Page 9 of Far From Sherwood Forest
He laughs a low, loud rumble. “Don’t be dramatic, Robin.” Just before I slam the door shut, he adds, “Don’t forget the beer!”
Giving him one last look through the window, I poke my bottom lip out, making sure to be extra dramatic about it. He flips me off, and my composure breaks as I laugh and walk away toward the store. I grab a cart and start down the aisles, picking up bread, a few cans of soup, and the beer.
Yes, we’re going to the bar, but we have to make sure to keep the bunkhouse stocked too.
Once I’ve got everything from the mental list I was keeping, I head to the checkout. On my way, I catch a young boy out of the corner of my eye shoving two cans of Chef Boyardee in his backpack, keeping his head down. He can’t be more than twelve or thirteen. There’s only one reason a kid that young would be stealingfood.
In the checkout line, I pay for the groceries, and while the clerk is placing the cash in the register, I swipe two candy bars from below the counter and put them in my pocket. Sure, I could afford to pay for them, but, well…
Old habits die hard.
Outside, I look around until I spot the boy from in the store. “Hey, kid!”
He spins around, his eyes wide with panic as he takes several steps backward, clutching the straps of his backpack with white knuckles.
Before he can break out into a full sprint, I hold up a hand in a kind of surrender. “Just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
He stares at me warily but stops moving so that I can take a couple steps closer, still keeping my distance. I pull the two candy bars out of my pocket and hold them out.
His eyes narrow. “You think I’m dumb enough to take candyfrom a stranger?”
I snort. “Okay, good point. Didn’t think that through, did I?”
Tossing the chocolate into one of my grocery bags, I reach into my back pocket and take out a twenty dollar bill, holding that out for him instead.
He crosses his arms over his chest and gives me a hard look. “I don’t need charity.”
“How about some advice then?” I wave the cash in front of him until he snatches it out of my hand with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t keep your head down when you’re doing something you don’t want to be caught doing. You’ll lose precious time if they see you before you see them.”
His face falls. “You’re not going to turn me in?”
“Turn you in for what?” I give him a smile before turning around and heading for the truck.
After dropping the groceries in the bed, I climb into the driver seat. John is still glued to his phone, and I throw both the candy bars into his lap before putting the truck in reverse and backing out of the parking spot.
“Thanks?” He says it like a question but doesn’t hesitate to open one up and shove half of it into his mouth.
It’s a short drive to the bar downtown, and as we get out of the cab, the sun is already disappearing behind the mountains in the distance, outlining them in a dazzling gold. We enter the bar and head to the table that John’s girl has already saved for us.
Bethany is pretty. She has long, dark hair with kind eyes and a soft smile and wears a flowery dress with a denim jacket, crystals hanging from her ears and the chain around her neck. The woman sitting across the table from her is admittedly beautiful too—short, blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. She holds her hand out for me as I sit down beside her and introduces herself as Emma. I shake her hand, but I’m a little too distracted by the way John’s face lights up as he slides into thebench seat next to Bethany, his cheeks turning a little pink as she reaches over to adjust the collar of his shirt.
We all order drinks, and I strike up a conversation with Emma since John has clearly forgotten the two of us exist, leaning toward Bethany as though he’s being sucked into her gravity. It’s kind of cute, so I can’t even be upset.
“So what do you do?” I ask Emma.
“I own the little bookstore beside Bethany’s crystal shop down the street.”
“Oh, that’s why you look familiar. Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been in there.”
I’ve done a lot of reading since being in this world. There are a lot of quiet, peaceful places around the ranch and the park where I like to spend time—sometimes reading, sometimes reflecting.
Our drinks arrive, and Emma tells me how she and Bethany became friends and then asks me about the ranch. She’s easy to talk to, but…I don’t think there’s anything there. There’s nothing wrong with her. I just don’t feel that spark. I guess I’m just a romantic. With Marian, it was love at first sight, and I fell deeper every time I saw her face. It’s not that I’m expecting to find exactly that again, butsomethingwould be nice. I’m not desperate for companionship, but I know it’s time to move on.
The longer we all sit there and talk, the busier the bar gets, crowded with bodies and loud with chatter and music from the jukebox. Our glasses are empty, and I haven’t seen a waiter come by.
“How about I go get us all more drinks?” I ask as I stand.
John finally emerges from his little bubble with Bethany, standing too. “I’m gonna use the restroom, then I’ll meet you at the bar to help carry them.”
