Page 47 of Jorhee

“We’ve had a report of a couple here being harassed,” he said. “I can see you are members of the press and so free to ask questions and do your reporting and all that, but your van is not only blocking access to the rest stop, but the way you’re parked is preventing these folks from leaving, and that is illegal.”

The reporter glared at him but made a cutting motion to the cameraman, and the video ended.

“And there you have it, raw footage taken at a rest stop a few miles from Phoenix, Arizona,” the vid streamer’s voice-over said. “Jesse, if you ever see this, whatever happened, it looks like it wasn’t what you thought it was, and your dad and his wife would love to reconnect. And that’s all for this week’s vid. Next week, I have a reaction vid to share, as I and several members of the public are caught on camera watching the wedding of the millennium. Until next week, sending out vibes of love and support.”

The vid ended.

“We have a fan channel?” Jesse said, looking astounded.

“Several,” Fethri sighed. “You both have so many fans on Earth that several leading porcelain manufacturers and textile makers have deluged the Office of Trade with contract requests to manufacture wedding memorabilia.”

“That’s insane.”

“It’s not just Earth, either,” Kiprr said.

Jesse handed him the tablet, then swiped a hand down his face.

“If we let some of them make that shit, do you think it would make things better or worse?”

“It could ease up on the pressure as fans get their fix without more news coverage.”

“Okay, but any money earned has to go toward the colony’s needs,” Jesse said, then, glancing up at me, added, “if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “Bob?”

“Yes, Johree?”

“Please ask the Office of Trade to forward the best candidates for wedding memorabilia contracts. We want not only high-end items but also those that can be mass-produced at a price nearly anyone could afford, without sacrificing quality.”

“Will do! And… message sent.”

“What about your father?” Fethri asked.

“I need to think on that. Susie said something that got me to thinking. She said Dad was told she said something. Not that she’d told Dad, but someone else had.”

He glowered.

“Something tells me that little birdie was Lauren, though Dad is at fault for not checking and for bein’ willing to go along with it.”

I kissed his temple, placing a finger under his chin to turn his head toward me.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you want to leave them all to stew in their own mess, then that’s perfectly fine. If you want to see if you can forge a new relationship or repair the broken one, I’ll be by your side to navigate that path too.”

“We all will,” Kiprr promised.

“You better believe it. We’re not just your guards. We’ve been friends with Johree since we were toddlers, so you’re family, just like he is.”

“Thanks. I dunno what I want yet, except to get my horses here and go film some footage of Gryk’s wheat field being harvested. He sent me an invitation to do so and is planning on doing it tomorrow. Y’all have machines different from our combines back on Earth, so I reckon a lot of my viewers will be real interested in that. The ones who follow it for the colony content, anyway.”

Kiprr grinned.

“A new delegation has arrived to meet with Bob and do their little ceremony. The outer spaceport wall has been outfitted as you suggested for the Bob-ening matters, so it will occur quite publicly.”

“Drawing the paparazzi!” Jesse laughed.

“If we ride out in an enclosed flitter across the fields while they’re distracted, you should be able to get your footage without being mobbed,” Fethri mused.

I nodded.