Page 48 of Jorhee

That sounded like a good plan.

“Okay, let’s do it. I’ll comm Gryk tomorrow and let him know we’re on.”

30

JESSE

I glanced over the requested livestock and greenhouse plant imports, making notes about their habitats and the potential invasive problems they might pose. So far, the probabilities of that were low, as strawberry plants and blueberry bushes didn’t have a habit of spreading into unwanted locations, especially when grown confined to a greenhouse. The blackberry and raspberry bushes, however, received a big redNO, as the brambles were notorious for spreading.

Looking up, I smiled at my husband, catching him watching me with an affectionate look on his face.

“You know, I think I’m gonna call my dad,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about it these past four days, and I’ve come to the conclusion that extending an olive branch to him and Susie might get one extended back to me.”

“Your horses,” he replied knowingly.

I nodded.

“Exactly. And it’s not like he’d have to pay any of the associated costs of sending them here. The Mylos shuttle pilots will handle all the transportation to an approved vet for the paperwork and then place them in stasis aboard one of thesmall freighters, which would rendezvous with one of the larger Dragonii ones in orbit handling all the freight to planets in this sector, all coming out of our pocket.”

“It sounds like a good plan. So far, your sister and her husband, Ted, have not responded to overtures regarding the horses.”

“Well, it’s still Dad’s ranch, so he gets the final say. Just might have to wait until he and Susie get back from their RV trip before he can coordinate their transfer.”

“When do you wish to send the comm request?” he asked.

“Bob? What time is it in Arizona? I reckon they’ll be no more’n an hour ahead or behind there at worst if they’ve moved on.”

“It is five thirteen p.m. there,” Bob replied.

That gave me a little over an hour to talk to him before Rosie would expect us for lunch.

“I’ll try to comm him now. Bob, please open a vid comm call to my father.”

The wall beside us reorganized into a screen, a ringing sound echoing across an image of a seascape until my father’s face suddenly appeared.

“Jesse?”

“Hi, Dad.”

“Susie! It’s Jesse!”

She leaned into the frame.

“Jesse, it’s so good to see you! Oh my, is that your Prince Johree?”

“It is,” I confirmed.

“Oh, he’s even more handsome than he looks on TV or in the magazines.”

Johree preened.

“Thanks. Um, we saw a vid where some reporter ambushed you two while you were buying some vending-machine snacks at a rest stop.”

Dad’s face darkened.

“They had to be run off by the police! Luckily, the sheriff was nice enough to escort us to the private campground we had a reservation at, and they couldn't get in there. Though they caught some guy tryin’ ta take pictures over the fence using one of them fancy cameras with a big, long lens.”

“We had to order groceries using Instacart!” Susie declared. “I’d never done that before, and once things settle down, I probably won’t again. It’s expensive!”