Fairy Godmothers, Inc

NINE



Family Bonding


The secretary barely looked up when Kate teleported into the executive office the following morning, waiting a few minutes before finally acknowledging her presence with a bored expression. “Do you have an appointment?”

Holding both hands and the folder behind her back, Kate reminded herself one more time that the only way to get through this was stubborn patience. It had taken fifteen minutes of not-quite-arguing with Bubbles to even get here, since only supervisors’ wands could connect to any of the executive or director offices. Despite her earlier threat, it seemed Bubbles was only interested in Kate talking to upper management when she could use it as a punishment. “I’m the Fairy Godmother assigned to the case Director Carlson requested. I need to get his approval on a small change that’s been made to the original package.”

After a brief, appraising look, the secretary made a dismissive gesture in the general direction of the waiting area. “Director Carlson has an extremely busy schedule.” Without even glancing at the phone, she returned her attention to the magazine she’d been reading. “I’ll see if he’s available.”

Kate didn’t bother to respond, having no doubt this was where the secretary was prepared to end it. Clearly, she was going to have to find her own way in. She scanned the room to see how likely she was to get past the front desk, and whether or not there were any hulking security guards who might frown on her trying to sneak into the back offices. When she caught sight of a bit of waxed paper sticking out from the edge of the secretary’s garbage can, she stopped and looked at it more closely. A faint streak of something like white icing lined one edge.

Encouraged, Kate turned back to the secretary. “How do you feel about bribes?” she asked brightly, the better to pretend she was joking should the woman not go for it. “Theoretically, of course.”

The secretary’s head lifted with a speed that would have surprised anyone who had been watching her the last few minutes. “What, theoretically speaking, did you have in mind?”

Making sure the smirk didn’t show up on her face, Kate held up a single finger. “One bakery item from Sprat’s, your choice, paid for and delivered to your desk sometime tomorrow.”

“I do love their Poisoned Apple Tarts.” The secretary pondered for a moment, fingernails tapping out a drum roll against her desk. “But how do I know you’ll deliver?”

Kate shrugged, trying to look as honest as someone offering a bribe could manage. “I’m too smart to cheat the person who has access to my pay records.”

“You have a point.” Decision seemingly made, the secretary stood and led Kate toward one of the offices. “Carlson’s been in for more than an hour. From the crashes I’ve been hearing, it sounds like he’s working on his putting game.” Stopping at a door with a brass plaque slightly bigger than all the others, she pushed it open. “Mr. Carlson, your ten o’clock appointment is here.”

The pale blond, slightly pudgy man who had been staring at the shattered remnants of a framed picture turned around with a confused expression. As he moved, his putter swung out to knock over an empty garbage can. “I don’t remember you saying anything about a ten o’clock appointment.”

“I try not to worry you in advance, sir,” the secretary replied, quickly slipping out of the room before any further explanation had to be provided.

In the absence of his normal source of information, the man’s attention moved over to Kate, who felt a little shock of surprise when she noticed the man’s violet eyes—they were only a shade or two paler than Rellie’s. And there was something about the shape of his mouth . . . “You don’t happen to know anything about golf, do you?” he asked, already moving back to his abandoned golf ball. “I bought a ball enchanted for super distance, but when I tried a practice hit it buried itself a couple of inches into the wall.”

Kate took a deep breath, giving herself a quick mental jolt. Now was not the time to get involved in Rellie’s secret family history, especially with as little time as she had to pull this off. “Unfortunately, I don’t. What I actually needed to speak to you about is the Fairy Godmothers, Inc. package you purchased.” The man stopped, confused again, and Kate couldn’t keep her voice from sharpening a little. “For Cinderella? The girl who lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters on Candlewick Lane?”

A flash of guilt crossed the man’s face. “You don’t have to get snippy about it—I’ve had a very busy week.” He leaned down to pick up the ball, then looked back at Kate. “Nothing’s gone wrong with that, has it?”

She watched him carefully for a moment before taking another deep breath. “The assignment is going fine. But there’s been a slight scheduling delay with the fancy dress ball, and I need you to approve another week to finish putting together the package.”

Jon had sounded so cheerful when he’d first told her about the ball, only to turn immediately apologetic when he’d gotten the mirror call later that night telling him about the delay. He’d seemed so upset that he hadn’t made the miracle happen more quickly, which was totally delusional of him and surprisingly sweet at the same time. She’d had the insane urge to kiss him for it before good sense prevailed and pushed the thought away as soon as possible.

So far, she hadn’t been able to stop a small, disobedient part of her brain from counting down the hours—five, plus thirty-two minutes—until she saw him again.

Carlson paused. “Everything’s still according to plan, right? The first step was getting her an appropriately wicked stepfamily, and now she’s got to get married off before she’s too old. Once the wedding happens, I won’t be responsible for her anymore.” He smiled. “Then I can think about golfing full time.”

Kate nodded, biting back a sharp comment he wouldn’t understand or would get her kicked out of the office. “Everything is still going according to plan.”

Carlson breathed a sigh of relief, setting the ball down on a gold-colored tee that looked like a permanent part of the floor. “Then do whatever you need to do. Just let me know when they have the wedding ceremony.” He swung the club back, dramatically enough that Kate had to back up to avoid getting hit. He froze mid-swing and looked over with worry. “Do I have to sign anything?”

Pulling the appropriate sheet out of the folder, Kate kept one eye on the golf club as she moved close enough to hand Carlson the paper. “Along the bottom.” After he signed and handed it back to her, she hesitated before shutting the paper back in the folder. “Director Carlson?” Though the golf ball had reclaimed his attention almost immediately after he’d set down the pen, Carlson did glance back up at the sound of his name. “Is there another paper I need to sign?”

Kate opened her mouth, a thousand completely unhelpful questions swirling around in her mind. She shook her head. More information would not make the truth sound any better. “No.” She turned, heading for the door. “Good luck with your golf game.”

The next crash came before the door closed behind her.


Later that night found Kate in Rellie’s room reading one more time over the coordinates Jon had given her. The spare room they were shooting for was five floors up on the southwest corner of the palace, and even if Jon wasn’t there when they arrived he swore he’d only be a few minutes.

Beside her, Rellie was starting to look impatient. “This is to make sure you don’t transport us into a wall or something, right?” The tone of her voice suggested the possibility of ending up in a wall struck her as far more interesting than standing there reading coordinates.

“There are safety precautions built into the transport spell to keep that from happening.” Refolding the piece of paper and putting it back in her pocket, Kate lifted her free hand to move the wand in the sequence that would activate the transport spell. “Now, don’t let go of my hand, or . . .” She paused, hunting for a threat the girl would find suitably persuasive.

Rellie looked up at her. “Or you’ll poke me with your wand?”

Kate sighed as the magic began swirling around the wand. “Close enough.” Then, murmuring the incantation, she sketched the outline of a doorway in the air. The wand left a glowing pathway, and once she connected the final corner light flooded the entire rectangle. If she squinted, Kate could just barely make out the room on the other side.

Rellie grabbed her hand. “No more double-checking. Let’s do this.”

A moment later they stepped through the glow and into a gently lit room. Kate hoped this was what the back rooms of palaces looked like and she hadn’t just teleported into some duke’s den by mistake. Rellie tightened her grip on Kate’s hand, uncharacteristically silent in the face of a new experience.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, another hand shot out to steady her. As the magical light faded Kate found herself staring into Jon’s relieved gray eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from grinning at him, heart bobbing in her chest like a balloon, and he grinned back as Rellie let go with her usual wide-eyed, delighted expression. “That. Was. So. Cool!” The girl jumped to punctuate the last word, throwing her arms up in clear preparation for a victory dance. “Can we do that every—”

Careful to move in such a way that wouldn’t dislodge Jon’s arm at all, Kate put a finger to her lips and gestured for Rellie to dial her enthusiasm down several notches. “I know it is exciting, but we still have to be quiet. Jon is letting us use this room of the palace because there’s more room here than at your stepfamily’s house, but that doesn’t mean we can bother the rest of the people who are here.”

For a second Rellie looked like she was going to pout. “Wait a minute. If Jon’s just a Fairy Godmother’s assistant, how did he get us into the palace at all? And if you’re in charge of him, why didn’t you just do it?”

Out of the corner of her eye Kate saw Jon shoot her a glance, silently asking if she wanted him to once again handle the lying duties for the evening. Kate gave him a tiny shake of her head while keeping most of her attention on Rellie. Kate had come up with the lie in the first place; the least she could do was help keep it moving occasionally. “Jon has a relative who works in the palace. He’s the one who arranged for us to use the room.”

She tensed as Jon’s face went perfectly still. Rellie, at least, looked cheerful again. “So can we get started dancing now?” The words were spoken in a whisper as audible as most people’s speaking voices, but at least it was a start.

Jon retrieved a jacket from the back of a chair and returned to where Kate and Rellie were standing. “Hold your hands out in the proper dance position.” When Rellie did, he draped one sleeve of the jacket over her right shoulder and put the end of the other in her outstretched left hand. “Tonight, you get to dance on your own.” He moved her other hand to press against the back of the jacket until it held the garment against her stomach. “This is one of Rupert’s favorite jackets, and tonight it’s going to serve as your practice partner.”

Rellie looked skeptically at Jon for a second, then experimentally petted the deep purple velvet of the jacket. “This is really his favorite jacket?”

Jon nodded.

Rellie considered this. “It’s a pretty jacket,” she decided, then thought of something that made her expression go dreamy again. “I wonder what this Rupert guy would think about sparkles . . .” Without waiting for a response, she spun off in what was probably the closest to a waltz she would ever get.

Watching her, Kate couldn’t quite stop smiling. If Rellie and Director Carlson were related, like she suspected, he was an idiot for not being here to see things like this. “Do you really think she and Rupert will do all right together? I know she doesn’t seem like she’s looking for a lot, but she deserves to be happy,” she murmured to Jon as he moved toward her.

“There’s always a chance,” he said quietly, face softening as he watched Kate watch Rellie. “You know, you sounded like I always imagine a mother to sound.”

She turned, shifting so they were that much closer. “Is that a good thing?” Faintly, Kate heard her good sense telling her it was a terrible idea to let herself get this emotionally involved with Jon, but when he looked at her like that it was almost impossible to hear it at all.

“I certainly appreciated it,” he said, moving his hand just enough so his fingers wrapped around hers.

Heart threatening to burst out of her chest, Kate turned back to look at Rellie before she did something ridiculous like declare her undying love for him. “When I told Rellie you had a relative who worked in the palace, your face changed.” She turned back to him. “Did I say something wrong?”

Jon hesitated, then shook his head. “No, it’s just . . . you surprised me a little.” His expression became rueful. “I really do have a relative who works in the palace.”

“Ah.” She hesitated. Given the use of the word “relative” she doubted the person was a member of Jon’s immediate family, and there was something about the careful way he said it that suggested it was a less than easy relationship. “Do you . . . get along okay?” she asked, knowing the question was stupid but not sure of a better way to phrase it.

“I . . .” Jon took a deep breath, a strange smile flickering onto his face. “You know, I’m honestly not sure how to answer that question. We end up having to spend a lot of time together.” He shook his head and squeezed Kate’s hand. “What about your family?”

Kate shrugged. “We don’t spend much time together at all,” she said matter-of-factly, not quite looking him in the eye. “I’m an only child, and my parents separated after I moved out. My mother and I make dutiful phone calls about once a week, but beyond that we pretty much leave each other alone.”

“There are moments I would kill to have that kind of arrangement,” Jon admitted, reaching over with his other hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Kate’s ear. “Your father, however,” he continued softly, “sounds like a man who clearly has no idea what he’s missing.”

A lump caught in her throat as she smiled at him; she coughed, hoping her voice didn’t betray her. “Right now, what I’m missing is a very necessary dance practice with a smooth-talking man standing next to me.”

Jon grinned again. “Far be it from me to let such a travesty continue.” He lifted his arm as they moved into position. “May I have this dance?”

And they were off. At first Kate focused on each step she took, trying to assure herself she was getting better. She’d practiced the steps in the privacy of her own apartment, hoping to speed up the learning process as best she could. No matter what Jon had said, flattening his feet was still a possibility she was in no mood to see.

When they were like this, though, with Jon pulling her closer than proper form probably allowed and saying things to make her laugh, it was easier to let herself enjoy the moment—let herself pretend they could do this forever.

As if on cue, Jon surprised her with a sudden dip. His grin widened at the way she clung to him. “So, I was wondering,” he asked, feigning casualness as he lifted her up for another twirl. “How involved do you want to be in the preparations for the ball?”

Kate lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a trick question?”

He chuckled. “Okay, then, how willing would you be to keep me company tomorrow while I take care of a few things for the ball? It won’t take long, and I’ll even throw in a personalized tour of the city.”

Her heart, who had apparently given up on good sense long before her head had, skipped a beat again. “Really?”

“If that’s a forgivable but misplaced lack of self-esteem on your part, then yes, really.” His voice was warm and a touch exasperated. “If it’s a shock that I have the presumption to even ask something like this, then I throw myself at your feet and beg for mercy.”

Kate didn’t restrain the laugh that bubbled up. “Do I have to answer that?”

Jon’s eyes sparkled like a little boy’s. “Not if you say yes.”

Kate grinned. For a second she felt like flying. “Then yes, I’d love—”

Rellie’s shriek cut off the rest of what was about to say. Both Kate and Jon whipped their heads around to see Rellie clutching Rupert’s jacket to her chest, staring at the surprised man standing in the now-open doorway. The man, Kate noticed in horror, was wearing an unobtrusive, but very definite crown.

Oh, no.

“Your Majesty,” Jon said quickly, giving the words nervous emphasis as he stepped forward. Kate tried to slip her hand out of his so she could get out of his way, but at the first pull Jon’s grip tightened to the point she had no choice but to follow. “You don’t usually spend time in this area of the castle.” The nerves were starting to sound a lot more like annoyance, but since that would be a really bad way to talk to your boss, Kate hoped she was just reading him wrong.

The king looked carefully at Rellie for a moment, then at Kate for what felt like several days. Finally, he turned his attention back to Jon. “You were right about the maids.” He paused. “It seemed wise to try someplace new.”

Jon sighed, closing his eyes a moment. “Fantastic.”

Rellie, having gotten over her initial shock, chose this point to decide silence was no longer the most interesting option available to her. “You’re the king, aren’t you?” she said, dropping Rupert’s jacket to move toward the king with her hand outstretched. “I guess I’m going to be your new daughter-in-law.”

Kate, whose hand was still firmly attached to Jon’s, groaned when she realized there was no way she was going to be able to stop the girl in time.

To the king’s credit, he barely flinched, but his attention swung back to Jon with a surprising amount of speed. “Daughter-in-law?” he asked.

“This is Rellie. She’s got a Fairy Godmothers, Inc. contract to marry Prince Rupert,” Jon responded, and Kate couldn’t help but notice the look of sympathy the king shot in Rellie’s direction.

Turning to Kate, the king said, “And your friend?”

“This is Kate,” Jon said firmly, lifting their joined hands where the king couldn’t help but notice. “She’s Rellie’s Fairy Godmother.” Sensing her cue, Kate curtsied one-handed.

The king stood in silence, watching them, and Kate wondered if he thought Jon was lying somehow. Finally, he blinked, smiling a little as if something pleasant had occurred to him. “Ah,” he said, giving a small, respectful bow in Kate’s direction. “I am very pleased to meet you.”

All Kate was capable of was a nod. “I’m pleased to meet you too, Your Majesty.”

The king then turned his attention back to Jon. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to Lawton about a report.” Before Jon could respond, the king stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Jon winced slightly at the sound of it shutting, causing Kate to turn to him with a worried expression. “How much trouble are you in?”

“As long as the queen doesn’t hear about this, I should be able to deal with it,” he muttered, glaring at the doorway for a few more seconds. “Though I may want to avoid Lawton for the next few days.”

Kate wondered who Lawton was, but didn’t want to stress Jon out more by asking. Rellie picked up Rupert’s jacket. “He seemed like a nice guy,” she said to the room in general. “I wonder if he liked my dancing?”