Gift of Fortune Read Online Free Page B

wondered if she wanted to date this Steve Sanders, now that
the man was available. He watched her pour the coffee
down the sink. With her back to him, he couldn't gauge
her expression. The overhead light turned her hair into a
golden fire.
    "Tell me, what do you call the color of your hair?"
    Aileen swiveled around to look at him. "Pardon?"
    "Your hair. What color do you call it?"
    She shrugged. "I don't know. Red-blond, I suppose.
Some describe it as strawberry blond. Why?"
    "Just wondering." He grinned at her. "I bet you have the
same suspicious expression on your face when you're trying to find out if a student is lying about the dog eating his
homework."
    She couldn't help but smile back at him. "In high school
they come up with a lot more sophisticated excuses."
    "Like they were changing the oil in their car and it got
on the homework, and they didn't bring it because you'd
get your hands all gunky? Or there was a burglary at their
house and the rotten thief took it?" Quint suggested.
    "Those are good, but not for a school in the middle of
Wyoming. Here it's more often something like a horse stepping on it, or the wind tearing it out of their eager hands,
or their little brother or sister throwing it in the fireplace."
    "Not bad," Quint said admiringly.
    "I bet you came up with some winning excuses in your
day."
    He grinned. "I'm not telling."
    They finished the dishes.
    Aileen dried her hands. She squirted a little hand lotion
into her palm and rubbed it into the skin. Then she nudged the dispenser toward Quint, who quirked a dark eyebrow
at her.

    "What? Not a macho thing to do?" she asked.
    "When you get to know me better, you'll realize that I
never worry about being macho."
    "Why? You're that sure of yourself?"
    "You got it, darlin'." Quint smiled at her until he saw
her expression. "Sorry, I forgot that you don't like being
called darlin'," he added.
    He wasn't in the least bit sorry, Aileen thought. "I don't
mind the endearment in the right situation and with the
right person."
    "There you go, tossing your hair again."
    Aileen opened her mouth to refute his claim but shut it
again. She was no longer sure whether this gesture was
habitual with her or not. She'd have to ask Jennifer, whom
she had known since fifth grade.
    She watched Quint rub lotion into his hands.
    When he caught her glance, he said, "It feels good, and
I like all things that feel good."
    "A hedonist, huh?"
    "If that means I appreciate pleasure, then I am a devout
hedonist," he said, his voice suddenly soft.
    Was he flirting with her? Aileen risked a quick glance
at his handsome face. When she met his green-eyed gaze,
she knew what the phrase "smiling eyes" meant. He was
definitely teasing her, maybe even flirting with her. Quint
was undoubtedly better at this flirting thing that she was.
She felt heat rise into her face again, knew her pulse was
beating faster, while he seemed calm. Drat. She took a deep
breath.
    "I have to grade some papers," Aileen finally said, her
voice faint.

    Clearly she was waiting for him to leave. The time had
come. "Well, if you show me to my bedroom, I'll retire
and leave you to your grading."
    Quint watched her reaction closely. She stood as if
turned into a pillar of salt. Her eyes widened in shock. Then
she shook her head slightly, as if she couldn't believe what
she had heard. Aileen started to speak, but her voice failed
her. She swallowed visibly.
    "What did you just say?" she managed to ask.
    "I said, I needed a place to sleep. I didn't see a bunkhouse. I double-checked all the buildings."
    "We don't have a bunkhouse anymore. It burned down
about five years ago. We didn't rebuild it. The hands live
in trailers down the road."
    "Is there an empty trailer?"
    Aileen shook her head.
    "Well, it's too cold to pitch my tent. And I'm too old to
sleep in the barn. That was okay when I was fourteen and
fifteen, but not now." He hitched his left shoulder, feeling
the slight ache