between a dictionary and a thick, leather-bound tome, "Any luck? Writing, I mean?"
Flint smiled slightly, his eyes on her curious face. "Foolhardy as it probably is, I have to admit you were right. When I sat down this morning, things came much easier. My thinking was far more organized."
Rani grinned, pleased with herself. "Weil, there you are then. You're on your way to fame and fortune. I'd better not keep you from your work."
He shook his head, moving over to the stove to turn the heat on under a dented steel kettle. "I was just about to take a break. Want some coffee?"
Rani hesitated and then nodded. "AH right." She wandered over to the littered table. "Where will you submit the article when you're done with it?"
He shrugged. "Probably Legends and Fantasy . They bought the last couple of things I did. If they don't take it, I might try Treasure Lore.''
Rani nodded. "We get both of them at the branch library where I work. They're quite popular. Kids like them. So do adults who daydream about going treasure hunting."
"My audience awaits," he said dryly. "All I have to do is get it written. I'm beginning to think the problem with this article is that I might be becoming, uh, emotionally involved with my work."
"Since you claim you don't believe in legends, you'd better be careful about becoming too involved," Rani tried to say lightly.
Flint gave her an enigmatic look. "The catch is that if there's any truth to the legend I don't have any choice."
Rani stared unseeingly down at the sheaf of papers on the table, her senses strangely ruffled into almost painful alertness by the underlying edge in his words. "Flint, I'm not looking for a one-night or even a one-month stand."
"You're a woman who doesn't take chances."
"And you're a man who's accustomed to taking them?" she whispered.
"For as long as I can remember," he agreed.
The shrill whistle of the old kettle demanded his attention. Flint reached for two mugs and spooned instant coffee into them. There was a tense silence in the small cottage as he prepared the brew. Then he picked up the mugs and handed one to Rani.
"Going to spend your whole life looking for a sure thing?" he asked, green eyes steady.
She resented the implied criticism. "Perhaps," Rani said coolly. "What about you? Going to spend your whole life leaping from one job, one adventure, to another?"
"People change, Rani."
"When?"
"When they find what they're looking for, I guess."
"I'd have to be awfully sure," she said cautiously.
"Before you'd take a real chance on a man?"
"Yes."
"When you're dealing with human beings, there aren't any certainties."
"That's probably especially true when dealing with a man whose track record doesn't exactly provide evidence of stability," she retorted, feeling trapped.
"What about that artist you're seeing here in Reed Lake? You think he's the stable type?"
"No," she admitted. "But with him it doesn't matter."
Flint smiled gently. "With me it does?"
Rani's mouth went dry as she realized the truth of her own words. "Yes," she said bluntly. "It does."
"I can't give you any guarantees."
"I know."
"I realize my track record isn't exactly reassuring."
"You're right."
"But I'm not a boy. I've been looking for something for a long time. Something it takes a man to recognize."
"You think you've found it?"
"I think so. But the lady is going to have to take a chance, too, before either of us can be certain."
Rani moved uneasily beneath the steady regard of his green gaze. "Don't you think this is an odd discussion to be having after only knowing each other such a short period of time?"
He looked at her intently. "What's time got to do with it?"
Rani's mouth tightened with feminine resentment. "You expect me to simply hop into bed with you, don't you? Do you have any conception of just how much you're asking?"
"Sure. I'm asking you to take a chance on a man who doesn't fit your image of male perfection. But no man ever will fit it, Rani, so why
Flint smiled slightly, his eyes on her curious face. "Foolhardy as it probably is, I have to admit you were right. When I sat down this morning, things came much easier. My thinking was far more organized."
Rani grinned, pleased with herself. "Weil, there you are then. You're on your way to fame and fortune. I'd better not keep you from your work."
He shook his head, moving over to the stove to turn the heat on under a dented steel kettle. "I was just about to take a break. Want some coffee?"
Rani hesitated and then nodded. "AH right." She wandered over to the littered table. "Where will you submit the article when you're done with it?"
He shrugged. "Probably Legends and Fantasy . They bought the last couple of things I did. If they don't take it, I might try Treasure Lore.''
Rani nodded. "We get both of them at the branch library where I work. They're quite popular. Kids like them. So do adults who daydream about going treasure hunting."
"My audience awaits," he said dryly. "All I have to do is get it written. I'm beginning to think the problem with this article is that I might be becoming, uh, emotionally involved with my work."
"Since you claim you don't believe in legends, you'd better be careful about becoming too involved," Rani tried to say lightly.
Flint gave her an enigmatic look. "The catch is that if there's any truth to the legend I don't have any choice."
Rani stared unseeingly down at the sheaf of papers on the table, her senses strangely ruffled into almost painful alertness by the underlying edge in his words. "Flint, I'm not looking for a one-night or even a one-month stand."
"You're a woman who doesn't take chances."
"And you're a man who's accustomed to taking them?" she whispered.
"For as long as I can remember," he agreed.
The shrill whistle of the old kettle demanded his attention. Flint reached for two mugs and spooned instant coffee into them. There was a tense silence in the small cottage as he prepared the brew. Then he picked up the mugs and handed one to Rani.
"Going to spend your whole life looking for a sure thing?" he asked, green eyes steady.
She resented the implied criticism. "Perhaps," Rani said coolly. "What about you? Going to spend your whole life leaping from one job, one adventure, to another?"
"People change, Rani."
"When?"
"When they find what they're looking for, I guess."
"I'd have to be awfully sure," she said cautiously.
"Before you'd take a real chance on a man?"
"Yes."
"When you're dealing with human beings, there aren't any certainties."
"That's probably especially true when dealing with a man whose track record doesn't exactly provide evidence of stability," she retorted, feeling trapped.
"What about that artist you're seeing here in Reed Lake? You think he's the stable type?"
"No," she admitted. "But with him it doesn't matter."
Flint smiled gently. "With me it does?"
Rani's mouth went dry as she realized the truth of her own words. "Yes," she said bluntly. "It does."
"I can't give you any guarantees."
"I know."
"I realize my track record isn't exactly reassuring."
"You're right."
"But I'm not a boy. I've been looking for something for a long time. Something it takes a man to recognize."
"You think you've found it?"
"I think so. But the lady is going to have to take a chance, too, before either of us can be certain."
Rani moved uneasily beneath the steady regard of his green gaze. "Don't you think this is an odd discussion to be having after only knowing each other such a short period of time?"
He looked at her intently. "What's time got to do with it?"
Rani's mouth tightened with feminine resentment. "You expect me to simply hop into bed with you, don't you? Do you have any conception of just how much you're asking?"
"Sure. I'm asking you to take a chance on a man who doesn't fit your image of male perfection. But no man ever will fit it, Rani, so why
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