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‘You still entertain thoughts of finding that?’

Lourds grinned. ‘I seem to have quite a record for finding lost things.’

‘And lost loves?’

Lourds stopped and looked into her eyes. ‘And lost loves.’

‘It’s never going to be what I’d hoped it would be, is it?’

Gently, Lourds smiled. ‘If I stopped doing what I do, could you still love me in the same way?’

She looked at him. ‘No.’

‘Then maybe we should remain friends.’

Good friends?’

Very good friends.’

‘Like your new friend, Miriam?’

‘Miriam has been drafted to a new assignment.’

‘You never said exactly what it was that she did.’

‘Graduate assistantship.’

‘Really?’ Alice looked surprised. ‘She seemed more like the adventurous type.’

‘Graduate work can be extremely adventurous.’

‘I stand corrected, Professor Lourds. However, it seems that I have recently come into possession of an obscene amount of money. You can take a week or two before you return to the grind. Let me spoil us for a while. Then I promise I’ll let you back out into the world to play.’

Lourds grinned. ‘I’d like that.’

She snaked his hat from his head and put it on, then leaned her face up to be kissed. And he did.