Page 28 of Unwanted Vows

“Because I won’t go, Mom,” Paul says, tucking himself in under my elbow. “But he really doesn’t seem like a bad person. He helped make a safe pen for Carousel.”

“Carousel?” I ask. “Nevermind, if it will keep Paul safe, I will do it.”

SO HAPPY TOGETHER

ANDREW

I can see the idea of moving in together terrifies Madeline. She didn’t share what my grandfather had threatened, but I could guess. He wanted me, and I refused him. Now he wants Paul, and he will have him as the heir to his gangland “kingdom” any way he can get him. God knows why. Grandfather Aims was always a law unto himself.

Charles has already hired me. It seems he had a convenient gap in his staff at the clinic. Austin and Richard are going over the house with me. “Are you sure about this?” Austin asks. “Ms. Northernfield is well respected here, by her patients, her co-workers, and the community. No one, and that includes me, is going to bat for you if you hurt her.”

I scrub wearily at my face. Madeline and I had put in another four hours at the fair, dealing with more of the usual — upset stomachs, sunburns, and accidents that could have been avoided if people bothered to read signs or pay attention to where they were. I am tired to death, but at least we’d not had any more assaults of any kind. Maybe that was due to the vigilant presence of Austin and his security force pacing through the crowds with their dogs at their sides.

Grandfather’s plane is scheduled to land in three hours. It seems that even he cannot get a jet cleared for takeoff and landing on a whim. I’m grateful for the extra time.

“I want her safe,” I say. “If she is engaged to me — handfasted, as my sister-in-law calls it — then she is under your protection and that of Ildogis.”

“She’d be under my protection anyway,” Richard growls. “We’ve just discovered a handsome young nephew. Do you think I’d turn him over to grand-terror Aims? The old man scared the beJesus out of me when I was a teen. I’m incredibly grateful that Dad set up Lane Enterprises separate from Aims Corps. I was enough of an ass in my early career without having to kowtow to the old monster.”

“You weren’t a total terror,” Austin puts in. “But we are all grateful to Kandis for her civilizing influence.”

“Thank you for that faint praise,” Richard shoots back. “And we are equally grateful for the way you sheltered Rylie. She was always a sweet kid, but given to flights of fancy. We thought that was all that was going on between her and her betrothed.”

“Lee has a good brain,” Austin defends his wife. “The rest of you just need to learn how to listen to her.”

“You could fool me,” Richard snorts. “Today she told me the orange blossom fairies object to lawn runoff.”

“Too much nitrogen,” I say.

“What?” Both Richard and Austin look at me.

“There’s too much nitrogen in the lawn fertilizer. Plus, someone probably used an herbicide somewhere upstream of your orchard. Rylie has found a poetic way of putting it, but there are practical solutions. See if you can divert the runoff into a holding vat and distill it. I think that will take care of the problem. Tulok can tell you more about how to purify water.”

“Who?” Richard asked.

“On first base,” Austin said.

“What did he say?” I ask, looking at Richard.

“I dunno,” he and Austin chorus, grinning like a pair of apes in a banana patch.

Austin relents and says, “Who’s on First. It’s an old Abbott and Costello comedy routine. You should watch it sometime.”

I glare at them. “My life is topsy-turvy, and you two are cracking wise.”

“Best time,” Austin said. “You laugh a little, clear out some of the adrenaline and cortisol. Then you can think better, and make better choices. It’s not about disrespect, it’s tension relief.”

“All right, you two wise guys,” I start to say.

Richard blanches and holds up a hand. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Wise guy is another name for Mafia, hmmm, I guess you’d call them soldiers. Grandfather Aims has a whole squad or six of “wise guys.”

I blink twice. “Yeah. I should have remembered that. It’s been a long time since I had to deal with him or with Dad. Sorry, Rich.”

“It’s cool,” Richard says. “It’s just that Kandis and I worked hard to clean up Lane Enterprises. Dad had already started making all our business operations legit, but we still had some corners to sweep out.”

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