Page 62 of The Outlaw Viking

But Selik surprised her with a quick, knowing wink and turned to the artisan. Tossing the wide-eyed young man a coin, he pointed to the amber necklace in his hands. The jeweler tossed it up with a nod of thanks.

Delighted, Rain reached for the necklace, murmuring, “Oh, thank you, Selik. It’s beautiful.”

But he held it out of reach and demanded teasingly, “I will have one of those Lifesavers in payment.”

A piece of candy in exchange for a priceless necklace? Not a bad bargain! “I told you they were all gone.”

“But you lied.”

Rain laughed. “Okay, but just one.” She reached in her bag and pulled out the unopened roll of Tropical Fruits, then handed him a yellow one.

“What is this? I prefer red.”

“I gave the last of the cherry ones to Tykir and Ubbi. That one is pineapple, I think.”

Selik shot a look of annoyance her way as if she had given away his personal belongings. Then he skeptically placed the candy circle on his tongue. A momentary look of surprise crossed his face at what had to be an exotic new taste to him.

“Do you like it?”

“’Tis fine, but I prefer the red,” he remarked testily, then reached over and slid the necklace over her head, adjusting it under her single braid. “It goes well with your golden eyes, sweetling.”

He likes my eyes. “Have I told you what it does to me when you use those love words?” she said huskily, leaning closer.

But he pulled his horse back. “Love words? What love words?”

“Sweetling. Dearling.”

“Hah! Those are not love words. They are just…” He stopped himself.

The cart had cleared the street, and Selik moved his horse ahead.

She prodded her horse to follow Selik’s lead and soon caught up with him.

“Selik, thank you. I will cherish the necklace. Always.” Because it came from you.

“’Tis just a trinket. The gifting means naught.”

“Oh! It’s just like you to give with one hand and take away with the other. Why do you keep pushing me away from you?”

“Why do you keep pushing yourself in my face?”

“Because I was sent—”

“—by God to save me,” he finished for her with a disgusted shake of his head. “Please spare me, wench, and be someone else’s guardian angel for a while. Better yet, why not fly up and perch on the rooftops of one of these Christian churches,” he said, waving his hand to indicate the numerous houses of worship they had passed. “Your squawking wouldst blend in well with all the pigeons.”

Rain started to stick out her tongue, but stopped herself in time. Instead, she wrinkled her nose at him mockingly. “Actually, I can’t believe how many churches there are here. I think we’ve passed at least a dozen. Where is St. Peter’s—the one with the hospitium attached to it?”

Selik pointed to a high spire in the distance.

“Will you take me there?”

“Mayhap…yea, I will.”

“I might even be able to practice medicine there.”

He grinned. “That would be a sight to see—you barging into the minster and offering your services to the holy culdees. Talk about bulging veins. You may cause a gusher of bursting blood vessels.”

Rain smiled.