morning and asked one of the housekeepers to leave that message,” she said when Nicholas followed her. She shot him a smug smile and decided to deflect his anger from Alec to herself. “I hid a note in the privy they flew out to Alec the other day, telling him to stay away from Nova Mare.” She winced, only just now realizing her mistake. “Except I contradicted myself by also asking him to return the condom he…um, took out of my jewelry pouch,” she ended in a whisper as she lamely gestured at Nicholas’s pocket.

  “And what were you doing carrying a condom in your jewelry pouch?” he asked really softly as she stared at a spot on the far corner ceiling.

  “I was going to…I thought I might…” She snorted and glared at him. “Okay, look; I thought that if I wasn’t a virgin, then Daddy couldn’t marry me off to some power-hungry buffoon. I carried that stupid thing around for two years,” she growled—only to suddenly hug herself on a shuddering breath. “Except I couldn’t do it,” she whispered, “because I was too fussy.”

  “Lina,” he said thickly. “You know that instead of solving your problem, using that condom only would have compounded it.”

  She looked up, smiling sadly. “I know. I think that’s what Alec thought, too.”

>   Nicholas’s jaw slackened in surprise. “You tried to seduce MacKeage? And he actually managed to keep his hands off you?”

  Jane snorted and threw herself back onto the bed to stare up at the ceiling. “He didn’t exactly— What in Hades am I lying on?” she muttered, jumping up and pulling back the quilt, only to gape at the fist-size rocks scattered all over the sheet.

  “Son of a bitch!” Nicholas roared, grabbing one of the rocks. His jaw slackened again and he grabbed another one. “The damn things are still hot.” He snapped his gaze to the closed window, then bent down and looked under the bed, then walked to the closet and opened the door. He slowly turned, staring in silence at the rocks in his hand for what seemed like forever, then held them toward her. “The bastard was here less than half an hour ago.”

  Having seen Nicholas’s legendary temper surface only twice in her life, and really not wanting to hang around if this was about to become explosion number three, Jane bolted out of the room. Only he caught her just as she reached the front door, then simply grabbed their jackets and dragged her outside.

  Partly because she liked to think she was pretty smart and partly because she was curious as to where he was taking her, Jane remained equally silent as he dragged her down the path toward the resort’s common green. He suddenly shoved both their jackets at her without breaking stride or letting go of her arm and pulled a small walkie-talkie off his belt.

  “Everyone,” he snapped after keying the mike, “report in, beginning with Rowan, from north to east.”

  “I see Dante from where I’m standing, sir, and not so much as a mouse has walked between us,” a voice Jane recognized as Rowan said over the small speaker.

  “Dante here,” another voice said, “and I see Cyril.”

  The radio squelched, and then, “I can see Ephraim not three stadions away,” another voice she assumed was Cyril said, indicating the men were positioned about eighteen hundred feet apart.