A Knight in Central Park (20 page)

All eyes were focused on him once more, only now their eyes were filled with pity. “Don’t look at me like that. How was I to know?” His back molar was throbbing. He rubbed his jaw, wondered for the hundredth time how he’d gotten himself into this mess. “Let’s go. We need to find somebody to watch these kids.”

Alexandra gestured for Susan to take Rebecca out of earshot before she hastily turned on him. “What is wrong with you?”

“Me? What could possibly be wrong with me? One moment I’m driving down Fifth Street, minding my own business, and suddenly I’ve got a medieval woman in my house. Before I can blink, that same woman whisks me back in time, knocks me unconscious, and drags me through the wilderness so I can rescue her sister from a crazy medieval lord.” Joe rubbed his jaw, then saw Rebecca staring at him with that wide-eyed look of hers. “And to top it all off,” he added, unable to stop the frustration that had been building ever since he realized leaving her wouldn’t be so easy, after all.

“Go on,” Alexandra said as if they were discussing the possibility of a coming storm.

“Okay, I will. On top of everything else, you expect me to escort those kids...” He jabbed a hand toward her sisters. “To safety.” He lowered his voice. “In case you haven’t noticed, they need help—therapy at the very least. You’ve got a little sister who can’t talk, or should I say won’t talk. And another sister,” he added, gesturing toward Susan who was now plucking feathers from the dead pheasant as if the her very life depended on getting the job done in sixty seconds flat, “who is trying so hard to please everybody that she’s going to work herself into an early grave. Let’s not forget your brother who has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Rushmore, and,” he added, throwing his arms in a wide arc, “I can’t even begin to imagine what your other sister’s problems might include. I am afraid to find out.”

Alexandra maintained a calm, reserved demeanor as she crossed her arms against her chest. “Surely you’re not finished? Verily you would not want to leave me out of your rambling tirade.”

He shook his head. “I’m tired. I’m done.” He looked around for his things. “Let’s go.”

“Ah...afraid to open up fully, Sir Joe? Afraid to tell me what you are thinking for fear that I might conclude you have feelings after all? Is that why you are so upset?”

His jaw tightened.

“Silence does not make you stronger,” she said, fixing him with a level stare, “nor does it make you superior to those of us who wear our emotions on our sleeves.”

He moved close enough to smell the lavender still lingering in her hair. “Do you want to know what I think about you Alexandra? Do you really want to know?”

“Aye,” she said, “or are you afraid to admit that you feel anything more than casual indifference?”

He let out a short caustic laugh.

She snorted.

This was his chance, he reminded himself, to cut all intimacy between them. Nip it in the bud before it was too late. “I respect you,” he said, “and I am glad we have become friends.”

He saw her stiffen.

He kept his voice low as he leaned closer. “Alexandra,” he said with a sigh, “you can’t say I didn’t warn you. You wanted intimacy, but you got much more than you bargained for, didn’t you?”

“Are you saying you feel naught for me but friendship?”

His breathing grew less steady as he felt a great temptation to brush his lips against her hair. His gut wrenched. “That’s right. We can still be friends, can’t we?” His voice came out as a hoarse whisper and even while he said the words he knew that what he felt for her was anything but casual indifference. What he felt for her was so raw he refused to think about it, because doing so frightened him more than seeing Harig come out of that farmhouse dressed in full armor, more than the sound of a giant snake hissing at his ear, and much more than the thought of coming face to face with Sir Richard and his army of men.

The idea that he might have found the one person in the world he might want to spend the rest of his life with, grow old with, made a sickening wave of terror well within. Because he couldn’t have her. After all these years, he was discovering that love might truly exist. And yet to claim it, would mean giving up everything he’d ever worked for, everything he’d ever wanted.

A cough and a rustling of leaves caused him to turn and see that Susan had packed their things, neat and tidy, everything ready to go. Even Garrett had quietly reappeared and now leaned casually against an oak, waiting.

Susan had even gone so far as to move Precious near a log so he could easily mount the animal.

Without another word, Alexandra walked away.

Sighing, Joe headed toward Susan, making her gasp when he grabbed hold of her waist and lifted her high, plunking her into the saddle instead. Next he picked up Rebecca and deposited her onto Susan’s lap. As always, Rebecca didn’t say a word, merely held tightly to her pathetic looking doll.

He meant to help Alexandra with her things, but she was already mounted, heading away from the campground. Joe knew he’d hurt her and it sickened him. He wanted to take it all back, but he couldn’t find the courage to call out her name, tell her he didn’t mean a word of it, and that he felt much more for her than simple friendship.

F
or the first time in his life, Joe knew what it was like to be a dog...a homeless, hungry dog. Every part of his body itched. The fleas had made their home in the woolen blankets, multiplying in number with each passing night.

For eight long days they journeyed through wetlands, meadows, and woodlands until finally they broke through the shadows of tall pines and elms and began their passage through waist-high grass and lumpy soil that made it difficult to walk without twisting an ankle. Overall, their journey was taking much longer than planned.

Joe touched the satchel at his side, making sure the stone was still there...something he did every morning, and then again each night before he fell asleep. Eleven nights he’d spent in another time; eighteen more until he could finally return to a life filled with hot showers, real food, and dentists.

He and Garrett walked while the women rode. His mouth was as dry as the desert and each leg felt as if it had a fifty pound weight tied around his ankle. But they trudged on, his thoughts blurring as he wondered if he really had traveled through time. Maybe his other life in the future was a figment of his imagination. For the most part though, he knew “it“ had happened, and he knew he needed to do whatever it took to get back to his own time.

They hadn’t passed a decent river or creek in at least forty-eight hours. The entire group reeked of fish and skunk. A thin coat of dirt and mud streaked his skin and clung to his clothes. As he followed Garrett, Joe kept a firm grip on the reins to Alexandra’s horse, so she could sleep. Rebecca had fallen asleep in Alexandra’s arms and her small legs hung limp, moving in rhythm to the horse’s slow gait. Sullenly, he peeked up at Alexandra...his friend.

For the past few days, Alexandra had been the best darn friend a guy could ask for. Instead of being angry with him, she’d cooked for him, listened to his complaints, even collected Pennyroyal, a strong-scented mint that helped to repel fleas and keep the itching under control.

Every night, Alexandra told the kids a story as they sat around the campfire, and then she tucked them tightly beneath old blankets as she said goodnight. She always said goodnight to him, too, before she drifted off to sleep. And every night she left him to his own tortuous thoughts as he recalled every touch, every smile, every knowing look they had ever shared.

He missed Alexandra. Even now, mere inches from his grasp, and yet he missed her.

Alexandra seemed perfectly at ease with their so-called blossoming friendship. How could she so easily forget the passion they’d shared? Friends, my foot! He certainly didn’t think of her as a friend. Did friends want to rip their friend’s clothes off and make love to them?

A fly landed on Rebecca’s leg, making her eye twitch. The shadowed wingspan of a hawk glided across the dry grass. It was much too quiet. Garrett and Susan bickered for most of the trip and so now the interminable silence left a soft ringing in his ears. Absurd, considering for days he’d prayed for a few moments of peace. The children’s constant chattering had helped keep his mind off of Alexandra, and off the constant throbbing of his tooth.

“About the other day...” Joe’s voice came out raspy with an odd little squeak at the end. No matter what his feelings for Alexandra were, he would return home in a few weeks. So what good would it do to talk about the other night or tell her how much he cared for her?

“About the other day,” he said again, determined to get a few things off his chest. “I’m sorry for the things I said about your brother and sisters. They’re great kids, they really are.”

Alexandra remained silent and kept her gaze straight ahead.

“I’ve never been good with kids,” he went on. “I didn’t have any brothers or sisters. That’s no excuse, I know. Garrett didn’t deserve that.”

Still no response.

“Alexandra, talk to me. I’m dying here.”

Her gaze finally met his; worry lined her brow.

“I’m not dying in the true sense of the word,” he told her. “I just wanted you to look at me so I could tell you a few things.” Now that he had her attention, the pressure was on. As he searched for the right words, his tongue felt thick. “I-I only wanted to say...to let you know...that being with you...Hell,” he blurted, frustrated with his inability to spit the words out. “I just wanted you to know that making love to you was...special.”

Seconds passed without a word from Alexandra.

“And perfect,” he quickly added. “Yes, being with you was perfect. And, well, I just didn’t want you to think that what we shared meant nothing to me, because it meant a lot. I wish things could be different between us. If we had met under different circumstances...maybe we would have stood a chance. I mean come on,” he said as if they were actually having a two-way conversation, “talk about being in a long-distant relationship.” He laughed.

She didn’t.

After a long moment, Alexandra gave in and said, “’Twas foolish of me to think that a night of passion would not change anything between us.”

“I was the fool,” he said. “I knew it would change everything, but I didn’t stop it from happening.”

“’Twould seem there were two of us involved. I gave myself to you of my own free will. As Shelly has a fondness of saying, life goes on. In truth, I know not what came over me. It will not happen again, of that I can assure you, for I have no wish to drive a wedge further between us. Our friendship is too important to me.”

His heart twisted, every part of him wilting.

“I wish you no ill-will,” she said before he could find his tongue again, “only happiness and Godspeed in your return home.” Her smile was sincere, genuine, sending an arrow right through his heart.

He answered with a tight smile, although inside he wasn’t smiling at all.

“Look!” Garrett shouted, alerting his sisters and putting an abrupt end to their already dying conversation. Joe urged Alexandra’s horse along until they caught up to Garrett and Susan. They had reached the end of the high grass where it converged with a wide, pitted road. Sprawling green sheets of quilted meadows and fields divided by hedgerows lay before them. Sheep grazed contentedly while hawks hovered above looking for prey. In the distance, ribbons of smoke floated upwards and then disappeared, blending in with the grayish clouds.

A dog barked. Civilization at last.

Before long they stood before a tilted wooden sign outside the village of Clapcot.

Clapcot appeared much larger and more heavily populated than Brookshire. In fact, the entire town bustled with activity. Church bells rang above the high-pitched twang of the Blacksmith’s tools. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the streets, making Joe’s mouth water and his stomach grumble. Shops and small timber-framed homes lined the main street.

They caught a few curious glances as they made their presence known, but clearly these people were used to strangers passing by. While Garrett pulled Rebecca from the saddle and took her to the well to get a drink, Susan dutifully led the horses to a trough.

Joe turned to an elderly lady when she came scrambling out of an inn, wiping her hands on her apron. Wisps of wiry gray hair framed her face. “I have rooms available,” she said. “It’ll cost a shilling for each of you and another two for the horses.”

Joe put an arm about her hefty shoulders and urged her away from curious ears. “We need a hot meal, baths, and a couple of rooms. We don’t have any money...but,” he added quickly when horror lit up her face, “I have solid gold wrapped about my tooth and if you can find someone to remove it, it’s all yours.”

She raised a suspicious brow and said, “Open your mouth.”

He obeyed, relieved to see her brighten at the sight.

By the time Alexandra saw to the horses, unpacked their things and bathed Rebecca, exhaustion had set in. Night had long since descended upon them. As she moved through the halls, a faint giggling and a familiar male voice caught her attention. She followed the sound, then peeked inside a door that had been left ajar. A rush of heat came to her face upon seeing a young maid bathing Sir Joe, scrubbing his back and chest, her pale hands dipping under soapy water for an eternity and beyond, while her breasts nearly burst from her low cut gown, cushioning the back of his head.

“Is the water warm enough, my lord?” the maid asked.

Alexandra pushed the door wide and stepped inside. “’Tis good to see you enjoying yourself,” Alexandra said, unable to hide the ire from her voice. “I was beginning to worry that you were off somewhere in pain. But I see you are being well cared for.”

Upon seeing her, Sir Joe grinned from ear to ear, seeming to have no care as to her displeasure. “Alexandra,” he said. “I was telling Vicki—” He bent his neck backwards so that he could better see the maid. “Mind if I call you Vicki?”