subject for an
article on the profession. I really want to do this story. I’m sure I can sell it. The personal touch is going to be
dynamite.“
„I see.“ Rachel opened her menu, staring blindly at the list of items in front of her. This, she decided, had been a
really stupid idea.
Maybe, with a certain degree of effort, she could sway Braxton’s opinion of Chance and get him portrayed as a
cunning, malicious man. But that wasn’t the way she wanted to go. She remembered the burning intimacy of Chance’s
kiss the previous afternoon and knew that any vengeance she took had to be as intimate and devastating as that kiss.
She didn’t want to even the score by the conniving, manipulative use of a third party.
Vengeance was a very personal thing, she was learning. As personal as passion.
„Well, Rachel? What do you say? Will you give me a hand?“
She decided to tell him the truth immediately. „I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much help to you, Keith. I just work
for the man, and I’ve only been at Snowball’s Chance for a few days. Not long enough to learn any of his secrets. I
wanted to call you back yesterday and cancel this appointment, but I didn’t have your number.“
For an instant his pleasant expression turned into a look of cold fury. The anger came and went so quickly in his
eyes that Rachel wasn’t even positive she’d seen it. But she was left with an unnerving impression of having come
very close to seeing another side of the pleasant-faced, easygoing journalist.
„I’ve been tracking Chance for weeks,“ Braxton muttered tightly.
Rachel nodded uneasily. „I understand. It’s just that I can’t talk about him. It wouldn’t be right.“
„I had a feeling you were going to say that,“ Keith said with a sigh. „The minute I saw you I knew you weren’t
going to sell any of Chance’s secrets for a lousy fifty bucks.“
„It’s not his secrets you want. You said you wanted to do a profile, an interview,“ she protested.
„True, but the odds of getting one are getting slimmer by the day.“ Braxton gave her an assessing glance. „I don’t
suppose you could put in a good word for me?“
Rachel was startled. „I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it. Frankly, if he found out I had lunch with you, he’d
probably snap my head off. I’m not sure I’d last long enough to put in any kind of word for you.“
„Got a temper, huh?“
Rachel smiled. „I haven’t witnessed it, but I have a hunch he does. Look, Keith, I’m sorry to have wasted your time
today.“
„Forget it. It’s nice to have a companion for lunch.“
„You still want to buy me lunch?“
He grinned. „There’s not a whole heck of a lot to do in this town. I was about to give up and go home tomorrow,
anyway. When I got you on the phone yesterday, I thought I’d make one last try for some kind of story. But you’re
right. Nothing short of an interview with Chance himself would really do the trick. Guess I’ll just have to find someone
else in the business to profile.“
„I appreciate the lunch,“ Rachel said with a relieved smile. Braxton was going to be nice about this, after all. „It
makes a nice break from washing walls and scrubbing floors.“
Braxton laughed. „I can’t say I blame you. But I’ve got to tell you that you sure don’t look like any housekeeper I
ever met.“
„I’m discovering a lot of people seem to have a very old-fashioned image of the profession.“
„Well, if we’re not going to talk about Abraham Chance,“ Keith Braxton said cheerfully, „what shall we discuss?“
„You don’t happen to know the name of a good window-washing firm here in town, do you? I’m thinking of
subcontracting out some of my job responsibilities.“
Keith chuckled good-naturedly. „This must be your lucky day. You won’t believe the sign I saw in a window down
the street. Something along the lines of We Do Windows.“
„You’re right. This must be
article on the profession. I really want to do this story. I’m sure I can sell it. The personal touch is going to be
dynamite.“
„I see.“ Rachel opened her menu, staring blindly at the list of items in front of her. This, she decided, had been a
really stupid idea.
Maybe, with a certain degree of effort, she could sway Braxton’s opinion of Chance and get him portrayed as a
cunning, malicious man. But that wasn’t the way she wanted to go. She remembered the burning intimacy of Chance’s
kiss the previous afternoon and knew that any vengeance she took had to be as intimate and devastating as that kiss.
She didn’t want to even the score by the conniving, manipulative use of a third party.
Vengeance was a very personal thing, she was learning. As personal as passion.
„Well, Rachel? What do you say? Will you give me a hand?“
She decided to tell him the truth immediately. „I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much help to you, Keith. I just work
for the man, and I’ve only been at Snowball’s Chance for a few days. Not long enough to learn any of his secrets. I
wanted to call you back yesterday and cancel this appointment, but I didn’t have your number.“
For an instant his pleasant expression turned into a look of cold fury. The anger came and went so quickly in his
eyes that Rachel wasn’t even positive she’d seen it. But she was left with an unnerving impression of having come
very close to seeing another side of the pleasant-faced, easygoing journalist.
„I’ve been tracking Chance for weeks,“ Braxton muttered tightly.
Rachel nodded uneasily. „I understand. It’s just that I can’t talk about him. It wouldn’t be right.“
„I had a feeling you were going to say that,“ Keith said with a sigh. „The minute I saw you I knew you weren’t
going to sell any of Chance’s secrets for a lousy fifty bucks.“
„It’s not his secrets you want. You said you wanted to do a profile, an interview,“ she protested.
„True, but the odds of getting one are getting slimmer by the day.“ Braxton gave her an assessing glance. „I don’t
suppose you could put in a good word for me?“
Rachel was startled. „I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it. Frankly, if he found out I had lunch with you, he’d
probably snap my head off. I’m not sure I’d last long enough to put in any kind of word for you.“
„Got a temper, huh?“
Rachel smiled. „I haven’t witnessed it, but I have a hunch he does. Look, Keith, I’m sorry to have wasted your time
today.“
„Forget it. It’s nice to have a companion for lunch.“
„You still want to buy me lunch?“
He grinned. „There’s not a whole heck of a lot to do in this town. I was about to give up and go home tomorrow,
anyway. When I got you on the phone yesterday, I thought I’d make one last try for some kind of story. But you’re
right. Nothing short of an interview with Chance himself would really do the trick. Guess I’ll just have to find someone
else in the business to profile.“
„I appreciate the lunch,“ Rachel said with a relieved smile. Braxton was going to be nice about this, after all. „It
makes a nice break from washing walls and scrubbing floors.“
Braxton laughed. „I can’t say I blame you. But I’ve got to tell you that you sure don’t look like any housekeeper I
ever met.“
„I’m discovering a lot of people seem to have a very old-fashioned image of the profession.“
„Well, if we’re not going to talk about Abraham Chance,“ Keith Braxton said cheerfully, „what shall we discuss?“
„You don’t happen to know the name of a good window-washing firm here in town, do you? I’m thinking of
subcontracting out some of my job responsibilities.“
Keith chuckled good-naturedly. „This must be your lucky day. You won’t believe the sign I saw in a window down
the street. Something along the lines of We Do Windows.“
„You’re right. This must be
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