Chapter Thirteen
The next few days, Robin strayed away from Will, John, and even Collin, sticking closely to the women and kids. After the fight, once her anger had left, pain took its place. Her heart ached, turning her normal hard-as-nails exterior into mush allowing her emotions to shine through. As much as she hated it, she was still a girl at heart, who only wanted the men she loved to love her in return.
Will had made it perfectly clear how he felt about her, which hurt worst of all. Thankfully John had been off helping gather firewood when it had all went down. After word had reached him, Sara, Franny, and the other women had set a barricade up not allowing him to speak to her despite his numerous pleas. For the past few days, they had kept her wrapped in their bubble away from any reminders of that night or the two men who owned her heart.
Collin, on the other hand, had managed to sweet talk his way by her apron-clad bodyguards and had offered her support and an ear to vent, but even he knew it best to give her space and kept his distance.
After Will had disappeared that night, he only showed face the next morning at breakfast before making himself scarce. It had been days and not one meal had he returned for, nor one night to his cabin. Despite the jadedness she carried, subconsciously she still worried for him. It was no secret he had a hot temper, and she worried he might do something stupid or dangerous without thinking with a clear mind.
Robin busied herself, volunteering to gather berries and nuts with a few of the younger children. As she stripped mulberries off the low branches of a massive tree, Pastor Tuck approached. “Ah. Nature’s candy. When I was a boy, my grandmother would take me out in search of enough mulberries to cook in a cobbler for Sunday dinner. My siblings and I would climb the trees that lined the backside of the property, usually eating more than we carried home. Come dinner, the basket of fruit we had gathered magically tripled in size and managed to make a cobbler big enough to feed the lot of us and have left overs.” He smiled, setting in to work beside her. She loved hearing the stories of his youth. He might have been born poor, but he had definitely lived a rich life. Her parents had more money than they knew what to do with, but unlike the good pastor, she had no stories to tell. He had asked her once, learning most of her childhood had been spent in the care of a nanny or at boarding school. Because she seemed to admire them so much and got joy out of them, he had promised to give her some of his raising through the memories he cherished for her to call her own.
“Your grandmother sounds like a pretty magical woman, who loved her grandchildren very much.”
“She was, and was the best grandma in the world. After she passed, we were sorting her things and found bowl after bowl of frozen berries in the freezer, all marked with the date. Grandpa had finally come clean and told us her secret. During the week before we would arrive, she would take him out and together they would pick enough to replace her supply. It had all started when they themselves were young, and he courted her. Every afternoon, she would meet him by the same mulberry trees. It was under those sweet ripe berries that he had kissed her for the first time, proposed, and if I had to guess, where our parents were…uh…planned so to speak. So, when they were small, she would send them out to the very same spot, wanting them to feel the love and experience the true beauty of nature. The tradition was passed down to all of us.”
“Wow. That’s a beautiful story.”
“Yes. Because of those trees, we tasted the love in every pie and cobbler she made. Most importantly, we made our own memories that will be with us all forever.” He climbed up on a thick branch effortlessly, picking the berries she couldn’t reach.
“Mulberries are my favorite.” She grinned, no longer feeling the heaviness that weighed her heart for the past days. He seemed to understand how to cheer her up, without prying or forcing her to discuss something she had no control over. They talked casually the rest of the trip, and while in the company of the mulberries and Pastor Tuck, she was able to forget all of the chaos and drama.
*****
Will had headed straight to town the morning after the fight, knowing that he was the last person Robin—or anyone for that matter—wanted to see. He had screwed up royally. With nothing to focus his attention on, he decided to skip planning a way for Robin’s name to be cleared with the others and took matters into his own hands. It beat wallowing in self-pity and another jug of Pastor Tuck’s wine. Hopefully if he was lucky, he might earn some amount of forgiveness from them all, if only a little.
The mayor had no idea who he was up against. His call to an old friend had given him grounds to work, and he intended to make sure everything fell into place so Nottingham wouldn’t know what hit him before it was too late. Like clockwork, he waited until the bastard left to meet his prostitute at the rundown hotel on the edge of town and his wife went for her late night ‘tennis lesson’. When the coast was clear, he snuck into the mansion.
It didn’t take much to find the art collection Nottingham had displayed in a special room for all to envy. He had tight security, but not enough to keep Will from easily figuring a route around it. He made notes, careful to itemize every valuable and exact locations of the alarm triggers with the way to deactivate each and every one in a little notepad he carried. When he returned, Nottingham would be left with nothing more than the floor beneath the expensive rugs and the paint on the walls.
Will’s uncle, Richard Kings, had moved from Seattle to follow his legal career over twenty years ago. He had been the best judge the city had ever seen, but to follow his political career it had been necessary. Now, as he retired from a state held position, he was moving back home. Until a few days ago, Richard had no idea of Seattle’s happenings. The only information he received was from the media, who slapped a shiny sugar coat on anything that was reported. When he found out about the evil Nottingham spread, he immediately went through the proper chains to ensure his spot of Mayor upon his return. The beauty of it was, Nottingham had no clue.
Will had spent the most part of a week scoping out Nottingham, concocting a plan to send him packing with a bang. As he laid everything in place, it was only a matter of time before the town could begin rebuilding to its greatness and Robin could be safe.
After grabbing supplies for camp, he set back home to face his sentence. He knew what he had to do, and come hell or high water, he was going to win back the woman he loved.
*****
John found Robin down by the river and saw an opportunity. He strolled up to her, doing his best to remain casual in hopes she wouldn’t flee. To his surprise, she welcomed him with a smile.
“So, what do you think?” She splashed water on her face, wincing at the cold sting. The river was direct runoff of the snow from up north, keeping it a chilling temperature even on the warmest of summer days.
“What about?”
“This…all of it. The forest, the people… It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Oh…yeah. I didn’t know what to expect. After I had time to explain and ease their suspicions, everyone welcomed me with open arms. I’ve never known people like this. It’s…weird. The woods thing is kinda growing on me too.” The corners of his mouth tugged up slightly as he plopped down on the fresh grass. Robin giggled. “Listen, I know things kinda went to hell, Robin. I still can’t change how I feel about you. How serious are things with you and Will?”
Robin shook her head, not wanting to have this conversation. She was still pissed at Will, but couldn’t shut off her feelings for the asshole. Seeing John, and finding out that he hadn’t betrayed her, opened her heart to him too. She was always one for honesty, and decided to lay it out. The sooner she got it over with, the sooner she could start working on mending her broken heart. “John… I—” she hesitated, taking a deep breath before swallowing. “I care about you…we have a history.”
“But?” he asked, waiting for the blow he knew was coming.
“But I care about him too. I know it’s not fair…but I don’t think I can cho
ose. I’d rather just keep you both as friends than lose one of you forever.”
“Robin! The fucker practically called you a whore. What can he give you? The man has nothing but a shack in a tree. Open your eyes. I’m right in front of you…and all I’m asking is for a chance to see where it can go.”
Robin stood, now pissed off and ready to pop. “Said by a true rich prick. I thought you were different than that John. Really? You just had to go there. That’s low.” She started to walk off when he rose and stopped her.
“Listen, I’m sorry. It’s just hard to hear. I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember. Just when we finally get a shot, he steps in the way. I can’t lose you now.” He dropped his head, defeat washing over him. She was so close, yet still just out of his reach.
Robin’s temper simmered. She understood his outburst, and knew it must be a major blow to admit what he did. He was a man, and men got jealous. It was almost endearing in a twisted way. “I don’t know what I want right now, John.” She stepped forward, raising her hand to cup his chin. “I can’t change my heart. I think there is a good chance I am falling for you…but I’m falling in love with him too. That’s all I can give right now. Maybe things will change…but I need time. Please understand that.” She turned and walked off, her mind racing and nothing making sense.
*****
Will wanted to beat the living shit out of John when he spotted him making his move on Robin by the river. When he got within earshot, he slowed, listening. Her words struck straight to his heart. She loved him. Granted, she had confessed her feelings for John too, but he couldn’t deny that the lovely, enticing, bewitching Robin Hoode—loved him. He saw first hand that attempting to make her choose wasn’t going to help. If he didn’t tread lightly, she’d put them both in the friend category forever and neither would ever stand a chance again. As she walked off, he disappeared, needing time to work things out before he acted. One way or another, he’d have the woman he loved.
He knew what needed to be done, and if he could come to terms with it, it might just work. First thing first, time for the walk of shame—he owed a few apologies.
*****
Will sat beside Pastor Tuck, feeling the weight of his shame smother him. “Listen, Tuck…the other night I was out of line. I let my temper get the best of me. I didn’t mean—”
“I know, Will. Don’t worry about it. I forgave you the moment I walked off. Women have a way of bringing out the worst in us.” His interruption was a relief.
“So…are we good?”
Tuck grinned, patting him on the shoulder. “We’re good.” Will moved to leave, halting when he continued, “Might I give a little piece of advice?”
Will cocked his head, unsure where he was going with the conversation. “Of course.”
“Robin is a special girl. Sometimes the answer is outside of the box. Unconventional. Go have a talk with John. You both may be able to salvage things and work together to win her back…if she will have you.” Will’s brow wrinkled in confusion. What the hell did that mean? Unconventional? Both of us? Wait…does he mean… Surly he couldn’t…
“What, like as in both of us…together…with her?”
“Polygamy has been around since before the birth of Christ. Just because there's an extra person in the relationship doesn’t require you two to be intimate. It just means that there needs to be a strong friendship and bond—an agreement that nothing matters besides making her happy, and protecting her. Think of it as a brotherhood…or a complex friendship. Think about it. You may be surprised at how many benefits a relationship like that could bring.” He winked and walked off, leaving Will pondering what could have been taken as a sexual reference. Leave it to the preacher to point out more than the obvious advantages.
Come nightfall, Will waited until Robin retired to ‘her’ room and people began trickling off to bed for the night. With only him, John, the good pastor, and Wolf left enjoying the warm night breeze, it was now or never. He swallowed his pride and made his move. John seemed like a decent guy. In other circumstances, he could see them hanging out as friends. “I hope Tuck knows what he’s talking about. Here goes nothing,” Will said under his breath as he approached him.
Chapter Fourteen
John had to admit the conversation with Will had seemed a bit out there, but come morning, he had come to terms. Both stood, fishing pole in hand, discussing things over and hatching out a plan. Will had filled him in on the happenings of Nottingham, and he was on board.
“Wow. Who would have thought that after our first meeting, we would even be considering something like this?”
Will chuckled, reeling in another catch. His eyes worked on getting the fish off the hook and onto the stringer, but his attention was with the subject at hand. “Not me… But as a wise pastor always says, the lord works in mysterious ways.”
“He definitely has a just cause for it, that’s for sure. You really think she’ll go for it?”
“If we don’t give her an option, yes. I don’t see a conversation detailing the pros and cons being effective, but if we show her, she won’t have a plausible reason to back down. We tempt her. Tease her. Give her a taste, and make it impossible for her to refuse.”
“Okay. Tonight we make our move.” John grinned. “I gotta say, if we pull this off, we may just go down as the smoothest men in history. I know it’s crossed my mind a time or two.”
“What man hasn’t?” Will snickered. The two fell into a comfortable conversation, spending the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the great outdoors and reaping the benefits of the male bonding the forest provided.
*****
As the sun cast bright pastels across the sky, camp began to come to life. The aroma of smoked meat filled the air, accompanied by fresh breads and desserts. Robin had spent the day with the girls, having some much needed pampering. Her nails were a deep red, sparkling with silver glitter polish the younger girls had insisted on. Sara had picked a red dress with a corset type top for her to wear, and Franny’s girls had braided her hair in a loose side braid that fell over her shoulder. Usually not one big on cosmetics, Becky had been so excited to try out the new products her husband had surprised her with that Robin couldn’t deny being her cosmetic guinea pig. When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she didn’t regret it. Becky had somehow made her eyes appear huge, emphasizing their bright blue-green with shades of grey and silver. Her lips were a pale glossy pink, giving a subtle hint that plumped.
“You look gorgeous, Robin!” Becky fawned. She herself had went all out, looking like she belonged in Hollywood instead of out of the public eye.
“Thank you, Becky, but you—wow. The tree house is gonna be rocking tonight!”
Becky giggled like a schoolgirl, blushing a deep shade of rose. “It better after all this work. Come on. It’s time to find out.” She hooked her arm through Robin’s, and they strolled outside to dinner.
John nearly choked on his corn when he caught sight of Robin walking down the stairs toward the table. Unable to talk, he elbowed Will and nodded toward her. Will dropped his fork with a ‘clank’ onto his plate. “Damn… Robin?” He couldn’t put together words to describe the sight. She wore a red dress that hugged her curves, falling low on her breasts that allowed a delicious amount of cleavage to push out of the bodice. She was the sexiest sight he had ever laid eyes on.
“Oh yeah. Tonight is going to be one hell of a night.” John hurried to finish his meal and used his dish as an excuse to greet her. He arrived to the table just as she sat and he all but ran to pour her a drink.
“Robin…damn. You look amazing.” He handed the full glass of wine to her and leaned in, brushing his hip against her arm. From his towering stance, he had a bird’s eye view of her perfect tits and he had to squirm against the hard-on that shoved against his zipper.
Her large eyes fluttered up, looking through the blankets of black lashes that fluttered flirtatiously. “Thanks.” She considered asking him to j
oin her when Will walked up to her other side, devouring her with his eyes.
“Mmmm. So hot.” He let his eyes roam over her, lingering on the hemline of her dress that had rode up as she sat, up to her chest and back down before making eye contact. “Robin… I expect you to save me a dance tonight.” He licked his bottom lip and winked, sending a shot of arousal straight to her clit. As much as she attempted to avoid them, her body had other things in mind. Her head snapped to John, expecting him to scowl and walk off. Instead he flashed her a cocky grin and raised his eyebrows.
“Me too,” he added before following in the direction Will had gone.
“What was all that about?” she asked Franny.
Franny had picked up on their plan before they began, expecting them to not give up on her without a fight…which was the main reason she had suggested a girls glamor day. Their hard work had paid off. Both men fell right into it. “Men. Such simpletons. Flash a pair of legs and give them a peek of the girls and they can’t help but fall over themselves for a closer look.” The girls all laughed, all feeling pretty and confident. One by one, their husbands came over, drooling like hounds and stepping over themselves.
“By the looks of it, there isn’t going to be a quiet cabin in the woods tonight!” Franny chuckled, setting another round of laughter over the table. They continued to joke over the meal like life long best friends. If only Mary were here, it would have been the best time of her life. Then it got better.
Once supper had finished, the music began to play and couples made their way to the cleared dance area. Robin was the last one left, admiring her friends from her seat. She hadn’t heard John approach and jumped when he spoke, “Care to dance?”
Robin and Her Merry Men Page 12
