Read The Adventurer for Free Online Page A

him."
    "Did the partner die in the jungle, too?"
    "Apparently. He didn't return, at any rate, but hardly anyone noticed. Savage was the big name."
    "So his obit got all the attention."
    "Right. Without him the company folded."
    "All very interesting, but we don't need Jake Savage along on our expedition. We've got you."
    "You must drive people nuts with all this boundless optimism and enthusiasm."
    She bit her lip. "Am I driving you nuts?"
    "Yeah. But don't worry about it. I haven't got anything better to do tonight."
    She grinned. "I didn't think so."
    Ten minutes later when he walked into the restaurant with Sarah Fleetwood beside him, it seemed to Gideon that every head in the place turned in his direction.
    That wasn't strictly true, of course. The customers from out of town had no interest whatsoever in the very ordinary sight of a man walking into a restaurant with a woman. But all the locals, from the hostess to the busboy, were instantly intrigued. Gideon swore silently. He was not accustomed to being the center of attention and he didn't like it. It was all Sarah's fault.
    "Nice to see you again, Gideon. It's been a while. Follow me, please." Maryann Appley, the young hostess, smiled very brightly as she led the way to a seat by the window. "I hope you enjoy your dinner, ma'am," she added to Sarah as she pulled out the chair.
    "Thanks, I will," Sarah said cheerfully, reaching for the menu. "Look, they do have linguine and clams. What luck." As soon as the hostess disappeared she leaned forward. "Why is everyone staring?" she asked in a stage whisper.
    "It's been a while since I brought a lady here." Gideon picked up his menu.
    "Oh." She looked thoughtful. "Does that mean you don't date much?"
    "It's a small community. Not many single women around. They all head for Portland or Los Angeles because there aren't many single men around here, either."
    "There's you."
    Gideon looked up. "What are you trying to do? Figure out why I'm not married?"
    Sarah blushed a charming shade of peach and looked down at her silverware. "I suppose so. Frankly, I couldn't believe my good luck when I realized from your first letter that you weren't married."
    "I don't recall mentioning the fact."
    "No, but I could tell. In my age group the men always seem to be married. Or if they're single it's because they've just recently been divorced and are all messed up in the head. Or they're gay." She looked briefly anxious.
    "I'm not gay and I'm not recently divorced."
    She relaxed back into her infectious smile. "Perfect."
    "You think so?"
    "Definitely. Have you ever been married, Gideon?"
    "You get real personal, real quick, don't you?"
    "Not normally but I feel like we've known each other for four whole months."
    "Funny. I feel like I just met you today."
    "I'm going too fast for you, aren't I?"
    "That's one way of looking at it. What is all this personal stuff leading up to? You planning to propose marriage to me?"
    Sarah cleared her throat delicately and studied her menu. "Don't be ridiculous. It's much too soon for that."
    Gideon stared at her, his head reeling. "Maybe we'd better take this one step at a time."
    "My thoughts exactly. We don't want to terrorize you."
    "I'm beyond terror. I'm in the Twilight Zone. I feel the way Machu Picchu did the day Ellora arrived on the doorstep."
    Sarah laughed and closed her menu with a snap. Her eyes sparkled as she studied him across the table. "What did Ellora do first?"
    "Moved right in on Machu's feed bowl. Normally, Machu would have bitten off the head of any intruder who got within twenty yards of his food."
    "But not Ellora."
    "No. That's when I knew we were done for. I think she baffled him at first. By the time he figured out what was going on, it was too late. She was a permanent resident. You ever been married?"
    That caught her off guard. Gideon experienced a definite twinge of satisfaction at having finally achieved the near impossible. He had a feeling Sarah was almost never caught