A Knight in Central Park(62)
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.
Chapter Seventeen
The course of true love never did run smooth.
—Shakespeare
For 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.”