My Unfair Godmother (26 page)

Hudson opened his mouth to speak, then shut it as his gaze shifted over my shoulder.

I turned and saw Little John leading a large brown horse over to us. He was a mountain of a man, with arms like tree trunks. I had noticed this fact before, but now it made me gulp.

Little John stopped when he reached Hudson. “Robin says I can ride out to the main road with you if you like. Give you a head start to the village.”

“No,” I said too quickly. I didn’t like the thought of Little John and Hudson out in the forest alone. What was to keep Little John from killing Hudson and thereby cutting off one of our ways to return to the twenty-first century?

“No thank you,” Hudson said more casually. “I’ve already had one of your escorts out of the forest and it was quite enough.” Little John grunted. “As you will. But you’d best be on your way.

You’ve a ways to go.”

Hudson put his arm around my waist, as calmly as if he’d done it a hundred times before. “True enough. But it’s hard for those who are courting to part ways.”

Little John’s gaze bounced back and forth between us and he made a grumbling noise. Twelfth-century lingo wasn’t my strong point, but I was pretty sure Hudson had told Little John I was his girlfriend.

To prove the point, Hudson pulled me closer. I leaned into him, playing along. He smelled of campfire smoke and earth and steel. I was glad for the excuse to lean into him, even if it was an act on his part. “You can stay for a few more minutes, can’t you?” I asked.

Hudson smiled down at me. “If that’s your wish, I wouldn’t think of disappointing you.”

239/356

Very pretty dialogue. I bet the book would use it for the next page.

Little John grunted, then turned and walked back to the others.

When he was out of earshot, I said, “What’s your plan?” Hudson kept his arm around me, and leaned toward my ear as though he were flirting. “As soon as the Merry Men aren’t looking, we both leave. You can pretend you’re just walking a little ways into the forest to kiss me good-bye. If you’re with me, Robin Hood will have to take your family to the meeting place. It’s the only way he’ll have a chance at more gold. We won’t come back with horses though; we’ll come back with the wizard.”

I considered this while Hudson ran his hand across my back. My skin tingled where he touched it, making it hard to consider much of anything else. “My parents will worry if I take off.”

“We’ll call them on the walkie-talkie and tell them what we’re doing.” His lips brushed against my ear. My knees felt weak.

“The king’s men are looking for me,” I whispered.

“We’ll take back roads.” His hand tapped the small of my back, waiting for my decision.

I pulled my mind away from the curve of his lips and the depth of his brown eyes. Which was the greater danger—the king’s men or the Merry Men? I tried to think it through logically, but logic wouldn’t stick. Emotion made the decision. If I left, I was risking my safety, but if I stayed, I was risking my family’s freedom. I couldn’t do that to them, not after I had already put them through so much.

“I’m with you,” I said.

Hudson massaged a slow circle on my back, which sent more tingles radiating up my spine. “The Merry Men won’t expect you to go far. Not with so many of your possessions sitting out in the open. They know you’re guarding them.”

240/356

I put my head against his chest. His heart beat a slow, steady rhythm against my cheek. “I can’t lie. If I tell them I’m going to kiss you good-bye, we’ll really have to kiss.” I glanced up to see his reaction to that.

He smiled and wound a strand of my hair around his finger. “I’d be happy to kiss you good-bye.”

I inwardly winced at the double meaning. Of course he would be happy to kiss me good-bye. He probably couldn’t wait to put me and this whole horrible episode behind him.

Which meant when we got back to the right century, I was not only moving to a mansion, I was moving to a mansion in Hollywood, so I could have famous actor friends that I would flaunt when I came back to visit Rock Canyon.

Hudson whispered into my ear, “Tell Robin Hood you don’t want anyone going through your supplies while you’re saying good-bye to me. Emphasize that. Then they’ll be so busy going through your supplies they won’t worry about coming after you for a while.” He let go of me, and I instantly missed his arms, the security they’d given me.

I was hopeless, really. One minute I was planning on flaunting famous friends in front of Hudson; the next, I missed his arms around me.

New moral of the story: Crushes make no sense.

“We need a horse,” I told him. “I’ll try to get one.” Hudson had just told me about the power of greed. I might as well use some of it to my benefit. I handed Hudson the book to hold and headed over to Robin Hood.

He stood next to a horse, tying a blanket onto the saddle. When I reached him, he doffed his hat in my direction. “My Lady Tansy?” I stepped close to him and lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m going to walk a little ways into the forest with Hudson. I 241/356

want some privacy to …” I let the sentence dangle. “Well, you know how it is when those who are courting have to part.” It amazed me, really, how well I could bend sentences into lies without ever actually lying. “Can you make sure your men don’t go through our supplies?” I glanced in the direction my family had gone. “And if my time with Hudson takes a while and I’m not here when my family returns, will you tell them not to worry because I’ll be back.” This was not a lie. I would be back eventually.

Robin Hood put his cap back on his head. “Little John was not telling tales then? You’re in love with that knave?”

“What?” I hadn’t expected Robin Hood to ask this, and I didn’t know what to say.

Robin Hood noticed my hesitation and raised an eyebrow. “My lady does not answer. She is perhaps reflecting on the way she kissed me in yonder twenty-first-century store. She has feelings for me.” I felt my cheeks grow warm. “You were holding me up at sword-point.”

He stepped closer and gave me a rakish smile. “You wished me to your bedchamber and begged me not to leave it. Now fate has brought us together again. Are you certain you want to send off that sop of a fellow with anything more than a maidenly wave of your hand?”

“I’m sure, and if I could ask you for one more thing—” Robin Hood took hold of my arm. “Judge for yourself, Lady Tansy. The man is not trustworthy.” He glanced at Hudson again and pursed his lips. “He’ll toy with a maiden’s affections, then leave her with naught. I can tell.”

I bet he could. He had probably done it enough times himself. I pulled my arm away from him. “You told me yourself you weren’t ready to stand up with a woman.” I’d had no idea what the phrase meant when he said it, so I’d looked it up on the Internet. It meant he 242/356

didn’t want to stand up in front of a priest for a wedding. Like that’s why I’d wished for Robin Hood to come—no one in my own century would marry me.

He gave me a dazzling smile. “True, but your fair fingers not only change wood into gold but a man’s heart into fire.” No doubt it was the gold part that interested him.

Robin Hood held his hands out, palms up. “Who better than I to keep you out of King John’s grasp? I’ve eluded him for years. Don’t bother kissing that fellow farewell. Kiss me hello instead.” He put his arms on my shoulders and I worried that he was going to lean down and kiss me in front of everyone—in front of Hudson.

I stepped backward, smiling. “I’ll consider your words if you consider mine. Little John offered to ride Hudson partway to the village.

If you can spare the horse for a trip to the road, then certainly you can let Hudson take it for a little longer to ride to the village.” I gestured to a pile of medium-sized rocks on the ground. “If you do, I’ll change those into gold for you.”

Robin Hood’s blue eyes flickered over the rocks, calculating their potential wealth. The greed was taking hold.

“We have a shovel over there.” I pointed at our supplies. “If you can’t carry all of the gold now, you can bury some and come back later for it.”

He didn’t answer, so I stepped closer, putting my hand on his arm. “Please?”

Robin Hood’s lips twitched. I could tell he didn’t want to grant my request but couldn’t help himself. “I suppose we can spare one horse.” He turned and made a quick inventory of the horses, then called for Will to bring over a brown mare. “But you’ll need to change the extra wood as well.”

I didn’t think twice about agreeing.

243/356

Changing the rocks to gold was more difficult than I thought.

“Rock, gold, gold, gold” didn’t work. The same thing had happened last night when I’d first tried to change the kindling. I had to figure out what sort of wood it was—oak—and then use that word.

“What sort of rocks are these?” I asked Robin Hood.

“Common forest rocks,” he said.

Not a really helpful description.

Hudson came and stood next to me. “Try sandstone, limestone, or granite. It’s not volcanic.”

Hudson was obviously not only gorgeous and brave but also smart. It sort of made me regret destroying my English grades. I bet Hudson took honors English. I could have been in his class.

It turned out the rocks were limestone. Each change ripped at my heart, but I wouldn’t pause to rest. Not for the rocks. Not for the wood.

When I was done, Little John took our shovel, proclaimed the blade to be “wonderful sharp,” and began to dig a hole to bury the extra gold.

Hudson helped me to my feet, then took the horse’s reins from Will. Wordlessly, we walked together toward the edge of the forest, the horse tromping nonchalantly after us. My heart was still clenched from changing things to gold, and I had to force myself to keep my footsteps steady. Just before we were swallowed up by the forest, I turned and looked over my shoulder. Robin Hood was watching us leave, his arms folded across his chest.

Even with gold at his feet and our provisions unguarded, he wouldn’t lose track of time. We wouldn’t have long before he figured out what we’d done. Would he come after us?

When we were out of sight, Hudson effortlessly mounted the horse then held his hand down for me. I grabbed it, ignoring the fact 244/356

that the horse was shifting her weight impatiently as though she didn’t welcome another rider.

As soon as I put my foot in the stirrup, Hudson heaved me up in front of him. He pressed his boots to the horse’s flanks and she trotted off through the trees.

“Well,” he said, “it looks like we’re off to see the wizard.”

“Let’s hope he turns out to be more helpful than the one in Oz.” Hudson took the walkie-talkie out of his pocket and turned it on.

Putting it next to his lips, he whispered, “Can you hear me?” Nothing but static answered him for a few seconds, then my father’s voice came over the speaker. “Did you say something?”

“I’m taking Tansy with me. She’ll be safer away from Robin Hood.

Out.”

“What?” Even over the poor connection, my father’s alarm was obvious.

I took the walkie-talkie from Hudson’s hand. “We’re afraid Robin Hood won’t let us reconnect otherwise. If you get back to camp before they come looking for us, don’t tell them what we’ve done.”

“Where are you?” Dad asked.

But we didn’t have time to talk. I scanned the forest ahead of us, half hoping I’d catch sight of my family through the trees and half hoping I wouldn’t. “I love you, Dad. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

It sounded too much like a good-bye. When my father spoke next, his voice rose. “Meet me at the car and we’ll talk about this.” Hudson took the walkie-talkie from my hand. “Here’s the new plan. We’ll bring the wizard back to the meeting place. It will take us at least two days, maybe even four. In two days, turn on your walkie-talkie for five minutes every hour. As soon as we’re within range, we’ll turn on our walkie-talkie and keep calling until we get ahold of you. Out.” 245/356

Hudson had barely finished speaking before my father’s voice came back over the speaker. “You can’t just take off with my daughter.

It isn’t safe—” He said more, but Hudson turned off the walkie-talkie and put it in the saddlebag.

I wished I’d been able to tell my father I was doing this for him, for the family.

In a few minutes, we reached the main road and Hudson brought the horse to a gallop. We were out in the world by ourselves. Fugitives not only from King John but from Robin Hood as well.

Chapter 18

We passed by the first village we came to. Hudson thought Robin Hood would look for us there. I had only ridden a horse a couple of times—always as part of some tourist trip where the horses gently strolled behind a guide. This was completely different. I spent the entire ride grasping hold of the saddle, the horse’s mane, and sometimes Hudson in an effort not to fall off.

Finally, we came to a village Hudson thought was safe, and we bought two fresh horses at an inn. I would have my own horse to ride, which meant it would be easier to stay on, but I would no longer have Hudson’s arms around me. Safety versus romance. It was a hard call whether to be happy or not.

We had to wait both for the horses to be saddled up and for the blacksmith to melt down the gold Hudson gave in payment. The innkeeper wanted to make sure it was real. Apparently not many people came through the village with gold acorns. While we waited for the stable boy to ready the horses, we bought provisions—food, blankets, cloaks—and studied the innkeeper’s map. At least, Hudson studied the map. I mostly paced near him, nervously checking for either Robin Hood’s or King John’s men.

The only people who paid extra attention to us though were two barefoot little girls who kept casting adoring looks at Hudson. They even followed us into the stable when we collected our horses. While Hudson put things into his saddlebag, I told him, “You have a fan club.”

247/356

He glanced in the girls’ direction and they erupted in giggles.

Hudson winked at them, then turned back to me. “It’s only because women love a man in uniform.”

I leaned against the stall door. “You’re so right. I found those police officers who arrested me irresistible.” Hudson grinned. “You’re an exception to many rules.” Instead of putting a couple of the apples we’d bought into his saddlebag, he held them out to the girls. “Would you like to feed our horses?” The youngest girl took an apple but instead of offering it to the horse, she bit into it, devouring it in a few bites. Hudson watched her, then without saying another word, he took the bread and eggs from his saddlebag and gave them to the children. The younger girl grabbed her share, wide-eyed, and ran away, as though Hudson might change his mind and demand it back.