I didn’t move toward the inn. “We should at least choose a name that works in the time period. Edward, or maybe Jacob …”
“You are not naming our son after Twilight characters.”
“They’re older names,” I pointed out. “I can’t help it if they’re also good-looking fictional guys.”
Hudson shook his head. “Women.” To the baby, he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t let her name you after a vampire.” He bent and kissed the top of Junior’s head. As Hudson straightened, he hesitated, and looked at me questioningly. Seemingly on a whim, he put his hands on 288/356
my shoulders, leaned forward, and kissed me too. The pressure of his lips on mine made my heart skid helplessly inside my chest. I shut my eyes and kissed him back, then was angry at myself for acting that way. We weren’t a couple. He had never even said he liked me. He thought he would only marry me if he were stuck in the Middle Ages.
I stepped away from him, taking a deep breath to clear my mind.
“Okay, just because I might at some point have your baby, it doesn’t mean you can kiss me whenever you want.” He smiled, self-satisfied. Whatever his question had been, he thought he knew the answer. Hudson took the baby from my arms and spoke in a hushed tone. “Here’s another thing you need to learn about women, Stets. They might pretend to like the bad-boy Robin Hood types, but they can’t resist hick-town boys.”
“You’re so sure about that?” I asked.
He smiled. “You’re into me, I can tell.”
“I’m not into you,” I said hotly. Hotly, because as soon as the words left my lips, sparklers erupted on top of my head.
Hudson looked at them, and a grin spread across his face. The baby cooed and reached out, trying to grab the flaring light. Hudson moved farther away. “Don’t touch. Just look at Mommy’s pretty liar hat.”
He was enjoying this way too much. “Okay,” I said. “Maybe I like you a little.”
The sparklers dimmed, but didn’t go out.
Hudson raised an eyebrow.
“All right,” I said, nervously eyeing the area to make sure no one saw us. “I’m into you.”
The sparklers died, but I didn’t wait around for more commentary. I headed to the inn. Behind me I heard Hudson still talking to the baby. “Yes, we like Mommy’s flaming hairdo, don’t we?” 289/356
Once we reached the inn, Hudson stopped trying to come up with ways to embarrass me. He gave the innkeeper some coins for our meals, and then we sat down on a bench at one of the tables. I held out my hands for the baby. “Do you want me to hold Junior?”
“Junior,” Hudson repeated with distaste. He whispered conspiratorially into the baby’s ear. “I don’t think we should trust your mother where names are concerned. She put you in a dress.”
“It’s what babies wear here,” I said.
Hudson ignored me and kept whispering to the baby. “Don’t worry, when we get back to the right century, I’ll teach you to play football and drive a pickup truck.”
We didn’t say more about the future because the innkeeper’s daughter came by with our food. She was about my age and cooed happily at the baby until her mother came over and told her to get back to work. But they both stayed for a few more minutes talking to the baby and risking their lips to his grasp.
“You’ve a fine-looking lad,” the innkeeper’s wife told us, giving him a pat good-bye.
“Thank you,” I said. “His name is Edward.” The hat didn’t go off. I hadn’t lied—at that moment I wanted to name him Edward just for spite.
As soon as the innkeeper’s wife was out of earshot, Hudson took the baby from my hands and pointedly started calling him Stetson again.
When we were nearly done eating, I saw two men on horseback ride past the inn. They wore the red surcoats of King John’s men.
Hudson saw them too. He stiffened and handed me the baby. All the lightheartedness in his expression vanished. Before I knew he had done it, he took the pouch that held the Gilead and handed it to me too. “If they come in here, I’ll hold them off so you can get to the 290/356
carriage. Don’t let Bartimaeus know you have the Gilead until you reach the others.”
Fear swept through me. “No,” I whispered. “You can’t fight two trained swordsmen. I’ll go with them if I have to.” Hudson’s eyes connected with mine. “If they take you back to the castle, it won’t be for a wedding. King John will throw you into the dungeon and keep Stetson hostage to force you into making gold for the rest of your life. Do you think I’m going to let that happen?” I could see the men out front. They were nearly to the front door.