Royal Recruit - Susan Grant Page 0,3
popped an Ambien and slept like a baby,” she said. Her laughter made him smile. If Jana was the heart of the family, Evie was the warmth. But that usually got him a dirty look because she took it as a comment on her weight, which in his mind wasn’t a problem. Something was wrong with society if a woman with curves saw them as something to be shed. But lately she’d been taking yoga classes, which she loved. It was the best sign yet that she was getting over divorcing the asshole who’d cheated on her. For a domestic goddess whose home was the heart of her existence, seeing it break up had to be rough. It didn’t seem right that the world was now threatening to come unglued just as Evie was thinking about rejoining it.
She slid her window down and inhaled. Her thick, dark-brown hair blew around her shoulders. “Springtime, finally. Think it’s too early for poppies?”
“Let’s check it out.” He pulled off the road and four-wheeled it through the meadow. Evie’s shrieks of delight echoed in the morning calm as they flew over hills and plunged down gullies. He knew without talking about it that this was what they needed after suffering such a devastating family tragedy and nearly losing their little sister. But they’d always been a lot alike, he and Evie.
Evie was even more disinterested in politics. While he’d gone to Stanford, Evie had suffered through two years at a junior college before realizing her lifelong dream of becoming a wife and mom. They might be Jaspers, but they wanted no part of the glory themselves.
The pickup creaked as it bounced along over dirt and rocks. Evie pointed to a long ditch ahead. “That one,” she cried. “Jump it.”
She screamed as he goosed the gas. The pickup soared over the first ridge and with a jolt came to an abrupt stop with the bumper digging into the mud. His hand flew out automatically to keep Evie from hurtling forward, though her seat belt had locked.
“Sorry about that.” He hoped he hadn’t bent the front end. “You okay?”
But Evie didn’t answer. He followed her gaze to where something large and heavy had dug a long scar in the ground. It went on straight as an arrow for about a half mile.
“The REEF’s spaceship,” she said, frowning.
The family had agreed to store the wreckage of the dead assassin’s spaceship on the property. Unpowered, its cloaking inoperative, it was covered with a tarp. Unlike Cavin’s ship, it was in bad shape.
He put the pickup in reverse. The tires spun in the mud. He killed the engine before he dug in any deeper. “I don’t effing believe this. We’re stuck.”
He got out and took a look at the rear tires. “I’ll need a pull.” There was another four-wheel drive parked in the garage back at the house. He was about to call when he saw the time. “It’s not even seven. Everyone’s sleeping.” Having just returned from Washington and meetings with the president and her cabinet, Jana and Cavin deserved to sleep in. They deserved as much private time as possible. Cavin was the first man Jana had chosen that Jared trusted to make his sister happy.
“We’ve got a little time to kill.” Jared sent a longing glance to the tarp-covered hump. “Come on. Let’s take a closer look.”
“Jared, no. The alien stuff scares me.”
“Aw, come on. Aren’t you curious? I haven’t been inside it yet.” It reminded him of the times he and Evie had gotten in trouble as kids. They’d always been going where they weren’t supposed to, giving and taking dares, playing with gusto. Jana was the quiet, serious one. Except for the summer spent sneaking off to be with Cavin, she’d always behaved.
Jared started walking along the furrow. Evie followed. There was a bounce in her step now. Her hesitance to view the spaceship was crumbling. “Didn’t Cavin say something about staying away?”
“That was when the REEF was alive. The risk’s gone now. In the interest of national security, I say it’s our duty to do a welfare check.”
“Trespass, you mean. I like the sound of that. I’ll tell you what, Jared. The REEF broke into my house, went through my things and scared my dog. I’d be happy to return the favor. This is the next best thing. Let’s go see his ship.”
While hunting for Cavin, the REEF had sneaked into Evie’s house looking for evidence. Evie’s house was holy ground—you didn’t mess