Page 27 of Robin and Marian
Robin straightened. “Where are you going?”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “My job. I’m here to cover a story.”
“A date with Guy,” Tuck said as he passed her on the way to the sidebar to get more food.
“Oh?” Robin’s hand lifted from his uncle’s back, and he set his elbow on the table to rest his chin in his hand. “Really? What’s the story?”
Marian shifted under his searching gaze. It was none of Robin’s business, but she defended herself anyway. “I’m showing him around my aunt’s place. It’s not a big deal… and it’snota date.”
“Watch your back,” Tuck said, rummaging through the side bar. He set some grapes on his plate. “He wants your aunt’s land.”
“Excuse me?”
“I know things.”
Well, he didn’t seem to know that she wasn’t interested in Guy,in the least, or that she was doing everything in her power to keep her distance from Robin. Marian nodded—it seemed safer than arguing with Tuck. She pushed from her seat, glancing down at her bare finger against the table. “Robin!” she remembered. “Give me my ring!”
“At least let me pop the question first!” He didn’t make a move to return it.
“He steals stuff,” Midge said. “I can steal stuff too! You wanna see?”
“No,” Robin said quickly. “I’m not really a thief… I mean, I guess I am… Look, I’m just teasing her.” He winked at her. “What am I supposed to do, right? She’smyMaid Marian.”
That was not helping her get over him! “You know what?” she burst out. “I get it! You won a wager, but I say we make a new one and end this already.”
That was a really stupid thing to say, especially when she saw his considering look. “Okay.” He relaxed against his chair. “When you go out with Guy, you have to count how many times he tries to make your non-date a date. I’m talking compliments, making excuses to touch you. I get two bonus points if he asks to be more than friends. If it’s more than three, I win. If not…”
“Then you’ll stop calling me your Maid Marian?”
“But if I win…” his smile took over his face, “you have to call meyourRobin Hood.”
She snorted to cover up the fluttering in her heart and put her hand on the door. Robin stood abruptly. “Wait, Marian, wait, don’t go yet.” He pulled next to her, and she braced herself to be strong against anything he said. “I’ve got something serious to ask you.” With his eyes on Midge, he led her outside of the kitchen and lowered his voice, “Talk to my sister.” He looked bashful about it. “I can’t get to her. I just… can you tell her that I love her and I want to help her? I can’t stand seeing her like this.”
And just like that, he got through her defenses again. “Yes, I can do that.”
“Thank you.” His words held his heart in them.
Tuck poked his head out the door with an overflowing plate in his hands. “Five hundred bucks,” he said then ducked back inside.
Marian opened her mouth to ask, but Robin covered her lips with his finger, his eyes bright with laughter. “No,” he whispered. “Don’t ask.”
She should’ve. He didn’t pull back his hand, and he studied her face with such an expression of tenderness that it caught her off guard. His lashes lowered so he could look at her lips. She’d put herself in the wrong position again—no, wait, he’d done it. She blamed him… and herself. Wasn’t she supposed to show him how much she didn’t care? It was almost too hard.
Marian stepped back, and his hand slipped from her as she walked away, each step making her resolve feel weaker. She didn’t want to leave him, and she sighed. Marian would still talk to Scarlett for him, but anything else between them was impossible.
Guy kissed her cheek in greeting when he met up with her in the foyer. Marian felt underdressed when she saw that Guy had dressed “casually” with a khaki green jacket over a gray tee and stylish jeans. His dark hair wasn’t in its usual topknot, but smoothed behind his ears. His hand slid deftly to the small of her back to guide her to the circular driveway outside. Despite his extended stay in the States, he still packed on his British charm, and she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for Robin to win his wager.
“Marian,” he breathed. “You look ravishing in the morning.” His eyes moved over her to confirm his statement. “I hope you slept well.”
He tucked her hand into his arm, barely listening to her reply as he bundled her into his black Cadillac Escalade. The leather seats felt soft, like melted butter against her back. Parked next to them, she noticed Robin’s new yellow Porsche.
His cousin snorted when he saw her checking it out, then helped her with her belt, his hands lingering on hers. She froze. Robin was wrong that this was a date, but someone should’ve given Guy the memo.
As he drove, he smothered her with compliments, and Marian realized that he was the worst man to help her get over Robin. Everything about him reminded her of him, especially with that ridiculous wager hanging over her head. But he seemed oblivious to her discomfort as they took the mountain road to her aunt’s place.
It wasn’t too long before the skeletal frame of the old abandoned ski jump towered into view, its frame like the arched back of a brontosaurus. It had always been the landmark to her aunt’s place after long road trips in the summers—such a welcome sight for a ten-year-old who’d missed her childhood home.
They drove past some of the workmen setting up the evening’s celebration, and slowed to a stop along the side of the road, near the woods. Guy turned to her with a smile, his long, tapered fingers stroking the steering wheel. “We finally have some time alone.”
