Free Just One Wish by Janette Rallison Page B

I laid a pair of boots across the top of the box. He shouldn’t be able to push that off, should he? How strong were Burmese pythons?
    Instead of letting myself ponder snake skills, I took my cell phone and Jeremy’s picture out of my pocket, then undressed and shoved my clothes into a corner. I took a long, velvety green dress from the rack and pulled it over my head. Security would be looking for a girl in a baseball cap, not a wandering extra. I’d be able to make it back to Madison and tell her we needed to leave. The dress didn’t have pockets, so I put Jeremy’s picture and the cell phone under my sash and tied it tight to keep them from falling out. I grabbed a circular cloth headband with a long cream train attached which fit over my head like a low-lying halo. I’d seen some other girls wearing them, so I would too.
    I opened the door and peeked out to see if the coast was clear. The first thing I saw was the back of Robin Hood walking toward the studio building.

Chapter 7
    I recognized Robin Hood’s feathered hat and tunic even from the back. He was already half the distance to the building ahead of me, but I hurried after him, hiking my long skirt up so I could run.
    I crossed the distance to him, calling out, “Mr. Raleigh. Could I—”
    He turned around and I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t Steve Raleigh at all. It was only a man dressed to look like him. My mouth hung open and I stared at him.
    He smiled back at me. “Fooled you, didn’t I?” When I didn’t answer, he lifted his hands as though he’d told a joke I didn’t get. “I’m the stunt double. I bet for a moment you thought: Wow, Steve Raleigh sure looks different in real life.”
    No, actually, I thought the last remnants of my sanity had suddenly dissolved, but I didn’t tell him that. I only smiled weakly. “You just startled me.” After I’d caught my breath, the incongruity hit me. “I thought Steve Raleigh did his own stunts.”
    “He does a lot of them. More than the studio suits would like him to, anyway. That’s the thing about teenagers. They think they’re immortal. Steve has a particularly bad case of believing his own press.”
    Leather medieval boots don’t make a lot of sound on the ground, which is the only reason I didn’t hear anyone approaching until a voice near my shoulder said, “What’s not to believe?”
    Then I jumped half a foot. When I turned, I stood face to face with Steve Raleigh. He looked like I’d seen him every night on TV, a blond-haired Robin Hood glowing with confidence and masculinity. His shoulders looked broader today. The tunic emphasized his muscular build, and his eyes had warmth that never accurately came across on TV.
    I said, “Uh . . . uh . . . ,” which luckily he paid very little attention to because the stunt double spoke again.
    “You’ll be glad to hear the horses all survived.”
    Steve sent him one of his trademark smirks. “Hey, if you’re going to keep dropping out of trees onto them, you’d better cut back on the cheeseburgers. That’s all I’m saying.” Steve turned his attention to me, and the warmth stayed in his eyes. “You’re new here?”
    I nodded.
    “Let me be the first to warn you. You can’t believe anything this guy tells you.”
    The two men started toward the building again, and I walked between them, keeping my eyes trained on Steve. How could I bring up the subject of Jeremy? I’d messed up so badly yesterday; I needed to think of the perfect way to ask him to help me.
    When we came to the studio door, Steve held it open for me. He watched me with questioning eyes as I walked past him. “You look familiar. Have I worked with you before?”
    My heartbeat sped up. “No, I just started as an extra.”
    We continued down the hallway, but his eyebrows drew together. I knew he was trying to figure it out, and if he did, he would not be happy with me.
    “My little brother idolizes you,” I said. “He’s six.”
    This seemed to momentarily