Gift of Fortune Read Online Free Page A

the
smooth running of the ranch, might ruin everything. He
couldn't risk that.
    "What would you like to drink?" Aileen asked. "There's
milk, juice, soft drinks, and coffee. After Dad wasn't allowed to drink alcohol, we stopped keeping liquor in the
house."
    "That's no problem. A glass of milk will be fine."
    Aileen filled two glasses and brought them to the table.
"We're ready to eat."
    They passed the bowls politely and ate quickly.
    When they finished, Quint said, "That was a good meal.
Thank you. I'll dry if you'll wash. You can tell me where
the dishes go. That way I'll get to know where you keep
everything. Okay?"
    Aileen agreed.

    "Some evenings if you're late, I can start dinner. I can't
promise to do that often because I notice that quite a few
things around here need fixing."
    "I know that, but-"
    "Hey, don't get defensive. I was just making an observation."
    Aileen filled the sink with water. "The man who fixed
things around here got married and moved into town. Dad
didn't feel up to doing much this past year-and-a-half, and
Bob and the hands had more than enough work taking care
of the cattle and the horses."
    "And you taught school. Did that include summers?"
    "No. Those I spent getting my master's degree. There's
a considerable jump in salary if you have an advanced degree. It took me three summers, but I finished last August.
Hallelujah."
    "Congratulations. You prefer teaching to working on the
ranch?"
    "I don't really know. I was never allowed to work on
the ranch. Dad thought that a woman's work was in the
house and in the garden." She washed and rinsed the plates
before she continued. "I guess it turned out for the best that
I went to college and then started to teach."
    "Oh yeah? How so?"
    "Health insurance. I was able to include Dad on my policy and that saved us when he got sick. The bills were
positively ruinous."
    Those medical bills might explain some of the neglect
on the ranch.
    "Last fall I meant to paint the fences around the house,
but Dad's illness got a lot worse. He needed more chemo
treatments, and I just didn't get around to the chores.
Frankly, it didn't seem all that important then."

    "Death has a way of putting things in perspective," Quint
said.
    She looked at him, surprised. Next to the surprise, he
fancied he saw a little respect in her eyes. Had she thought
he was a complete jerk, too dumb, superficial, or incapable
of giving death a second thought?
    Aileen broke eye contact. "The plates go on the middle
shelf in the last cupboard."
    "Okay." By the time the dishes were done, Quint was
familiar with the layout of the kitchen. He knew he ought
to bring up the question of the sleeping arrangements, but
something held him back. The kitchen was warm, peaceful,
and homey. A man could get used to this. When he recognized that feeling of longing for a home that crept up on
him in unguarded moments, he chastised himself. A man
could get soft and careless, and the soft and careless of this
world didn't survive. He knew that.
    The telephone rang. Saved by the bell.
    Aileen picked up the receiver and spoke with someone
named Steve. A student? A colleague? A boyfriend? From
her tone he surmised that it wasn't a student, but he
couldn't decide if it was another teacher or a boyfriend.
Whoever the guy was, Aileen seemed to be on good terms
with him. Quint didn't entirely like that.
    "That was Steve Sanders," Aileen said after she hung up.
"He's a history teacher at my school."
    "One of your colleagues who went to D.C. with you last
week?"
    "Yes. How did you know?"
    "Something you said about the trip. Do you date him?"
    "No. He was involved with someone until recently.
We're on several committees together. Lincoln isn't that
big a school. You get to know everyone." Dismayed,
Aileen wondered why she was explaining this to Quint. It wasn't any of his business whom she dated. "Do you want
more coffee?"

    "No, thanks." She was changing the subject. Quint