Page 74 of Iron Unicorn

“We can figure out how to transport a service pony,” the princess confirmed. “I’ll get Jack on the move, and we’ll be ready to fly within the hour. It’ll take that long to make all the calls needed to get the heart confirmed, contact all the recipients, and route the organs to their next destination. I’ll see if we can get all recipients sent to Maine if they aren’t already there. I’ll take care of getting a plane. I’m sure Pat and Jessica can get us in the air in a timely fashion. I’ll text you with updates.”

I thanked her before hanging up. Returning my phone to my pocket, I returned to Jane, who was lost in Olivia’s eyes and smiling from ear to ear.

The princess told her the story about how she got her first pony. Having heard the tale more than a few times, I understood how much pain the woman hid behind a brave veneer.

Pride had been a gift from her parents before their deaths.

Will returned, deciding to join me rather than distract the little girl from Olivia’s story. “I’m trying to find out how to buy the pony for her.”

I snorted. “I beat you to the chase.”

Montana’s king narrowed his eyes at me. “You used the RPS.”

“She’s terminal,” I informed him in a low enough tone to prevent Olivia from overhearing me. “She needs a heart. Texas’s healthcare system can’t handle the bill. Melody saw her medical file, and the estimate is quite high.”

He heaved a sigh. “Nobody is going to adopt her, then. Some will get adopted from the event, but not a little girl who needs a heart. You can’t just conjure a heart out of thin air. Or the money needed for the care.”

“You’re right. Nobody is going to adopt her because I’ve already asked Carl to send the case to King Patrick. And there’s a heart. I was only going to buy the pony for her, but then I found out she’s terminal.”

“You’re really adopting her.”

“Is that so hard to believe?” I raised a brow at him.

“No, I’m just amazed at the absurd amount of impulsiveness involved with this happening.”

I allowed myself a smile. “But look at how much joy Olivia is bringing to her, Will. I can’t do that—but I can buy her a heart, so I will. I’m going to end up poor at this rate, but I’d rather be poor and know that little girl has a chance at a good life.”

“And a chance at a family.”

“Oh. No. I’ll just be a stealth dad in this case. Her real parents are alive and gave her up for adoption hoping she might get a heart and treatments. I’m going to bring their daughter back to them. And if they don’t want custody, I’ll give them visitation rights. Right now, they’re watching her from the shadows. And you know? She deserves better. Not so alone a service pony goes to fetch somebody to try to fix it. She’s lonely and hurts, Will.”

“And while you can’t save everyone, you can save her, so you will. All right. What’s the bill?”

“The bill is going to New York for payment, but it’ll be six hundred thousand.”

“We’ll make a pool for her. It’s for the better this way. If you weren’t going to do it, the instant I found out she was terminal, I would have. Are you going to tell Olivia that you’re actually a single dad with a daughter?”

I considered it, laughing at the chaos such a thing would surely create. “No, but I expect we’ll be having quite the interesting talk over dinner tonight.”

“No kidding.”

SEVENTEEN

“Just like your squirrel thought you were available?”

It tookseven minutes for Carl to involve His Royal Majesty of Texas and get a confirmation that there would be no red tape nor delays getting Jane’s paperwork handled. Maine issued clearance for her to enter their kingdom, and Rachel issued her a New York passport to pave the way and give her as many protections as possible. Even if custody changed back to Jane’s parents, the passport would be hers for life.

I listened to Olivia regale Jane with tales of her horses and the trouble she got into as a child, and she’d gathered the entire lot of children for impromptu story time. Will brought Olivia a chair, and I battled the nastiest foe in any kingdom: paperwork.

While I understood Jane wouldn’t be part of my life for long, I would never forget the brief moment of time I’d decided to have a daughter. The gamble would stick with me for life, long after the little girl received her donor heart and treatments for the conditions that kept her a prisoner in her own body.

Eddie joined me, and he clapped my shoulder. “I thought about doing the same.”

“I’ve found that if you think in situations like this, the opportunity flies out of reach. She was lonely, Eddie.”

“Yeah. The empaths are all upset over it. You’re exerted, so you didn’t get nearly as bad a dose of it as they’re getting. It was the equivalent of emotional screaming, and there were so many kids they couldn’t figure out which one was tripping their triggers. How did you figure it out?”

I pointed at the service pony, who rested her head on Jane’s lap. “The pony was just doing her job and looking for help, and I was someone away from the crowd and available, I guess.”

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