has any brothers?" the redhead asked.
"There sure is nobody like him at school. He's so hot!"
"I quite agree with you," Aileen said with a smile when
the girls became aware of her. "And he doesn't have a
brother. Sorry." Both girls blushed crimson, stammered
several embarrassed excuses, and sidled out past Aileen.
Aileen washed her hands and dabbed her hot face with
a wet paper towel. Then she rejoined Dora and Quint.
Taking one look at Aileen, Dora asked, "What's the matter?"
"I just realized that by tomorrow, Quint's ownership of
half the ranch will be all over town," Aileen said with a
sigh.
"Wrong," Dora said and grimaced. "Knowing Myrtle
Jensen the way I do, it'll be all over the county before
midnight."
"Great," Aileen murmured.
"She's one of my failures. She was in my homeroom for
four years. I tried to instill a little tact in her and develop
some character, but here clearly nature triumphed over nurture. Her mother was a brainless chatterbox and gossip too,
may she rest in peace. Well, we can't win them all," Dora
said, patting Aileen's shoulder. "Here's my ride."
They said their good nights in the parking lot. Hugging
Aileen, Dora whispered, "Your description of Quint didn't
do him justice. He's not only handsome, he's intelligent
and, I suspect, passionate and caring. He just might be a
keeper."
On the way back to the ranch, Aileen was silent. Quint
stole glances at her, trying to gauge her mood. Finally he
asked, "Did I do something wrong? Disgrace you in some
way?"
"No, of course, not. What makes you ask that?"
"Your silence. You seem to be fretting about something."
"Not fretting, exactly."
"Then what, exactly?"
"I'm not sure. I'm uneasy. I didn't like the way Myrtle
Jensen kept looking at us," Aileen admitted.
"As if she wondered if we shared a bed?"
Aileen felt heat shoot into her face. "You had that feeling, too?"
"It was written all over her. I wondered if she was going
to find a way to ask us straight out."
"If the program hadn't started when it did, she might
have. I bet half of my students there tonight wondered the
same thing."
"Only half?" Quint asked, trying to interject some humor
into the situation. "I must be getting old." He studied her
reaction. Aileen's face was grave. "Aileen, I was joking."
"I know."
"What else is making you so uneasy?" he asked.
"A guilty conscience, maybe?"
"You have nothing to feel guilty about. We've done
nothing wrong," Quint insisted.
Not yet, that small voice in her mind whispered.
Quint watched her clench her hands. "But you don't like
being gossiped about," he guessed shrewdly.
"I don't. Besides that, I'm a teacher. My behavior is
supposed to be exemplary."
"From where I'm sitting, it is. And anybody who says
differently will have to deal with me."
Judging by the set of his chin and mouth, Quint meant
that. Aileen had never had a man offer to fight in her defense. "You make me feel like some noble lady whose
honor has been maligned."
"You are a lady," he said softly. "And a lovely, intelligent woman."
Aileen leaned forward to see his expression.
"What?" he asked, meeting her gaze. "That wasn't a line,
if that's what you're wondering about."
"It wasn't?"
"I'm not going to use lines on you."
"That's good." Then why did she feel just a twinge of
disappointment? Because she suspected Quint might come
up with some sweet nothings that could bewitch a woman?
Since when did she yearn for honeyed little lies?
"We're partners. You deserve the truth," Quint said.
Partners. Of course. She couldn't keep forgetting that.
What was it Dora had said about the truth? That it was
overrated and disillusioning? Her mentor was a wise
woman.
At the ranch, Aileen picked up the mail she hadn't had time to look at before the dinner. She sat at the kitchen
table to read it.
Quint picked up the newspaper and joined her.
"What on earth?" she exclaimed, frowning at a letter.
Hearing the alarm in her voice, Quint
"There sure is nobody like him at school. He's so hot!"
"I quite agree with you," Aileen said with a smile when
the girls became aware of her. "And he doesn't have a
brother. Sorry." Both girls blushed crimson, stammered
several embarrassed excuses, and sidled out past Aileen.
Aileen washed her hands and dabbed her hot face with
a wet paper towel. Then she rejoined Dora and Quint.
Taking one look at Aileen, Dora asked, "What's the matter?"
"I just realized that by tomorrow, Quint's ownership of
half the ranch will be all over town," Aileen said with a
sigh.
"Wrong," Dora said and grimaced. "Knowing Myrtle
Jensen the way I do, it'll be all over the county before
midnight."
"Great," Aileen murmured.
"She's one of my failures. She was in my homeroom for
four years. I tried to instill a little tact in her and develop
some character, but here clearly nature triumphed over nurture. Her mother was a brainless chatterbox and gossip too,
may she rest in peace. Well, we can't win them all," Dora
said, patting Aileen's shoulder. "Here's my ride."
They said their good nights in the parking lot. Hugging
Aileen, Dora whispered, "Your description of Quint didn't
do him justice. He's not only handsome, he's intelligent
and, I suspect, passionate and caring. He just might be a
keeper."
On the way back to the ranch, Aileen was silent. Quint
stole glances at her, trying to gauge her mood. Finally he
asked, "Did I do something wrong? Disgrace you in some
way?"
"No, of course, not. What makes you ask that?"
"Your silence. You seem to be fretting about something."
"Not fretting, exactly."
"Then what, exactly?"
"I'm not sure. I'm uneasy. I didn't like the way Myrtle
Jensen kept looking at us," Aileen admitted.
"As if she wondered if we shared a bed?"
Aileen felt heat shoot into her face. "You had that feeling, too?"
"It was written all over her. I wondered if she was going
to find a way to ask us straight out."
"If the program hadn't started when it did, she might
have. I bet half of my students there tonight wondered the
same thing."
"Only half?" Quint asked, trying to interject some humor
into the situation. "I must be getting old." He studied her
reaction. Aileen's face was grave. "Aileen, I was joking."
"I know."
"What else is making you so uneasy?" he asked.
"A guilty conscience, maybe?"
"You have nothing to feel guilty about. We've done
nothing wrong," Quint insisted.
Not yet, that small voice in her mind whispered.
Quint watched her clench her hands. "But you don't like
being gossiped about," he guessed shrewdly.
"I don't. Besides that, I'm a teacher. My behavior is
supposed to be exemplary."
"From where I'm sitting, it is. And anybody who says
differently will have to deal with me."
Judging by the set of his chin and mouth, Quint meant
that. Aileen had never had a man offer to fight in her defense. "You make me feel like some noble lady whose
honor has been maligned."
"You are a lady," he said softly. "And a lovely, intelligent woman."
Aileen leaned forward to see his expression.
"What?" he asked, meeting her gaze. "That wasn't a line,
if that's what you're wondering about."
"It wasn't?"
"I'm not going to use lines on you."
"That's good." Then why did she feel just a twinge of
disappointment? Because she suspected Quint might come
up with some sweet nothings that could bewitch a woman?
Since when did she yearn for honeyed little lies?
"We're partners. You deserve the truth," Quint said.
Partners. Of course. She couldn't keep forgetting that.
What was it Dora had said about the truth? That it was
overrated and disillusioning? Her mentor was a wise
woman.
At the ranch, Aileen picked up the mail she hadn't had time to look at before the dinner. She sat at the kitchen
table to read it.
Quint picked up the newspaper and joined her.
"What on earth?" she exclaimed, frowning at a letter.
Hearing the alarm in her voice, Quint
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