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Ardol turned and flung up his arms as he left the study. “Can’t do that anymore, either, Dad. I don’t follow your orders anymore. Don’t want to. Don’t need to.”
“Ardol!”
“Bye.”
Chapter Twenty
“I’m sorry I don’t know how to pilot this thing. You must be exhausted.” Jade rubbed Ardol’s shoulders as they soared through the net of stars in the black sky, Leopardine-One behind them.
“I’m strangely energized. For the first time in my life—I can just—plan something. For me. For us! No one can hold a threat over my head that I’ll lose my title if I step out of line.”
“Freedom feels good,” Jade kissed the top of his head.
“You know what else feels good?” Ardol asked.
“What?” Jade smoothed her hands lower, working over his pecs.
“Making love to my wife in our own quarters. And someday in our own house.”
“You sure you want to live on Lynx-Nineteen? It’s about as different from Leopardine-One as you can get,” Jade pointed out.
“I’ll learn how to blizzard-proof the house and raise goats.”
“Oh, no. Seriously? Goats?”
“Goats are cute. Pigs are yummy. Can we raise pigs?”
“Ardol, I have no idea how to raise anything!”
Her husband bucked his hips forward. “Oh, you know how to raise one thing, sweet Queen of mine.”
“I’d tell you that you’re terrible—except I actually think you’re completely wonderful,” Jade whispered, draping herself farther over his shoulders. “When we get docked on that Servali ship, I’m going to make up for the night we missed.”
“What night? We’ve been together every night. Even if we were up all night making calls, we were still together.”
“Ah, but wait.” Jade walked to a bag stashed next to her seat and pulled out several items. “Wine. Candles. Flowers.” She held up a handful of dried flowers that Lena had told her to take with her for good luck.
“I might just fall asleep on you.”
“I love that, too.” Jade smiled and resumed her seat. “Hey, I never did get to tell you what I want to name the store.”
“Let me guess. Ardol’s You Want It, We Got It?”
“No!”
“Jade’s Junk and Stuff?”
“I’ll drink all the wine if you don’t stop,” Jade threatened, but she was laughing.
“I’ll behave. Tell me the name.”
“The Lady and the Leopardine. Do you like it?” What if he thinks it’s stupid? What if he hates it?
“The Lady and the Leopardine. It sounds like a posh place, very elegant—but a little bit like a fairytale.”
Jade sang, “The poor girl with no family did marry the handsome prince.”
“But he turned out to be not so royal.” Ardol frowned.
