2 Unhitched (21 page)

I have to admit it’s a perfect day to spend at Lake Sunshine. There is not a cloud in the sky, and the crisp autumn air does me good. I, however, bow out of fishing and instead sit along the shore, minding Secret and Calla’s frog Henry, who tagged along last minute. Secret is off-leash, chasing butterflies amidst the flowers and playing an approach-avoidance game with the gentle waves that wash up on shore. Henry is in his little gilded cage, ribbiting and staring at the water.

This lake has special memories for me. Located on the edge of our property, this is where Calla and I first bonded over a fart of all things. And this is where I first fell in love with Gallant after he rescued us both from drowning. My fingertips tingle at the memory of wrapping my arms around his bare, rippled chest as he carried us back to the palace on his handsome white steed.

Stop it,
Jane!
I take a deep breath and sigh. I need to get Gallant out of my mind. Playing with a twig, I turn my attention to my father, The Huntsman, who is teaching Calla how to fish. He’s such a good teacher. Patient. Funny. Loving. He adores her as if she were his grandchild by blood. Calla is lucky to have him in her life. I often wish I’d had him in my life when I was a child. A pang of sadness pricks me as I watch the two of them laughing. I hope he’ll be able to stay part of my sweet little girl’s life when she moves on to her new family.

Calla squeals when she catches her first fish. She unhooks the wiggly sliver of silver and throws him back into the water. She’s an animal lover like me. Tears threaten my eyes. I’m going to miss her so much.

My father heads my way, leaving Calla alone by the shoreline. Thank goodness, I no longer have to worry so much about her drowning. I taught her how to swim. Like me, she’s now an excellent swimmer.

“My dear, you don’t look yourself,” says my father, crouching on the sand next to me. “Are you alright?”

I tell my father I have a touch of the flu. No big deal. I don’t want to worry him with my marital problems that have made me physically and emotionally sick.

His concerned green eyes connect with mine. “How’s your friend with the cheating husband doing?”

His question takes me by surprise, but I manage to hammer out a response.

“I told her your story, but she refuses to believe that her husband is having just a little fling. She wants to hire a private investigator to follow him.”

“I know just the person,” says my father brightly, happy that he can help.

My ears perk up. It makes sense that my father, The Huntsman—Mr. Law and Order—would know someone in this field. “Who?” I ask, trying hard to mask my eagerness to find out.

“Her real name is Princess Lisbon. But professionally, she goes by the name, The Potato Sack Princess.”

HA!
That’s
her name. That’s who Winnie used.

My father takes off his red-feathered pelted hat and strokes his bristly beard. “She’s a strange one, but she’s quite good at what she does. She even helped me bring a few fairy-tale outlaws to justice.”

“What’s her background?” I ask with curiosity. Out of the corner of my eye, I check on Calla. She’s given up on fishing and is contently collecting rocks. I listen intently as my father launches into the story of Princess Lisbon, aka The Potato Sack Princess.

Once a beautiful princess in love with a handsome prince named Roland, Lisbon lived in a fabulous castle and had a fabulous wardrobe. From what my father tells me, she must have been a regular at Armando’s Ballgown Emporium. Then one day, a fierce dragon smashed her castle, destroying all her princess clothes with one fiery breath, and carried off Roland.

I interrupt my father. “By chance was this dragon really an evil fairy named Malevolence?”

My father’s face hardens. “It’s possible. What do you know about Malevolence?”

“I’ve heard she’s Lalaland’s most wanted outlaw.”

“This is true. I have never been able to bring her to justice.” I can detect anger and frustration in my father’s gruff voice. “But one day, I will.”

Whoa! If he’s out to get Malevolence, he must know The Sleeping Slut. “Father, do you, by chance, know Princess Aurora?”

My father’s green eyes glisten. “Of course. Malevolence tried to destroy her. However, to be truthful, I haven’t seen her for years. She must be about your age, maybe a little younger. She was quite a beauty.”

Again, I have to hear about her beauty. Rage and jealousy seep through my veins. My Evil Queen persona is busting out of my skin. I swear if one more person tells me how beautiful Aurora is I’m going to ask my father to take her into the woods… and bring me back her heart.

I eye the foot-long dagger my father keeps in a satchel attached to his belt as he gets back on track with The Potato Sack Princess story.

“So, to make a long story short, Lisbon put on a potato sack—the only thing that survived the dragon’s inferno—and embarked on a quest to find her beloved Prince Roland. She finally found him and rescued him by outsmarting the deadly dragon.”

“So she and her prince ended up happily ever after?”

My father shakes his head. “Hardly. Roland thought she looked like a tramp and told her to come back after she bought some new clothes worthy of a princess.”

Asshole.
He and Gallant should get together and form a club
. “So what did Lisbon do?”

“My dear, she basically told her Prince to go to hell.”

I’m liking this princess more and more. She’s got balls. Certainly more than I do.

“Did she ever marry?” I ask out of curiosity.

He shakes his head again. “No, she decided to become a private investigator and help others find their lost loves.”

“Father, she’s perfect for my friend!” I exclaim. “How can I… I mean, my friend find her?”

I’m praying that he knows.

“She lives somewhere on the grounds of her former castle. She’s quite a recluse and still wears that same potato sack.”

My father picks up a stick and draws a map in the sand. “It’s quite a journey from here. And a dangerous one.”

I study the map. In fact, memorize it. I think I know how to get there.

“Thank you so much, Father, for sharing this information. I know my friend will be so appreciative.”
I am! I am!

Calla runs up to us. I almost forgot about her! I
am
a terrible mother. She pays me back by paying no attention to me.

She hugs only my father. “Grampy, this was so much fun, but I need to get back home to do my homework.”

My father smiles proudly. “Good girl. Homework always comes first.” Calla pirouettes across the grassy area behind us to collect Secret, who is now happily chasing after a rabbit.

She skips back to us with the pup in her arms and then screams. “Henry’s gone!”

I gaze down at the little gilded cage. My mouth drops open. There’s no frog inside. He must have squeezed through the bars and escaped.

Calla bursts into tears. “We have to find him!”

“Sweetheart, we’ll find him,” says my father already on his feet, slashing brush behind us with his dagger.

Spreading out, we frantically look everywhere for Henry. While Calla, holding Secret, searches the shoreline, I get down on my hands and knees, shouting out his name. No stone is unturned. But he’s nowhere to be found. Guilt crescendos inside me. It’s all my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to the frog. How will I explain what happened to Gallant? It’ll just give him more ammunition to expedite our divorce proceedings. And give me less time, if any, to see Calla after we’re officially separated. I’m a lousy mother and wife. My heart quivers with despair.

Just as we’re about to give up, Secret barks. He jumps out of Calla’s arms and scampers over to a marsh. All three of us chase after him and then come to a dead halt.

Perched on a lily pad is Henry the Frog. Happily gulping right next to him is another frog with red spots.

“That’s a female Bufo punctatus he’s sitting next to,” says my father, The Huntsman, an expert on all kinds of species.

Calla’s rosebud lips part, and her eyes blink rapidly. The telltale signs that she’s going to cry again.

“Henry’s in love with someone else!” The dam holding back her tears bursts, and they pour down her face.

I wrap an arm around her heaving shoulders, drawing her close to me. I feel her pain. In fact, I share it.

“My sweet girl, sometimes the people we love the most are not the ones who are meant to be.” Tears well up in my eyes too.

With the back of my other hand, I wipe away her tears. And then my own. She’ll get over Henry, but I will miss Gallant forever.

“Will I ever love someone else as much?” my sweet girl sniffles.

“Of course,” I stammer.

Calla looks up at me. Her chocolate eyes pierce me as if they can see right through me. “You’re a big fat liar!” Still sobbing, she runs away.

My father runs after her.

I crouch down on the sand and bury my head in my arms. Little Secret tries desperately to give me kisses I don’t deserve.

Calla’s right. I
am
a big fat liar. Who am I kidding? I will never love someone as much as I’ve loved Gallant.
Never.

When I return to the castle, Gallant is at his desk, nursing a drink. His presence rips apart my already torn heart. Emotionally, I’m not prepared to deal with him. I quickly pivot on my heels before he notices me, but it’s too late.

“Jane. What are you doing here?”

I could ask him the same question. I turn to face him, but words stay trapped in my throat.

His eyes are bloodshot and heavy lidded, and paint covers his hands, obscuring his wedding band that he might as well stop wearing. Secret jumps out of my arms and onto his lap. He doesn’t mind and pats the pup’s head. A dimpled smile crosses his lips.

I battle the me that’s ready to melt.
Jane, be the Ice Queen.

“Did you talk to Calla?” I ask frostily.

“I just got home,” he says with a weary sigh. It must be exhausting juggling a marriage, career… and an affair.

“She’s beside herself. Henry ran away.”

He takes a swig of his drink. “Who is Henry?”

“Her frog!”

“I didn’t know he had a name. She’ll get over it.”

Rage rushes through my bloodstream. I want to take his drink and splash it in his face; I ball my fists to hold back. His affair is bad enough, but to have such a laissez faire attitude toward his daughter is another thing. Obviously, the person he cares about the most is Aurora.

I’m not going to let him get away with this indignant behavior. “You should go upstairs and check in on her.”

“I can’t. I must leave. A coach will be here any minute to fetch me.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice shrill.

“I have another business trip. It should be the last one before the retrospective.”

“Fine.” I stab the word at him. “Where are you going?”

He hesitates. “I can’t really tell you,” he says at last.

Truthfully, there’s no need for him to tell me. I
know
where he’s going.

Gallant marches upstairs, and when he returns, he’s carrying a small overnight valise.

Outside, the sound of a horse-drawn coach gets nearer.

“Give Calla my love,” he says hastily, dashing to the front door. I tag behind him.

Parked outside is an elegant coach. Made of rich polished wood with gold inlays and hitched to two stylishly outfitted white horses. The kind that belongs to royalty.

A coachman opens the gilded carriage door. Gallant steps inside, not turning to see the tears oozing from my eyes. As the coach pulls away, my eyes stay riveted on a large, flowery scarlet “A” that is inscribed on the rear side. I recognize the font. It’s “A” for Aurora.

After my emotions settle down, I trudge upstairs to check on to Calla. Her chamber door is bolted, and she won’t let me in no matter how hard I knock or beg. I even try to bribe her with Secret, who has not left my side. Finally, her sobbing stops, and I give up. Her refusal to let me comfort her adds to my dejection. I’m losing a husband
and
a daughter.

With a heavy heart, I tread downstairs, Secret tagging right behind me. I desperately need to imbibe some wine but end up brewing tea in our kitchen. I take the teacup to our great room and do something I haven’t done for a very long time. With Secret curled up in my lap, I close my eyes. And meditate. The crackling fire in the hearth warms my soul as it travels to higher place where Gallant doesn’t exist.

When I blink open my eyes, Secret is sound asleep. All is clear. Tomorrow I will visit The Potato Sack Princess and hire her to follow Gallant—and provide me with the final piece of evidence I need to prove he’s having an affair with Aurora. The ammunition I need to move my life forward.