Page 32 of Ladybird

“I don’t want to go on missions with you anymore,” said the boy, surprising the hell out of Hunter. He had thought Luke loved the life of excitement and danger. The boy had always begged to go along with Hunter wherever he went. “Fred is my friend now and I want to do things with him, not you.”

“It sounds like Fred might be becoming a bad influence on you.” Hunter didn’t know where this sour attitude was coming from with his nephew. It only added to Hunter’s growing problems and frustrations.

“Robin and I were planning to go for a walk down by the creek with Martin,” Sage spoke up. “Martin likes throwing rocks into the water. Would it be all right if we came with you, Luke? To help look after Inky?” Hunter noticed that Sage spoke in a gentle and kind voice to Luke. She also asked the boy’s permission to join him which is something Hunter would never do where a child was concerned.

“Yes, I’d like that,” said Luke with a smile, easing up on holding the cat so tightly. “I’ll race you down to the water.”

“Sage, don’t even think of running,” warned Robin, grabbing her by the arm and holding Martin on his shoulders with his other hand. “You are pregnant and still not totally well. We don’t want to risk you falling and getting hurt or possibly harming the babies.”

“Stop fussing, Robin,” Sage said with a smile on her face as if Robin’s overprotectiveness amused her. “I wouldn’t run and you know it.”

They walked down to the water talking about Sage’s condition as well as the safety of their unborn children.

“Well, I guess that just leaves us,” Hunter told Regina with a clap of his hands. “What did you want to do?”

Her gaze shot over to him. For a moment she seemed to almost look frightened. “Nothing, with you,” she said. “I think I will just sit here and soak up some sun.” She took the basket from the food and started walking back to the wagon. Hunter could have kicked himself. He didn’t like getting such a cold treatment from the wench and wasn’t sure why she was acting this way. Or what he may have said wrong.

“Here, let me take that.” He snatched the basket from her hand before she could object. “Regina, did I do or say something wrong?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.” They continued to walk.

“I get the feeling you are not happy with me.”

“Why would you say that?”

They stopped at the wagon and Hunter slid the basket into the hay in the back. “It’s because there is gossip going around the castle that you and I were together at night and I was naked, right?”

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play games with me, sweetheart. I know all about the ladies in the solar insinuating that you might have done something unladylike.”

“Sage told you, didn’t she?” Regina let out a deep sigh.

“Regina, can we sit and talk for a moment? There is something I’d like to say to you while we are alone.”

Her eyes flashed down to the ground again and she wrung her hands together. That told Hunter that she was feeling uncomfortable around him.

“Please,” he said in a soft voice. “I would like to clear the air between us.”

“I suppose, it would be fine,” she finally answered. “We can sit in the back of the wagon.”

“Let me help you,” he said, putting his hands around her waist and lifting her up.

Regina felt her heart soaring again just from Hunter’s touch. She felt like one of her birds freely flying through the sky, drinking in the sun, the breeze, and everything that makes one feel good about life.

He put her down and released her and climbed into the wagon sitting beside her. Regina leaned back on her hands and dangled her feet in the air off the end of the wagon. “I like sitting on the back of wagons.” One of her shoes came off and flew through the air, landing in the grass. That made them both laugh.

“I’ll retrieve it,” he told her but she stopped him.

“Nay, I like the feel of the air against my toes.” She purposely kicked off the other shoe and it landed next to the first.

“You surprise me,” he told her. “I didn’t think ladies would purposely kick off their shoes. Especially in mixed company.”

“It’s not like I’m taking off clothes, like some people I know. It feels good. You should try it.”

“Nay, I don’t think so.” He held up one hand and moved back a little.

“Why not?”