Page 55 of Arrows and Gems
Cap scooted back. “What—what was that?”
She took a moment to appreciate the view. He was right, his face was nothing to be ashamed of. And the bright red on his cheeks only made it better. “An accident. Your nose was higher than I expected.”
“My—” His mouth flopped soundlessly for a moment. She’d completely destroyed his normal calm. “What does my nose have to do with anything?”
She winked. “I’ll let you figure it out.” Holding out a hand to Tucker, she asked, “Would you mind helping me up?”
Cap’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you didn’t need to be rescued.”
“Not by you, I don’t,” she replied with an amused smile. “Tucker has a more accurate view of his own importance.”
Still chortling, the teenager stepped forward and pulled her up. “I can’t wait to tell Alanna and Laurent about this. That was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time!”
“Tucker.” Cap’s voice was disapproving as he stood and brushed himself off. “You don’t need to gossip.”
“Gossip?” Tucker protested, his eyes dancing as they began walking again. “How is it gossip to spread the word that you’ve declared Margit trustworthy? Just because she finally knocked off your hood by kiss—”
“Tucker!” The pink tinge to Cap’s cheeks might be angernow. “Not a word.”
Helena nibbled on her lip. She hadn’t meant to make him angry; she’d only wanted to tease him. But regardless of her intentions, it was probably as welcome to him as Luther’s attempted kiss had been to her.
Or worse. What if the situation were closer to when she kissed Michael? She knew very little about Cap’s life before he turned outlaw. From his and Jean-haut’s conversation about Daphne, Helena had assumed Cap was unattached, by choice or otherwise. But what if she’d misread the situation? He could have a fiancée or wife waiting for him for all she knew.
“Cap, I’m sorry,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the ground. “It was supposed to be a joke. I didn’t mean—I’m sorry.”
He cleared his throat, not looking at her. “Don’t trouble yourself over it. You simply took me by surprise when you...” He cleared his throat again. “I didn’t expect that from you.”
“To be honest, I didn’t expect it of me, either.” Helena cringed. “It was a split-second decision. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Grimacing, he replied, “I know something about that.”
“About split-second decisions?” She lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. “I thought you were the type to deliberate.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Your shoulder. I was operating under faulty assumptions, and you paid the price. I’m sorry.”
An apology? Something warm spread through her chest at the simple words. “To be fair, my actions didn’t help,” she offered, deciding to extend her rare moment of vulnerability. “Another example of my poor decision-making.”
“Are there many?”
The memory of her lips pressed to his returned to her mind, bringing with it a reminder of the last time she hadsurprised a man that way. Her cheeks burned with shame. That had been another quick decision, but she had created the situation that allowed it. Neither her actions before nor after could be blamed on impulse.
And now that she had some distance, she was appalled at her actions.
“Margit? Are you all right?”
She took a deep breath. “Just remembering a particularly bad one.” He didn’t push, but she added, “When I was young, I had a very good friend. But then I…went away for twelve years, and when I came back, I found out he had married.” She gulped, studying the ground in front of her feet. “I didn’t handle it well.”
Cap was quiet for several minutes. Tucker had bounded ahead; Helena could still see him, but he was out of hearing range.
She shouldn’t have told him. Helena winced internally, wishing she’d thought a little more before blurting out her mini confession. She rather liked having Cap as an almost-friend. But as the silence stretched out, she feared she’d ruined their friendship before it began.
“Recognizing your mistakes is the first step,” Cap finally said. He stared straight ahead, but he fingered the arrows in his quiver. “Or so I’ve heard. Then you determine how to correct them.”
Helena sighed. “I’m not sure I can fix that one. We haven’t spoken since, and I—” She paused for a moment, verifying her feelings before speaking. “I don’t blame him.”
Clearing his throat again – he must be catching a cold – Cap glanced at her before looking away. “If it helps, that’s not a concern this time. I’m as unattached as they come.”
Helena grinned at this. It was past time to lighten the mood and end the vulnerability. “Are you saying you’d like tochange that?”
