tried to find the words.
“You realize,“ he stated coolly, “that we’re partners in crime now?“
She frowned. “What are you talking about?“
“We just illegally entered and searched that house. It’s private property, Emelina. We had no right to be in
Leighton’s beach place.“
“So?“ She moved uneasily ahead of him to climb the path.
“So, I just want you to realize how involved you’re getting in something that is not exactly legal.“
“Are you trying to tell me we’re following the same trail as Bonny and Clyde?“ she tried to say flippantly.
“In hope we’ll come to a better end than they did,“ he retorted dryly.
Belatedly Emelina remembered that in the legend of Bonny and Clyde the two outlaws hadn’t lived long. They had
died as violently as they had lived. “I shall rely on your professionalism to keep us out of serious danger, Julian,“ she
told him bracingly.
“You’re missing the point, Emmy,“ he said bluntly as he took her arm to start down the street.
“I’m trying to make you see that we’re more or less committed to see this through together now. By breaking into
that house with me, you helped seal our bargain a little more thoroughly. Do you understand?“
She pulled her arm out of his grasp, coming to a halt to stare up at him in surprise. “Did you think that I’d try to
wriggle out of our deal?“ she demanded proudly. “Is that the real reason you took me with you this evening? So I’d
commit an illegal act with your assistance and feel committed to our bargain? You’re a very devious man, Julian Colter,
but for your information, you outfinessed yourself. I have no intention of backing out of our arrangement. I was
committed to this project before you ever came along, remember?“
He watched her face in the disappearing light “I want you to realize that you’re committed to me, not just the
project.“
She drew away from him, her nerves on edge. “Don’t you think I’m aware of that? I know what I’ve done by
accepting your offer of help, Julian,“ she whispered tightly. “I always pay my debts. You don’t have to worry. I’ll make
good on the tab when you present it.“
Emelina turned and fled toward her cottage.
Four
It was Xerxes who caught Emelina as she tried to sneak into the village for coffee the next morning. She groaned softly
to herself as the black-and-tan dog gave a joyful yip of greeting and bounded down from the front step where he’d
been sitting. A quick glance assured Emelina that Julian was not in sight, so she spoke hurriedly to the enthusiastic
animal.
“Down, boy! Go back. Back to the house. Do you hear me?“ She tried to speak gruffly and to infuse her tone with
command, but Xerxes seemed to miss the point. He whined and put his head in the neighborhood of her hand, looking
up at her with that wistful glance that seemed so out of place on both him and his master.
“Back, Xerxes!“ she tried again, but when he wriggled his ears suggestively she sighed and scratched them for
him.
Julian’s voice broke into the small scene, and Emelina whirled to see him topping the crest of the bluff. He’d been
down on the beach near Leighton’s house apparently. Xerxes must have beaten him back to the cottage. “It doesn’t
work if you give him mixed signals,“ he told her in mild amusement “You have to be firm. Telling him to go back to the
house while you’re petting him at the same time only confuses him.“
“He doesn’t look confused,“ she noted dryly, glancing back down at the dog. Xerxes made an excellent excuse not
to study Julian in the morning light. The wind-tossed dark hair with its iron gray strands, the lithe, strong figure
cloaked in jeans and the familiar leather jacket, looked too appealing to her this morning. The last thing she wanted to
do, Emelina reminded herself nervously, was find Julian Colter appealing.
“He’s not confused, because he knows which signal is the
“You realize,“ he stated coolly, “that we’re partners in crime now?“
She frowned. “What are you talking about?“
“We just illegally entered and searched that house. It’s private property, Emelina. We had no right to be in
Leighton’s beach place.“
“So?“ She moved uneasily ahead of him to climb the path.
“So, I just want you to realize how involved you’re getting in something that is not exactly legal.“
“Are you trying to tell me we’re following the same trail as Bonny and Clyde?“ she tried to say flippantly.
“In hope we’ll come to a better end than they did,“ he retorted dryly.
Belatedly Emelina remembered that in the legend of Bonny and Clyde the two outlaws hadn’t lived long. They had
died as violently as they had lived. “I shall rely on your professionalism to keep us out of serious danger, Julian,“ she
told him bracingly.
“You’re missing the point, Emmy,“ he said bluntly as he took her arm to start down the street.
“I’m trying to make you see that we’re more or less committed to see this through together now. By breaking into
that house with me, you helped seal our bargain a little more thoroughly. Do you understand?“
She pulled her arm out of his grasp, coming to a halt to stare up at him in surprise. “Did you think that I’d try to
wriggle out of our deal?“ she demanded proudly. “Is that the real reason you took me with you this evening? So I’d
commit an illegal act with your assistance and feel committed to our bargain? You’re a very devious man, Julian Colter,
but for your information, you outfinessed yourself. I have no intention of backing out of our arrangement. I was
committed to this project before you ever came along, remember?“
He watched her face in the disappearing light “I want you to realize that you’re committed to me, not just the
project.“
She drew away from him, her nerves on edge. “Don’t you think I’m aware of that? I know what I’ve done by
accepting your offer of help, Julian,“ she whispered tightly. “I always pay my debts. You don’t have to worry. I’ll make
good on the tab when you present it.“
Emelina turned and fled toward her cottage.
Four
It was Xerxes who caught Emelina as she tried to sneak into the village for coffee the next morning. She groaned softly
to herself as the black-and-tan dog gave a joyful yip of greeting and bounded down from the front step where he’d
been sitting. A quick glance assured Emelina that Julian was not in sight, so she spoke hurriedly to the enthusiastic
animal.
“Down, boy! Go back. Back to the house. Do you hear me?“ She tried to speak gruffly and to infuse her tone with
command, but Xerxes seemed to miss the point. He whined and put his head in the neighborhood of her hand, looking
up at her with that wistful glance that seemed so out of place on both him and his master.
“Back, Xerxes!“ she tried again, but when he wriggled his ears suggestively she sighed and scratched them for
him.
Julian’s voice broke into the small scene, and Emelina whirled to see him topping the crest of the bluff. He’d been
down on the beach near Leighton’s house apparently. Xerxes must have beaten him back to the cottage. “It doesn’t
work if you give him mixed signals,“ he told her in mild amusement “You have to be firm. Telling him to go back to the
house while you’re petting him at the same time only confuses him.“
“He doesn’t look confused,“ she noted dryly, glancing back down at the dog. Xerxes made an excellent excuse not
to study Julian in the morning light. The wind-tossed dark hair with its iron gray strands, the lithe, strong figure
cloaked in jeans and the familiar leather jacket, looked too appealing to her this morning. The last thing she wanted to
do, Emelina reminded herself nervously, was find Julian Colter appealing.
“He’s not confused, because he knows which signal is the
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